157-587: The Nicholas Roerich Museum is a museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City , dedicated to the works of Nicholas Roerich (1874–1947), a Russian-born cosmopolitan artist. His early accomplishments include devising with Igor Stravinsky the libretto, and creating the sets and costumes for the “ Rite of Spring ” (1913). He spent the last 20 years of his life in Kullu valley in
314-701: A hollow known as Garage Village, was to be raised. The city's proposal to widen Riverside Drive required the acquisition of land, including a portion of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center 's site along the Hudson River. The city also acquired land in Inwood Hill Park for a further northward extension into the Bronx, and there were suggestions to extend the road to Westchester County, New York , or
471-449: A scenic landmark that also includes Riverside Park. Riverside Drive was proposed as part of Riverside Park, which was established by land condemnation in 1872. Originally known as Riverside Avenue, the road opened in 1880 and originally ran between 72nd Street and the current site of Grant's Tomb . The park and avenue were originally designed by architects and horticulturalists such as Calvert Vaux and Samuel Parsons . Riverside Drive
628-478: A water main break, and the section of Riverside Drive in Hamilton Heights was partially closed for repairs. In addition, when a condominium building was completed at 222 Riverside Drive in 1988, it was the first apartment building to be erected on the avenue in 35 years. In 1991, the city government proposed rebuilding the section of the avenue north of 135th Street. Local residents initially opposed
785-611: A $ 7 million upgrade to the existing section of Riverside Drive between St. Clair Place (at the southern end of the Manhattan Valley Viaduct) and Dyckman Street. The portion of the parkway north of Dyckman Street opened in December 1936, and the portion south of the George Washington Bridge opened the next year, relieving traffic on much of Riverside Drive. The section of Riverside Drive between
942-422: A 60-foot-wide (18 m) roadway with six lanes of traffic. The viaduct's construction required 11.6 million pounds (5.3 kt) of steel, 108,000 square feet (10,000 m ) of asphalt pavement, 120,000 square feet (11,000 m ) of masonry, and 810,000 cubic feet (23,000 m ) of concrete. The structure is carried upon a steel-beam framework, which is encased in granite cladding. The roadway itself
1099-494: A DOT official had rated the viaduct as severely deteriorated, and trucks and buses were banned from the viaduct due to the poor conditions. Funding for repairs to the Manhattan Valley Viaduct and the 155th–161st streets viaduct were included in a $ 1.25 billion bond issue that was proposed in 1983, and New York state voters approved the bond issue that November. The same year, workers began replacing some of
1256-497: A claim that many local residents and architects denied. Conversely, the developer Charles V. Paterno predicted that the avenue would again become an upscale residential corridor because of its location and the construction of the Henry Hudson Parkway and George Washington Bridge. Many row houses on Riverside Drive had been replaced with apartments by the 1930s. Manhattan borough president Hugo Rogers claimed in
1413-505: A college education or higher. The percentage of the Upper West Side students excelling in math rose from 35% in 2000 to 66% in 2011, and reading achievement increased from 43% to 56% during the same time period. The Upper West Side's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is lower than the rest of New York City. In the Upper West Side, 14% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year , less than
1570-432: A cost of $ 7 million. The next year, borough president Julius Miller submitted plans to build a road, known as Riverside Drive West, between 155th and 177th streets for $ 2.791 million; this would serve as a bypass of the existing roadway. The project would require the construction of several high retaining walls west of Riverside Drive West. In addition, the land east of Riverside Drive West between 155th and 161st streets,
1727-459: A deal with Trump. The community's links to the events of September 11, 2001 were evinced in Upper West Side resident and Pulitzer Prize winner David Halberstam 's paean to the men of Ladder Co 40/Engine Co 35, just a few blocks from his home, in his book Firehouse . Today, this area is the site for several long-established charitable institutions; their unbroken parcels of land have provided suitably scaled sites for Columbia University and
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#17327804144141884-455: A further extension of Riverside Drive in 1908, saying the city lacked money. John F. Ahearn , Manhattan's borough president, began requesting bids for the construction of Riverside Drive from 158th Street to Spuyten Duyvil, Bronx , in March 1909. Amid disagreements over the extension's cost, a state judge placed an injunction to prevent Ahearn from awarding contracts for the extension. After
