Are there any noticable differences between the UES and UWS?

[Viralmd]

It's NOT cheaper than other places in Manhattan except for the 'Gold Coast' (Park and Fifth Avenues in the 60s and 70s). Those are about the only places that are more costly.

[SeventhFloor]

the zip code 10128 (UES) is one of the richest in the United States.

[anders]

Originally Posted by SeventhFloor

the zip code 10128 (UES) is one of the richest in the United States.

Not to be picky -- but I'll be picky anyway ....

(1) A _lot_ of ZIPs (in NY, and the whole US) are "one of the richest"!

(2) 10128 only covers the UES from 87th (generally) to 96th, which isn't the big-money zone. Income-wise, it rates below 10021 and 10028, which orginally were the _only_ ZIPs on the UES.

ZIP TRIVIA:

I lived on the UES when the 10128 ZIP was introduced, and it caused a bit of a brouhaha among status-conscious nitwits:
-- 10021 (roughly 60th-80th Sts.) has always been regarded as the "real Upper East Side" ZIP, encompassing Old Money, quietly-fancy buildings, rich folks' sidestreet townhouse-mansions, socialites with chauffeurs, et al.
-- 10028 (originally 81st-96th) was "merely" Yorkville -- a former blue-collar/German-Euro-immigrant area that ended where East Harlem began ... though it had some moneyed folks west of Lexington, and was filling up with yuppies, recent college grads with five roommates, and new buildings (which many "real" UESers regarded as tacky).
-- When the yuppie migration burdened the Postal Service, the 10028 ZIP area was split. The 87th-96th area became 10128, but 81st to 86th remained 10028.

The intro of 10128 infuriated some ex-10028 people -- especially those farther west -- since they viewed it as status-comedown:

For ages, they'd "suffered" from, and-or tried to correct, 10028's rep as an also-ran -- "merely" Yorkville, and not really The Upper East Side.
But 10128 was too much to bear (for them, at least): It was one more step removed from 10021, and lumped them in with NYC-newbies, tacky "new money," and the spottier fringes of East Harlem.
Some even wanted the P.O. to exempt 5th/Madison/Park, above 87th, from the 10128 switch -- using the excuse that the new ZIP would be an intolerable burden, and they shouldn't be penalized just because 10028 was filling up with yuppies.
But, obviously, they didn't get their wish.

[crisp444]

Great explanation!

[rlrl]

has an older-moneyed Wasp/Irish feel, whereas the UWS has more of a commercial "Seinfeldish" feel (not intending to insinuate any race divisions as I'm Jewish myself). My brother lived on 86th and York and i always preferred the UES to the UWS.

[UWS Cowboy]

I'm going to take a stroll on the UES soon. It's just a walk across the park. I've been there more than a few times and never liked it much, though I mostly stayed around fifth avenue. I once looked at an apartment on 78th and 1st. Upper West Side has a lot of personality to offer. Some blocks still look gritty, especially on Amsterdam from the mid 80s and up. I love the area around 96th and Amsterdam, where it slopes down into the west side highway. Lots of brownstones and luxury rentals on and around Central Park West and Riverside. I could stay on the Upper West Side and never go to any other neighborhood in Manhattan and be perfectly happy, I think that's saying a lot, though I'm biased because it's been my favorite neighborhood for a while. The proximity to the park is a plus, as well as the architecture. Those are my two favorite things about the neighborhood along with the laid back atmosphere it has.

[jelpern]

I lived on the UWS for a year, and have been on the UES for the past week as a temporary base while I get myself set up back in NY. In the interim I lived near Union Square for two years and two years in Philly. Having been on both sides there is definitely a difference, although compared to living downtown they both feel little boring to me.

Most of the differences between the UES and UWS have already been mentioned, but I will add a couple of things. The UWS has much better green space b/c of Riverside Park, which is enormous but less crowded than Central Park. If you like to bike or jog, the west side of manhattan has a trail running all the way from Battery Park City to the GW Bridge, and then you can cross the GWB and go well up into NJ/upstate NY on the trails there. On the east side the trail only goes up to around the 30s and then you have to take 2nd avenue which is considerably less fun. An online map (Manhattan Bike Map: Manhattan Bike Paths, Bike Lanes & Greenways - NYC Bike Maps | NYC Bike Maps) shows that they have made a bike path from around 63rd to 125th on the East side which I don't think was there when I lived in NY before, but even so if you want to do any serious riding from the UES you will have to take some major avenues. The trail on the East Side is also basically ten feet of concrete between FDR and the East River, whereas on the West Side it is a beautiful landscaped path with lots of green and serenity.

The UES side east of Lex has a lot more frat bar type places and heavy drinkers just out of college, although the UWS has some of these too.

The funniest thing IMO about the UES/UWS debate is that people who live on one side almost universally will say that their side is the best and rarely if ever will cross the park. There is a real psychological barrier that you just don't see downtown.