Staying on the Upper West Side

Between Central Park and Riverside Park. Checked November 11, 2026.

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NYC Tourism describes the Upper West Side as bordered by Central Park and Riverside Park, and lined with residential buildings that look familiar from movies and TV. Lincoln Center performances and the American Museum of Natural History are two of its main draws, and NYC Tourism adds that it has "platonic-ideal versions" of NYC brunch and appetizing delicacies.

A round stone tower of the American Museum of Natural History beside Central Park West with a bus and trees in front — The American Museum of Natural History on Central Park West, September 2019. Photo: Jay Dobkin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

At a glance

Item	Details
Best for	Families, museum visitors, people who want a park on the doorstep and a residential feel
Trade-off	Times Square and the Theatre District are a subway ride south. Fewer big hotels than Midtown are listed by NYC Tourism.
Subway	Broadway: 1 (local), 2 and 3 (express). Central Park West: A, B, C, D. The 1 stops at 59 St-Columbus Circle, 66 St-Lincoln Center, 72, 79 and 86 Sts. The B and C stop at 81 St-Museum of Natural History. The B runs weekdays only.
Airports	See airports to your hotel. LaGuardia has a bus for uptown Manhattan, and JFK and Newark connect through Penn Station.

The tall arched windows of the Metropolitan Opera House behind a plaza fountain — The Metropolitan Opera House and plaza fountain at Lincoln Center. Photo: Annie Spratt / Unsplash.

What is here

American Museum of Natural History: explores human cultures, the natural world and the universe beyond, per NYC Tourism.
The New York Historical: NYC Tourism calls it the city's oldest museum.
Lincoln Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center: performances, with Jazz at Lincoln Center overlooking Columbus Circle. American Ballet Theatre is also listed.
Parks: Central Park to the east and Riverside Park to the west.
Food: NYC Tourism lists neighborhood restaurants including Nougatine at Jean-Georges, Pappardella (on the Upper West Side since 1983) and French Roast for brunch.

Twin towers on Central Park West reflected in the still water of a park reservoir — The El Dorado towers on Central Park West reflected in the Central Park Reservoir, as the photographer describes it. Photo: Mikheil Kuzmidi / Unsplash.

The Beresford apartment building rising behind bare trees in Central Park — The Beresford building seen through the trees of Central Park. Photo: Leandro Paes Leme / Pexels.

Who may want to look elsewhere

If your plan is Broadway nightly and Times Square, Midtown puts you closer. From the Upper West Side, the 1, 2 and 3 run down Broadway to Times Sq-42 St, so it is one subway ride, but you will make it every evening.

Hotels

NYC Tourism's Upper West Side listing that we reviewed did not include hotels, so these three come from Expedia's Upper West Side hotel list, where Expedia places each one close to the Museum of Natural History or Lincoln Center. They are examples, not a ranking, and the buttons are affiliate links. We show no prices because they change daily, so compare the final price with taxes and fees. See the district on NYC Tourism.

Hotel Beacon: near the American Museum of Natural History and Lincoln Center, per Expedia. Check on Expedia
The Lucerne Hotel: on West 79th Street, close to the Museum of Natural History and Central Park, per Expedia. Check on Expedia
Hotel Belleclaire: at 2175 Broadway, close to the Museum of Natural History and Lincoln Center, per Expedia. Check on Expedia

See Upper West Side hotels on Expedia

Visiting on specific dates? NYC Events lists what is on, with official dates and free options.

Sources: nyctourism.com (Upper West Side page), mta.info subway map, jfkairport.com, laguardiaairport.com, newarkairport.com. Subway lines are checked against the MTA map; weekend and overnight changes are common. Last checked November 11, 2026.