2041-479: A low population of residents who are uninsured . In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 5%, less than the citywide rate of 12%, though this was based on a small sample size. The concentration of fine particulate matter , the deadliest type of air pollutant , in the Upper West Side is 0.0083 milligrams per cubic metre (8.3 × 10 oz/cu ft), more than the city average. Ten percent of Upper West Side residents are smokers , which
2198-450: A lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 95.5% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported 0 murders, 14 rapes, 116 robberies, 102 felony assaults, 136 burglaries, 877 grand larcenies, and 75 grand larcenies auto in 2022. Of the five major violent felonies (murder, rape, felony assault, robbery, and burglary), the 20th Precinct had a rate of 250 crimes per 100,000 residents in 2019, compared to
2355-409: A median. A pedestrian path and a horse path would run alongside the avenue, and trees would provide shade along the route. A section of the avenue from 104th to 123rd Street would serve as a shaded promenade , and there would be a carriage turnaround at 123rd Street. Over the following years, work proceeded on Riverside Drive, with various ramps and stairs to the park, as well as a bridle path (which
2512-489: A mixture of income levels and occupations patronized the same gay bars in the neighborhood, making it markedly different from most gay enclaves elsewhere in the city. The influx of white gay men in the Fifties and Sixties is often credited with accelerating the gentrification of the Upper West Side. In a subsequent phase of urban renewal, the rail yards which had formed the Upper West Side's southwest corner were replaced by
2669-477: A part of the Upper West Side – the present-day Manhattan Valley neighborhood – located between 96th and 110th Streets and bounded on the east by Amsterdam Avenue and on the west by Riverside Drive , Riverside Park , and the Hudson River . Its name was a derivation of the description given to the area by Dutch settlers to New Netherland , likely from Bloemendaal , a town in the tulip region . The name
2826-402: A pedestrian was killed near Grant's Tomb that year, the two-way roadways on either side of the monument were both converted to one-way traffic. Meanwhile, after the opening of the city's first subway line , the northern section of Riverside Drive was quickly developed with six-to-twelve-story apartment blocks. Numerous multi-story apartment buildings had been developed along Riverside Drive in
2983-481: A property owner had successfully requested that a state judge place an injunction on the project. A few blocks north, families with plots in Trinity Church Cemetery complained that the new road was obstructing views of the Hudson River from their plots. The extension of Riverside Drive resulted in the development of upper-class apartment houses there. To pay for the construction of the extension,
3140-567: A ramp from the bridge to the Henry Hudson Parkway opened in 1953. An alternate-side parking rule was implemented on the avenue in 1956; in conjunction with this change, 119 bus stops on Riverside Drive were relocated as well. Although alternate-side parking had already been implemented on other nearby streets, Riverside Drive was maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation , rather than
3297-476: A revival late in the 20th century, largely through the efforts of the Riverside Park Fund, a citizen's group. Largely through their efforts and the support of the city, much of the park has been improved. The Hudson River Greenway along the river-edge of the park is a common route for pedestrians and bicyclists; an extension to the park's greenway runs between 83rd and 91st Streets on a promenade in
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#17327804144143454-499: A short section of 72nd Street. By 2003, Riverside Boulevard ran from 66th to 72nd streets. The northbound lanes of the West Side Highway from 59th to 72nd streets were still planned to be relocated into a tunnel under Riverside Boulevard. In June 2006, Riverside South's developer began construction of the northbound tunnel. The first phase of the tunnel measured 45 feet (14 m) wide and 250 feet (76 m) long and
3611-484: A similar bill was proposed with a lower cost. The revised bill called for the avenue to be narrowed in the vicinity of Trinity Cemetery at 153rd Street. The governor of New York signed both bills in May 1897, but work on the viaduct was delayed for several months. That November, the city's Board of Street Opening and Improvement agreed to lengthen the viaduct slightly so that it ran from 122nd to 135th Street. The extension
3768-426: A southern extension of Riverside Drive as far south as 59th Street . Paul Willen, who had led one of the civic groups that opposed the original plan, had suggested extending Riverside Drive "to make such an abandoned lump of a place feel like New York again". The extension would also relieve traffic congestion on West End Avenue one block east. Trump's plans for the southern extension of Riverside Drive called for
