Is Upper West Side (Central) or Upper East Side-Yorkville better for families?

Upper West Side (Central) and Upper East Side-Yorkville each suit different families. Upper West Side (Central) leads on Neighborhood Character, while Upper East Side-Yorkville leads on Safety, Activities, and Family Fit. What's "better" depends on what you prioritize — safety, schools, affordability, or transit. Our neighborhood search can rank them by your own weights.

How do Upper West Side (Central) and Upper East Side-Yorkville compare on safety and schools?

Upper West Side (Central): 67/100 safety, 84/100 schools. Upper East Side-Yorkville: 90/100 safety, 88/100 schools.

Are Upper West Side (Central) and Upper East Side-Yorkville similar neighborhoods?

They're 89% similar across the nine signals we score. Upper West Side (Central) stands out on Neighborhood Character.

Upper West Side (Central) vs Upper East Side-Yorkville

Manhattan

Upper West Side (Central)

Family Fit 61/100

Manhattan

Upper East Side-Yorkville

Family Fit 66/100

Upper West Side (Central) (Manhattan) and Upper East Side-Yorkville (Manhattan), compared across the nine signals we score for families. Upper West Side (Central) scores higher on Neighborhood Character; Upper East Side-Yorkville leads on Safety and Activities. Overall they're 89% similar on family fit.

How they compare

Upper West Side (Central) compared with Upper East Side-Yorkville, metric by metric
Metric	Upper West Side (Central)	Upper East Side-Yorkville
Family Fit	61/100	66/100 (leads)
Families	98/100	100/100 (leads)
Affordability	7/100	8/100 (leads)
Schools	84/100	88/100 (leads)
Neighborhood Character	80/100 (leads)	58/100
Transit	86/100	86/100
Safety	67/100	90/100 (leads)
Health	14/100	16/100 (leads)
Activities	91/100	98/100 (leads)

Weekday-morning commute

Upper West Side (Central) compared with Upper East Side-Yorkville, metric by metric
Metric	Upper West Side (Central)	Upper East Side-Yorkville
To Midtown	21–22 min (leads)	25–26 min
To Lower Manhattan	31–32 min (leads)	35–36 min
To Hudson Yards	25–26 min (leads)	32–33 min
To Union Square / Flatiron	28–30 min (leads)	30–31 min
To Upper East Side medical corridor	33–34 min	16–17 min (leads)
To Downtown Brooklyn	37–38 min (leads)	42–44 min
To Long Island City	27–28 min (leads)	28–29 min
To Jamaica	53–55 min (leads)	55–57 min
To Flushing	50–52 min	50–52 min
To Fordham	42–43 min	36–40 min (leads)

Typical transit and walking time, leaving between 7:30 and 9:00 a.m. on a weekday, from each neighborhood's population center; the shorter trip leads. From MTA, NYC DOT and NYC Ferry schedules, so no delays or crowding. Streets © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Upper West Side (Central) or Upper East Side-Yorkville better for families?: Upper West Side (Central) and Upper East Side-Yorkville each suit different families. Upper West Side (Central) leads on Neighborhood Character, while Upper East Side-Yorkville leads on Safety, Activities, and Family Fit. What's "better" depends on what you prioritize — safety, schools, affordability, or transit. Our neighborhood search can rank them by your own weights.
How do Upper West Side (Central) and Upper East Side-Yorkville compare on safety and schools?: Upper West Side (Central): 67/100 safety, 84/100 schools. Upper East Side-Yorkville: 90/100 safety, 88/100 schools.
Are Upper West Side (Central) and Upper East Side-Yorkville similar neighborhoods?: They're 89% similar across the nine signals we score. Upper West Side (Central) stands out on Neighborhood Character.

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