UPPER WEST SIDE

The Upper West Side (UWS) is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West Side is adjacent to the neighborhoods of Hell's Kitchen to the south, Columbus Circle to the southeast, and Morningside Heights to the north.

Like the Upper East Side opposite Central Park, the Upper West Side is an affluent, primarily residential area with many of its residents working in commercial areas of Midtown and Lower Manhattan. Similarly to the Museum Mile district on the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side is considered one of Manhattan's cultural and intellectual hubs, with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School located at the south end; the American Museum of Natural History and the Rose Center for Earth and Space (formerly the Hayden Planetarium) located near its center and across the street from Central Park; and Columbia University and Barnard College located just to the north of the UWS in Morningside Heights. The Upper West Side is also home to the famous Beacon Theater.

The Upper West Side ranged from the former village of Harsenville, centered on the old Bloomingdale Road (now Broadway) and 65th Street, west to the railroad yards along the Hudson, then north to 110th Street, where the ground rises to Morningside Heights. Development of the neighborhood lagged even while Central Park was being laid out in the 1860s and '70s, but increased with the introduction of the Ninth Avenue “El” train in the late 1870s along Ninth Avenue (renamed Columbus Avenue in 1890), and with Columbia University's relocation to Morningside Heights in the 1890s.

The Upper West Side experienced a building boom from 1885 to 1910, thanks in large part to the 1904 opening of the city's first subway line, which ran under Broadway for the entire length of the neighborhood.  The stately tall apartment blocks on Central Park West and West End Avenue and the townhouses on the streets between Amsterdam Avenue and Riverside Drive, which contribute to the character of the area, were all constructed during the pre-depression years of the twentieth century. And in 1932, the IND Eighth Avenue Line opened under Central Park West, bringing a second artery of fast public transportation to the eastern edge of the Upper West Side.  In 1940 the 9th Ave. “El” was closed and subsequently torn down, heralding a new vibe for Columbus Avenue.

With the construction of Lincoln Center, the Lincoln Towers apartment complex (which are now all cooperatives), the arrival of the corporate headquarters and expensive condos of the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle, and the Riverside South apartment complex between 59th and 72nd Streets, this part of the Upper West Side is known as Lincoln Square because of the different tone and ambiance than that typically associated with the UWS.

 
 
Search Homes

Overview for UPPER WEST SIDE, NY

160,164 people live in UPPER WEST SIDE, where the median age is 44.2 and the average individual income is $105,110.82. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

160,164

Total Population

44.2 years

Median Age

High

Population Density Population Density This is the number of people per square mile in a neighborhood.

$105,110.82

Average individual Income

Demographics and Employment Data for UPPER WEST SIDE, NY

UPPER WEST SIDE has 75,400 households, with an average household size of 2. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Here’s what the people living in UPPER WEST SIDE do for work — and how long it takes them to get there. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. 160,164 people call UPPER WEST SIDE home. The population density is 109,084.58 and the largest age group is Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

160,164

Total Population

High

Population Density Population Density This is the number of people per square mile in a neighborhood.

44.2

Median Age

44.51 / 55.49%

Men vs Women

Population by Age Group

0-9:

0-9 Years

10-17:

10-17 Years

18-24:

18-24 Years

25-64:

25-64 Years

65-74:

65-74 Years

75+:

75+ Years

Education Level

  • Less Than 9th Grade
  • Associate Degree
  • Bachelor Degree
75,400

Total Households

2

Average Household Size

$105,110.82

Average individual Income

Marital Status

Married
Single
Divorced
Separated

Commute Time

0 to 14 Minutes
15 to 29 Minutes
30 to 59 Minutes
60+ Minutes

Schools in UPPER WEST SIDE, NY

All ()
Primary Schools ()
Middle Schools ()
High Schools ()
Mixed Schools ()
The following schools are within or nearby UPPER WEST SIDE. The rating and statistics can serve as a starting point to make baseline comparisons on the right schools for your family. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Type
Name
Category
Grades
School rating
Anderson School (The)
PUBLIC
K - 8th
5/5
Middle School 245 Computer School (The)
PUBLIC
6th - 8th
5/5
Middle School 247 Dual Language Middle School
PUBLIC
6th - 8th
1/5
Collegiate School
PRIVATE
K - 12th
No rating available
Metropolitan Montessori School
PRIVATE
PreK - 6th
No rating available
The Parkside School
PRIVATE
Undergrad - Undergrad
No rating available
Ps 87 William Sherman
PUBLIC
PreK - 5th
5/5
Ps 811 Mickey Mantle School
PUBLIC
PreK - 8th
No rating available
Robert Louis Stevenson School
PRIVATE
8th - 12th
No rating available
The Ideal School Of Manhattan
PRIVATE
K - 12th
No rating available
PRIVATE
PreK - 4th
No rating available
PRIVATE
PreK - 12th
No rating available
Edward A Reynolds West Side High School
PUBLIC
9th - 12th
No rating available
Ps 9 Sarah Anderson
PUBLIC
PreK - 5th
5/5
Ps 75 Emily Dickinson
PUBLIC
K - 5th
3/5
Ps 84 Lillian Weber
PUBLIC
PreK - 5th
5/5
Middle School 243 Center School
PUBLIC
5th - 8th
5/5
Middle School 250 West Side Collaborative Middle School
PUBLIC
6th - 8th
1/5
Lafayette Academy
PUBLIC
6th - 8th
4/5
Ps 333 Manhattan School For Children
PUBLIC
K - 8th
5/5
PUBLIC
6th - 8th
4/5
PUBLIC
6th - 8th
2/5
Innovation Diploma Plus
PUBLIC
10th - 12th
No rating available
Frank McCourt High School
PUBLIC
9th - 12th
2/5
PRIVATE
7th - 12th
No rating available
PRIVATE
1st - 12th
No rating available
Aichhorn School (The)
PRIVATE
9th - 12th
No rating available
Junior High School 54 Booker T Washington
PUBLIC
6th - 8th
5/5
Ps 166 Richard Rogers School Of The Arts & Science (The)
PUBLIC
K - 5th
5/5
Global Learning Collaborative (The)
PUBLIC
9th - 12th
1/5
Urban Assembly School For Green Careers (The)
PUBLIC
9th - 12th
No rating available
Success Academy Charter School-Upper West
PUBLIC
K - 8th
5/5
Beit Rabban Day School
PRIVATE
PreK - 5th
No rating available
Alexander Robertson School
PRIVATE
PreK - 5th
No rating available
Solomon Schechter School Of Manhattan
PRIVATE
K - 7th
No rating available
PRIVATE
PreK - 12th
No rating available
Ps 165 Robert E Simon
PUBLIC
PreK - 5th
3/5
Community Action School-Middle School 258
PUBLIC
6th - 8th
2/5
The Studio School
PRIVATE
PreK - 8th
No rating available
The Geneva School Of Manhattan West Campus
PRIVATE
PreK - 8th
No rating available
Stephen Gaynor School
PRIVATE
Undergrad - Undergrad
No rating available
Twin Parks Montessori School - Central Park
PRIVATE
PreK - PreK
No rating available
Ps 145 Bloomingdale School (The)
PUBLIC
PreK - 5th
No rating available
Ps 163 Alfred E Smith
PUBLIC
PreK - 5th
4/5
PRIVATE
PreK - 8th
No rating available
West Side Montessori School
PRIVATE
PreK - K
No rating available
Manhattan Children's Center (The)
PRIVATE
Undergrad - Undergrad
No rating available
Basis Independent Manhattan
PRIVATE
K - 6th
No rating available
Rodeph Sholom School
PRIVATE
PreK - 8th
No rating available
The School At Columbia University
PRIVATE
K - 8th
No rating available

Work With Jeff

Jeff combines his love of the city’s rich history and his commitment to bringing New York’s great neighborhoods to life for his clients and friends by hosting several industry award-winning programs.

Follow Jeff on Instagram