3925-427: Is 262 feet (80 m) long, while the southern approach is 218 feet (66 m) long. The approaches are of rock-faced Mohawk Valley limestone with Maine granite trimmings, the face work being made up of courses of ashlar . The southern approach consists of a semicircular wall with stone staircases on either side. This was intended to give a broad plaza effect, which was intended to impart deliberate grandeur to
4082-488: Is 5 feet (1.5 m) deep. The main span above 125th Street is supported by two plate girders measuring 130 by 10 by 8 feet (39.6 by 3.0 by 2.4 m) across, which were described as the world's largest steel girders at the time of the viaduct's completion. In total, about 400 girders are used to support the roadway. Including the approaches to the south and north, the viaduct has a total length of 2,044 feet (623 m) or 2,074 feet (632 m). The northern approach
4239-472: Is Columbus Avenue to a slightly lesser extent. The following lists a few prominent ones: The Upper West Side is patrolled by two precincts of the NYPD . The 20th Precinct is located at 120 West 82nd Street and serves the part of the neighborhood south of 86th Street , while the 24th Precinct is located at 151 West 100th Street and serves the part of the neighborhood north of 86th Street. The 20th Precinct has
4396-490: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a building or structure in Manhattan is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Upper West Side The Upper West Side ( UWS ) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City . It 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
4553-484: Is a north–south avenue in the New York City borough of Manhattan . The road runs on the west side of Upper Manhattan , generally paralleling the Hudson River and Riverside Park between 72nd Street and the vicinity of the George Washington Bridge at 181st Street . North of 96th Street , Riverside Drive is a wide divided roadway. At several locations, a serpentine service road diverges from
4710-488: Is also identified as Manhattan Valley . The overlapping area west of Amsterdam Avenue to Riverside Park was once known as the Bloomingdale District. From west to east, the avenues of the Upper West Side are Riverside Drive , West End Avenue (11th Avenue), Broadway, Amsterdam Avenue (10th Avenue), Columbus Avenue (9th Avenue), and Central Park West (8th Avenue). The 66-block stretch of Broadway forms
4867-457: Is curved because its original designer, Frederick Law Olmsted , did not like sharp corners. A narrow service road diverges from Riverside Drive at several points, creating traffic islands. For a short stretch near 122nd Street, the avenue splits into two roadways, one each to the west and east of Grant's Tomb ; the western roadway carries southbound traffic, while the eastern roadway carries northbound traffic. There are several viaducts along
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5024-472: Is divided into 26 bays , each comprising a single span. Twenty-two of the spans are 65 feet (20 m) long; one of the spans, crossing 125th Street, is 128 feet (39 m) long; and the three northernmost spans are of irregular length. Each arch is composed of latticed plate girders measuring 3 feet (0.91 m) long. Under the roadway are 60-foot-wide (18 m) transverse steel girders, which were built in several pieces and riveted together; each girder
5181-569: Is higher than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 93% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", the highest rate in the city and more than the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in the Upper West Side, there are 3 bodegas . Mount Sinai Urgent Care Upper West Side is located in the Upper West Side. Upper West Side is located in three primary ZIP Codes . From south to north, they are 10023 south of 76th Street, 10024 between 76th and 91st Streets, and 10025 north of 91st Street. In addition, Riverside South
5338-482: Is home to the largest community of young Modern Orthodox singles outside of Israel. However, the Upper West Side also features a substantial number of non-Orthodox Jews. A number of major synagogues are located in the neighborhood, including the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States, Shearith Israel ; New York's second-oldest and the third-oldest Ashkenazi synagogue, B'nai Jeshurun ; Rodeph Sholom ;
5495-410: Is less than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In the Upper West Side, 10% of residents are obese , 5% are diabetic , and 21% have high blood pressure —compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. In addition, 10% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%. Ninety-two percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which
5652-413: Is made of concrete slabs, paved over with asphalt. The arches under the roadway are infilled with granite or paneled concrete and are topped by metal-framed windows. The roadway itself has granite balustrades with ornamental lampposts. There is about 77,000 square feet (7,200 m ) of storage space under the viaduct. In the mid-20th century, the space was used to store thousands of plaster casts owned by
