Presentation of the Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood with a wealthy population and where house prices are the highest in the city. Famous district, the latter owes its fame to its privileged geographical location in Manhattan: near Central Park and next to some iconic buildings.
In this district, prestigious schools, museums, luxury boutiques and hotels as well as chic restaurants abound. Here, great personalities have also lived: Madonna, Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Rupert Murdoch and many more!
The Upper East Side is therefore a fascinating neighborhood that deserves to be discovered. It is also well served by public transport since the lines 4, 5 and 6 follow Lexington Avenue (8.9 km avenue that crosses several neighborhoods: Harlem, the Upper East Side and Midtown).
What to see and do in this neighborhood?
The Upper East Side is a trendy neighborhood which represents very well the chic and the elegance of New York. But besides this rich and wealthy side, this district is also famous for its museums, its shopping streets and its restaurants. Here's everything you can do in this upscale neighborhood!
To visit museums
If you like museums, the Upper East Side will please you! Culture comes first here and walking the Museum Mile should be on your list of activities!
Note: the Museum Mile is a section where several museums are located.
Among all the museums in this section, you can find the MET, the largest museum in the city! It houses more than 250 works spread over 400 galleries, all over more than 180 m²! Several universes are on display: fashion, photography, modern art… There is something for all tastes and MET promises to put you in your eyes!
The other must-see museum in this section is the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the museum dedicated tocontemporary art. Inside, you can admire paintings by great artists, but also different collections: Thannahuser, Guggenheim and Kandinsky. But if the Guggenheim Museum concentrates magnificent works, the building itself represents a work of art in itself. Indeed, its atypical shape does not go unnoticed and deserves to be photographed!
In addition to these two museums, you can also visit the Whitney Museum of American Art (99 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014) or even The Frick Collection located near the MET. The latter is another art museum where paintings by great artists are exhibited, but also sculptures, textiles, ceramics ... In total, it has sixteen permanent exhibitions and rooms dedicated to temporary exhibitions. Its address is: 1 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021.
But while waiting to discover them, here is an overview on all the museums in New York.
Go shopping
In addition to museums, the Upper East Side is also home to boutiques and shopping streets. Granted, these are mostly luxury stores, but they're worth a visit.
The flagship shopping streets of the district are Madison Avenue where you can find chic brands and the famous store Barneys divided into two parts: women and men. This store is ideal for people with a passion for fashion and brands and if you are in New York during the sales, know that the store has great discounts!
Lexington Avenue is another great shopping street for shopping. On it, you can find Bloomingdale's a chic chain of stores that is a real institution in New York! It is located at the corner of 59th Street.
Other luxury stores like Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armarni, Chanel, Michael Kors are also located in this district. The majority of these prestigious boutiques are located between 59th and 69th streets.
Relax in Central Park
Manhattan's “green lung”, Central Park is an emblematic park that has some great surprises in store for you!
After having walked the alleys, do not hesitate to plan a short break in this park. Depending on your wishes, you can lie down on the grass to rest, read a book, play sports, have a picnic or simply discover this fascinating place. Moreover, whether in winter, summer, spring or fall, there is no shortage of activities in Central Park! To find out all about the events organized, see our article dedicated to this park!
Where to eat on the Upper East Side?
On the Upper East Side, restaurants are plentiful and despite the chic aspect of the neighborhood, you will have a wide choice to eat at an affordable price.
Le restaurant Daniel (60 E 65th St, New York, NY 10065) offers fine dishes cooked with quality produce and if you like seafood, go to Luke's Lobster which offers a varied menu rich in flavors (their lobster sandwich is exquisite). Its address is: 242 East 81st Street, Btwn 2nd and 3rd, New York, NY 10028.
Otherwise, to enjoy a good American burger or a hot dog, go to Shake Shack. For some people, their burgers are the best in town; as much to say that you will not be disappointed!
Finally, if you want to eat Italian, I recommend the restaurant Shop by Department at 1402 Lexington Avenue. But if you don't want to wait to eat, consider reserving a table!
The best places to have a drink
The Auction House (300 E 89th St, New York, NY 10128) is a pleasant lounge bar where you can sip a delicious cocktail. The Stumble Inn on 2nd Avenue is another interesting and lively place and to discover a Scottish pub, head to the Caledonia Scottish Pub also on 2nd avenue to sip a typical drink!
Upper East Side: location and geographical situation
The Upper East Side is at north manhattan. It borders with Central Park to the west, Roosevelt Island to the east (see activities to do on this island), Midtown East to the south and East Harlem to the north. Here is its location:
I wish you a good discovery of the Upper East Side!
