The Central Upper West Side offers tree-lined brownstone blocks, excellent schools, and easy access to both Central and Riverside Parks. A quintessential Manhattan family neighborhood.
The Central Upper West Side offers tree-lined brownstone blocks, excellent schools, and easy access to both Central and Riverside Parks. A quintessential Manhattan family neighborhood.
Did you know?
The brownstones along West 73rd-74th Streets were built so quickly in the 1880s that the area was nicknamed "The Dakota Wilderness" after the then-remote Dakota apartment building.
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Analyze for My FamilyLiving here
The Upper West Side delivers serious park cred — Riverside Park is the crown jewel running along the Hudson, with a deep bench of playgrounds scattered throughout. Kids gravitate toward the dinosaur-themed play structure and the Hippo Playground, both perennial favorites that have been maintained for years. For families who need real green space to decompress, this is exactly the right zip code.
Schools & early education
The Upper West Side offers a deep bench of educational options, split almost evenly between public and private with one charter in the mix. Zoned public schools like P.S. 087 William Sherman and P.S. 075 Emily Dickinson anchor the neighborhood, while families also gravitate toward private institutions including Dwight School on Central Park West and Columbia Grammar & Prep on West 93rd. Success Academy Charter provides a public charter alternative. The diversity means you're navigating everything from traditional neighborhood zoned schools to specialized private academies — a real spread of philosophies and tuition levels.
Compare with nearby neighborhoods
Best schools in Upper West Side (Central)
Schools in Upper West Side (Central)42
- ALEXANDER ROBERTSON SCHOOL
- ANGLO-AMERICAN INTNTL SCHOOL
- BEIT RABBAN DAY SCHOOL
- CALHOUN SCHOOL
- CALHOUN SCHOOL (THE)
- Child Center of NY
- COLUMBIA GRAMMAR & PREP SCHOOL
- Community Action School - MS 258
- DWIGHT SCHOOL
- Frank McCourt High School
- GAN ALIYA
- GAN ALIYA
- GENEVA SCHOOL OF MANHATTAN
- IDEAL SCHOOL AND ACADEMY
- IDEAL SCHOOL OF MANHATTAN - UPPER
- Innovation Diploma Plus
- Lafayette Academy
- M.S. 243 Center School
- M.S. 250 West Side Collaborative Middle School
- M.S. M245 The Computer School
- M.S. M247 Dual Language Middle School
- MANHATTAN CHILDREN'S CENTER
- MANHATTAN DAY SCHOOL
- P.S. 009 Sarah Anderson
- P.S. 075 Emily Dickinson
- P.S. 084 Lillian Weber
- P.S. 087 William Sherman
- P.S. 166 The Richard Rodgers School of The Arts and Technology
- P.S. 333 Manhattan School for Children
- P.S. M811 - Mickey Mantle School
- RODEPH SHOLOM SCHOOL
- SMITH SCHOOL
- STEPHEN GAYNOR SCHOOL
- STUDIO SCHOOL
- Success Academy Charter School - Upper West
- TAMIM ACADEMY OF NYC
- The Anderson School
- The Global Learning Collaborative
- The Urban Assembly School for Green Careers
- TREVOR DAY SCHOOL
- TRINITY SCHOOL
- YESHIVA KETANA OF MANHATTAN
Early education in Upper West Side (Central)36
- ALEXANDER ROBERTSON SCHOOL
- All My Children Day Care And Nursery School
- ALL MY CHILDREN DAY CARE AND NURSERY SCHOOL
- All My Children Daycare Uws
- BEIT RABBAN DAY SCHOOL
- BRIGHT HORIZONS AT WEST 89TH
- BRIGHT HORIZONS AT WEST 96TH ST.
- CALHOUN SCHOOL
- CALHOUN SCHOOL (THE)
- Child Center of NY
- COLUMBIA GRAMMAR & PREP SCHOOL
- DWIGHT SCHOOL
- GAN ALIYA
- GAN ALIYA
- GENEVA SCHOOL OF MANHATTAN
- GODDARD RIVERSIDE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER AT WEST 91ST STREET
- IDEAL SCHOOL AND ACADEMY
- MANHATTAN CHILDREN'S CENTER
- MANHATTAN DAY SCHOOL
- MORNINGSIDE DUAL LANGUAGE PLAYCARE
- P.S. 009 Sarah Anderson
- P.S. 084 Lillian Weber
- P.S. 084 THE LILLIAN WEBER SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
- P.S. 087 William Sherman
- P.S. M811 - Mickey Mantle School
- Play Together NYC Preschool
- River Park Nursery School
- Riverside Montessori, Inc.
- RODEPH SHOLOM SCHOOL
- STEPHEN GAYNOR SCHOOL
- STUDIO SCHOOL
- TAMIM ACADEMY OF NYC
- THE CHILD CENTER OF NY ESCALERA
- TREVOR DAY SCHOOL
- TRINITY SCHOOL
- YESHIVA KETANA OF MANHATTAN
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Upper West Side (Central) a good neighborhood for families?
- Upper West Side (Central) scores 54/100 for families on Motley — near the middle of the pack citywide. The Family Fit score blends safety, schools, parks, cost of living, and community.
- Is Upper West Side (Central) safe?
- Upper West Side (Central) scores 24/100 on safety — toward the lower end citywide. We build the score from NYPD complaint data, normalized by population.
- How are the schools in Upper West Side (Central)?
- Upper West Side (Central) has 42 schools mapped inside its boundary and scores 97/100 for schools — ahead of most NYC neighborhoods.
- Is Upper West Side (Central) affordable?
- Upper West Side (Central) scores 5/100 for affordability on Motley — among the pricier parts of the city.
- Which borough is Upper West Side (Central) in?
- Upper West Side (Central) is a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City.
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