5809-585: Is part of 10069. The United States Postal Service operates five post offices in the Upper West Side: The Upper West Side generally has a higher rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city as of 2018 . A majority of residents age 25 and older (78%) have a college education or higher, while 6% have less than a high school education and 16% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 64% of Manhattan residents and 43% of city residents have
5966-546: Is part of a New York City historic district, and the buildings on these blocks date from before World War II. The eastern side of Riverside Drive originally included luxuriously finished rowhouses interspersed with free-standing mansions , though few of the mansions remain. Many of Riverside Drive's apartment buildings date from between the 1900s and the 1930s, with curving facades along the avenue; some of these buildings are designated as city landmarks. Along Riverside Drive, there are also numerous monuments such as Grant's Tomb and
6123-523: Is the Manhattan Valley Viaduct, which carries Riverside Drive above 12th Avenue. Built in 1901, it is variously called the 125th Street Viaduct or Riverside Drive Viaduct. Murray Roe designed the Manhattan Valley Viaduct, while Francis Stuart Williamson was the chief engineer. Despite the structure's utilitarian role as a highway, it was also a strong symbol of civic pride, inspired by America's late 19th-century City Beautiful movement . The viaduct's original roadway, wide pedestrian walks and overall design
6280-524: The A train serves the disconnected northern section of Riverside Drive in Inwood. The 191 acres (0.77 km ) of land in what is now Riverside Park between 72nd and 125th streets were originally inhabited by the Lenape people, but by the 18th century were used for farms by the descendants of European colonists. A small number of buildings were constructed nearby in the mid-19th century, including
6437-440: The 79th Street Boat Basin , but also cut pedestrians off from direct access to most of the riverfront by building the Henry Hudson Parkway by the river's edge. According to Robert Caro 's book on Moses, The Power Broker , Riverside Park was designed with most of the amenities located in predominantly white neighborhoods, with the neighborhoods closer to Harlem getting shorter shrift. Riverside Park, like Central Park, underwent
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6594-718: The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine , as well as for some vanished landmarks, such as the Schwab Mansion on Riverside Drive . The name Bloomingdale is still used in reference to a part of the Upper West Side, essentially the location of old Bloomingdale Village, the area from about 96th Street up to 110th Street and from Riverside Park east to Amsterdam Avenue. The triangular block bound by Broadway, West End Avenue, 106th Street and 107th Street, although generally known as Straus Park (named for Isidor Straus and his wife Ida),
6751-904: The Century and Majestic by Irwin Chanin, the Orwell House by the firm of Mulliken and Moeller, and the San Remo and El Dorado by Emery Roth . Roth also designed the Beresford , the Alden, and the Ardsley on Central Park West. His first major commission, the Belle Époque -style Belleclaire Hotel , is on Broadway, while the moderne -style Normandy stands on Riverside at 86th Street. Along Broadway are several large apartment houses, including
6908-495: The Henry Hudson Parkway ; as such, there is a gap in the road between 181st Street and Dyckman Street . A disconnected section of Riverside Drive begins at the Henry Hudson Parkway's Dyckman Street exit in Inwood , ending at Broadway . South of 72nd Street, Riverside Drive continues as Riverside Boulevard, which extends south to 59th Street . A small bridge carries Riverside Drive over 96th Street. The bridge, also known as
7065-472: The Hudson River to the west, often drifted across to Riverside Drive. In January 1897, state lawmakers proposed extending Riverside Drive northward to the Boulevard Lafayette, with a viaduct above Manhattan Valley from 122nd to 134th Street. The original plans, which were to cost $ 10 million and included four viaducts, were quickly downsized to $ 2 million and one viaduct. Shortly afterward,
7222-589: The Metropolitan Museum of Art . Riverside Drive is served by several bus routes. New York City Bus 's M5 route covers Riverside Drive south of 135th Street, while the M11 serves the avenue from 135th to 145th Street. The Bx6 and Bx6 SBS serve Riverside Drive East and Riverside Drive West, terminating at 158th Street. The westbound M72 runs on Riverside Boulevard from 70th to 66th streets; eastbound buses use Freedom Place. Because Riverside Drive and
7379-461: The New York City Department of Sanitation , and had been exempt from the rule. The city government began reconstructing the viaduct from 153rd to 155th streets in March 1959; the project involved increasing the roadway's width from 45 to 59 feet (14 to 18 m), replacing the steel frame, and constructing new sidewalks. Reconstruction was supposed to have been completed in September 1959, but
7536-722: The New York Orphan Asylum between 73rd and 74th streets. In 1846, the Hudson River Railroad (later the West Side Line and Hudson Line ) was built along the waterfront, connecting New York City to Albany. As late as the 1860s, the adjacent section of the Upper West Side was still sparsely populated, even though there was residential development on the Upper East Side. In 1865, Central Park commissioner William R. Martin put forth
7693-514: The North River was little used or traversed by the Lenape people. A combination of the stream valleys, such as that in which 96th Street runs, and wetlands to the northeast and east, may have protected a portion of the Upper West Side from the Lenape's controlled burns; lack of periodic ground fires results in a denser understory and more fire-intolerant trees, such as American Beech . In
7850-661: The Riverside South residential project, which included a southward extension of Riverside Park. The evolution of Riverside South had a 40-year history, often extremely bitter, beginning in 1962 when the New York Central Railroad , in partnership with the Amalgamated Lithographers Union , proposed a mixed-use development with 12,000 apartments, Litho City, to be built on platforms over the tracks. The subsequent bankruptcy of
8007-666: The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument , in addition to other structures such as Riverside Church . Riverside Drive has received commentary for its landscape features and architecture, and it has been depicted in works of popular media. Starting at 72nd Street , Riverside Drive passes through the Manhattan neighborhoods of the Upper West Side , Morningside Heights , Manhattanville , Hamilton Heights , and Washington Heights . Commercial vehicles are banned from parts of Riverside Drive. Unlike other avenues in Manhattan, Riverside Drive
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#17327804144148164-676: The Stephen Wise Free Synagogue ; and numerous others such as the Jewish Center , and West Side Institutional . From the post-WWII years until the AIDS epidemic , the neighborhood, especially below 86th Street, had a substantial gay population. As the neighborhood had deteriorated, it was affordable to working class gay men, and those just arriving in the city and looking for their first white collar jobs. Its ethnically mixed gay population, mostly Hispanic and white, with
8321-558: The Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle, and the Riverside South apartment complex built by Donald Trump , the area from 58th Street to 65th Street is increasingly referred to as Lincoln Square by realtors who acknowledge a different tone and ambiance than that typically associated with the Upper West Side. This is a reversion to the neighborhood's historical name. The long high bluff above useful sandy coves along
8478-709: The Western Himalayas , and is famous for his many landscapes of the Himalayas . Housed in a brownstone at 319 West 107th Street, the museum was originally located in the nearby Master Apartments at 103rd Street and Riverside Drive , which were built for Nicholas Roerich and Helena Roerich in 1929. The museum includes approximately 150 of Roerich's works as well as a collection of archival materials. 40°48′10.3″N 73°58′8.6″W / 40.802861°N 73.969056°W / 40.802861; -73.969056 This New York museum-related article
8635-633: The 1920s. For instance, city controller Charles L. Craig wanted the Board of Estimate to build a parallel roadway above the West Side Line, and one local organization requested that the avenue's sparsely-used bridle path be converted into a children's play area. The Manhattan Valley Viaduct was closed for repairs in 1923. In addition, to increase traffic flow on Riverside Drive, the city government retimed some traffic lights in 1928, allowing motorists to pass through several green lights at once . Near
8792-438: The 1930s. The city's police commissioner began allowing motorists to turn left on red at several intersections along Riverside Drive in 1937. In addition, concrete curbs were installed along the Manhattan Valley Viaduct in the late 1930s to reduce the probability of motorists falling off the viaduct. By this decade, the architect Henry Wright had claimed that the buildings around Riverside Drive were "slums or potential slums",
8949-422: The 1940s that some of the Manhattan Valley Viaduct's steel plates needed to be replaced. The section of Riverside Drive from 72nd to 79th streets was temporarily converted into a northbound-only road in 1951, and parking between 72nd and 96th streets was restricted, due to repairs on the Henry Hudson Parkway. In addition, to eliminate a longstanding bottleneck along Riverside Drive near the George Washington Bridge,
9106-709: The Belnord (1908), the Apthorp (1908), the Ansonia (1902), the Dorilton (1902), and the Manhasset . All are individually designated New York City landmarks. The serpentine Riverside Drive also has many pre-war houses and larger buildings, while West End Avenue is lined with pre-war Beaux-Arts apartment buildings and townhouses dating from the late-19th and early 20th centuries. Columbus Avenue north of 87th Street
9263-423: The Boulevard Lafayette to be renamed Riverside Drive. The city planned to acquire land to widen the section of the Boulevard Lafayette (then renamed Riverside Drive) between 158th and 165th streets in 1907, but the city's controller objected to the $ 1 million valuation placed on the land. By mid-1908, Riverside Drive was complete to 155th Street, except for a single city block between 151st and 152nd streets, where
9420-473: The Boulevard Lafayette. By August 1901, plans for section 1 had been completed, with that section estimated to cost $ 1.7 million. The extension would consist of a 60-foot-wide (18 m) roadway, a 20-foot-wide (6.1 m) bridle path, two sidewalks, and grass planting strips. There were also to be four bridges carrying the avenue between 135th and 156th streets. Along with the Boulevard Lafayette (which already extended northwest from Broadway and 156th Street to
9577-526: The Caribbean moved in during the '50s and the '60s. The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts opened in the 1960s. The early 20th century marked the beginning of a significant Jewish presence on the Upper West Side. By 1930, Jewish residents constituted approximately one-third of the population living between West 79th and West 110th Streets, from Broadway to the Hudson River. In the 1900s,
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#17327804144149734-546: The English gardening ideal, creating the appearance that the park was an extension of the Hudson River Valley. A parapet was built on the western side of the road, separating it from Riverside Park and the West Side Line. The northernmost section of Riverside Drive, north of 158th Street, was originally known as the Boulevard Lafayette. The southern terminus of the Boulevard Lafayette was near 155th Street ;
9891-455: The George Washington Bridge and Dyckman Street was incorporated into the northbound roadway of Henry Hudson Parkway. A parallel southbound roadway for the Henry Hudson Parkway was built between these two points. When it opened in January 1938, the section of Riverside Drive between these two points was converted to a northbound-only road. Other changes along Riverside Drive took place during
10048-557: The Inwood neighborhood ), the Riverside Drive extension would form part of a 20-mile (32 km) parkway that would connect with Harlem River Drive . Construction did not start for over two years after the city acquired land for the Riverside Drive extension. In the meantime, dirt from the excavation of the city's first subway line was dumped on the path of the extension. A state judge ruled in April 1903 that construction of
10205-456: The Manhattan Valley Viaduct and partially reopening it. The project involved replacing most of the viaduct's superstructure , in addition to replacing the existing deck with a lightweight concrete deck. The Manhattan Valley Viaduct fully reopened in July 1987, having cost $ 36 million in total to renovate. Further north, portions of Riverside Drive in Hamilton Heights collapsed in 1986 following
10362-480: The Manhattan Valley Viaduct in mid-1899, and three commissioners were appointed to condemn the land the next year. The city acquired the land in September 1900. Most of the condemned sites had been small plots, except for a tract between 142nd and 144th streets that had belonged to the Hoguet family. The project was split into two phases, section 1 between 135th and 153rd streets, and section 2 between 153rd Street and
10519-503: The New York City government classifies the Upper West Side as part of two neighborhood tabulation areas: Upper West Side (up to 105th Street) and Lincoln Square (down to 58th Street ), divided by 74th Street . Based on data from the 2010 United States Census , the combined population of the Upper West Side was 193,867, a change of 1,674 (0.9%) from the 192,193 counted in 2000 . Covering an area of 1,162.29 acres (470.36 ha),
10676-415: The P. T. Cox Construction Co. was hired to provide 5,000 short tons (4,500 long tons; 4,500 t) of structural steel for the viaduct. Later that year, a state judge determined that it would cost $ 3.3 million to acquire land for a northward extension of Riverside Drive. The viaduct was opened on November 28, 1928, having cost $ 2.36 million. Other improvements along Riverside Drive were also undertaken in
10833-583: The Riverside Bridge, was designed by Carrère and Hastings . When this overpass was built, it was described as a viaduct with buttresses and stone terraces leading down to Riverside Park and the Hudson River. Semicircular shelters were also built next to the viaduct on either side of 96th Street. Although the overpass is clad with stone, its superstructure is made of steel. As built, it had four elaborate electric lampposts, each measuring 15 feet (4.6 m) high. Between Tiemann Place and 135th Street
10990-455: The Riverside Drive and Parkway Commission proposed charging local residents $ 1.5 million, though the high cost was controversial. The section between 145th and 158th streets formally opened in February 1911. John C. Rodgers, who helped build the section from 145th to 158th streets, later sued the city for delaying the road's completion by four years; the suit was not resolved until 1930. By
11147-412: The Riverside Drive extension had to start as soon as possible, and a groundbreaking ceremony for the extension occurred on December 12, 1903. The section from 135th to 145th Street was awarded to Ryan & Parker, while the section from 145th to 155th Street was awarded to John C. Rodgers; work on both sections began in May 1904. The section of Riverside Drive north of 150th Street was much higher than
11304-632: The Upper East Side, the Upper West Side is considered one of Manhattan's cultural and intellectual hubs, with Columbia University and Barnard College located just to the north of the neighborhood, the American Museum of Natural History located near its center, the New York Institute of Technology in the Columbus Circle proximity and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School located at
11461-451: The Upper West Side by the early 1910s, and even more apartment buildings were built on the avenue after World War I, replacing lower-density development. By 1917, the city government had tentatively agreed to rebuild Riverside Park west of Riverside Drive. Local residents had opposed earlier proposals for the park, saying that noise and disruptions from the construction project would compel many Riverside Drive residents to relocate. In 1919,
11618-835: The Upper West Side is in New York's 12th congressional district . It is in the New York State Senate 's 30th and 47th districts, the New York State Assembly 's 67th, 69th, and 75th districts, and the New York City Council 's 6th and 7th districts. The apartment buildings along Central Park West , facing the park, are some of the city's most opulent. The Dakota at 72nd Street has been home to numerous celebrities including John Lennon , Leonard Bernstein , and Lauren Bacall . Other buildings on CPW include four twin-towered structures:
11775-504: The West Side Highway was deferred due to political opposition. The approved plans called for Riverside Drive's extension to be built atop a viaduct, but in October 1997, several civic groups sued Trump after he reneged on the viaduct plans. By 1999, the Riverside Drive extension was known as Riverside Boulevard . Due to a lack of available space, Riverside Boulevard and Riverside Drive are not directly linked; they are instead connected by
11932-463: The White population. The entirety of Community District 7, which comprises the Upper West Side from 59th Street to 110th Street , had 214,744 inhabitants as of NYC Health 's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 84.7 years. This is higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most residents are adults: a plurality (34%) are between
12089-571: The ages of 25–44, while 27% are between 45 and 64, and 18% are 65 or older. The ratio of youth and college-aged residents was lower, at 15% and 5% respectively. As of 2017, the median household income in Community District 7 was $ 123,894. In 2018, an estimated 9% of Upper West Side residents lived in poverty, compared to 14% in all of Manhattan and 20% in all of New York City. One in twenty residents (5%) were unemployed, compared to 7% in Manhattan and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or
12246-399: The apartment buildings on Riverside Drive started to deteriorate and were changed to single-room occupancy structures. White residents moved out of these buildings, and black and Hispanic residents moved in. The road was also frequently used as an alternate route to the Henry Hudson Parkway after that highway was completed. As part of a pilot program in 1930, the city government retimed
12403-481: The area south of 67th Street was heavily populated by African-Americans and supposedly gained its nickname of " San Juan Hill " in commemoration of African-American soldiers who were a major part of Theodore Roosevelt 's assault on Cuba 's San Juan Hill in the Spanish–American War . By 1960, it was a rough neighborhood of tenement housing, the demolition of which was delayed to allow for exterior shots in
12560-414: The area. The stately tall apartment blocks on 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. A revolution in building techniques, the low cost of land relative to lower Manhattan, the arrival of the subway, and the popularization of
12717-409: The avenue to run down the middle of the development. The 1991 plan also called for office and apartment buildings on the newly extended avenue, similar in height to the existing buildings on Riverside Drive, although these buildings were later increased in size. The boulevard would run above a relocated West Side Highway , functioning as a service road to that expressway; the proposal to relocate
12874-619: The avenue's bridle path was usable. The wealthy came to settle on Riverside Drive soon after its completion. The Phillips Elite Directory of 1882–1883 did not list any members of the social elite as living on the Avenue, but the 1887 version of the same directory listed 18 families as living on the avenue. The avenue largely attracted the nouveau riche ; the city's wealthiest residents continued to live on Fifth Avenue, while old money families tended to live further downtown. Charles M. Schwab , who built his mansion between 73rd and 74th streets,
13031-409: The boroughwide average of 632 crimes per 100,000 and the citywide average of 572 crimes per 100,000. The 24th Precinct also has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 94.1% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported 1 murder, 9 rapes, 150 robberies, 188 felony assaults, 180 burglaries, 526 grand larcenies, and 89 grand larcenies auto in 2022. Of
13188-578: The boroughwide rate of 49 per 100,000 and the citywide rate of 59 per 100,000. Its incarceration rate is 211 per 100,000 people, compared to the boroughwide rate of 407 per 100,000 and the citywide rate of 425 per 100,000. In 2019, the highest concentration of felony assaults and robberies in the Upper West Side was on Columbus Avenue between 100th Street and 104th Street (going through the Frederick Douglass Houses ), where there were 24 felony assaults and 15 robberies. The area around
13345-510: The city agreed to spend only $ 250,000 on the extension in 1909, the Board of Estimate began requesting bids that May for the construction of Riverside Drive between 158th and 181st streets. The Municipal Art Commission approved designs for the extension that July. Josiah A. Briggs, the chief engineer for the Bronx , proposed extending Riverside Drive all the way to Van Cortlandt Park in Riverdale, Bronx . Due to high amounts of traffic over
13502-555: The city began straightening and grading the section of the Bloomingdale Road from Harsenville north, and it became known as "Western Boulevard" or "The Boulevard". It retained that name until the end of the century, when the name Broadway finally supplanted it. Development of the neighborhood lagged even while Central Park was being laid out in the 1860s and '70s, then was stymied by the Panic of 1873 . Things turned around with
13659-467: The city controller proposed extending Riverside Drive south to 57th Street by building a roadway above the West Side Line. The roadway between 135th and 158th streets was replaced with a permanent pavement in 1920. The New York City Board of Estimate voted down a resolution in 1921 to build a parallel roadway to Riverside Drive between 155th and 175th streets, within Hamilton Heights , at
13816-403: The city of Troy . The section of Riverside Drive between 165th and Dyckman streets was renovated for $ 1.25 million starting in 1924, and the road reopened in May 1925. Workers installed new plantings and repaved the road. The roadway was also widened by 18 feet (5.5 m), requiring the construction of retaining walls as much as 150 feet (46 m) tall, and a wide sidewalk was built on
13973-610: The city. By the 18th century it contained numerous farms and country residences of many of the city's well-off, a major parcel of which was the Apthorp Farm . The main artery of this area was the Bloomingdale Road, which began north of where Broadway and the Bowery Lane (now Fourth Avenue) join (at modern Union Square ) and wended its way northward up to about modern 116th Street in Morningside Heights, where
14130-572: The citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 83% of high school students in the Upper West Side graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%. The New York City Department of Education operates the following public elementary schools in the Upper West Side: The following public middle schools serves grades 6-8 unless otherwise indicated: The following public high schools serve grades 9-12 unless otherwise indicated: Riverside Drive (Manhattan) Riverside Drive
14287-432: The contractor was taking too long. The Manhattan Valley Viaduct was completed in mid-1902. The construction of the 96th Street overpass and Manhattan Valley Viaduct caused real-estate prices along Riverside Drive to increase in the 1900s. Arc lamps were installed on the Manhattan Valley Viaduct in 1903, soon after it opened. The city's corporation council began condemning land for the extension of Riverside Drive north of
14444-476: The cost; the city's comptroller opposed the change. The next month, the city authorized $ 86,500 in bonds to finance an overpass above 96th Street and $ 500,000 in bonds for the Manhattan Valley Viaduct. The city's park commissioners began soliciting bids for the 96th Street overpass in June 1900 and awarded a contract the next month to A. C. Gildersleeve for $ 200,000. Work on the 96th Street overpass began later
14601-432: The decade. In the 1980s, the developer Donald Trump , who owned 57 acres (230,000 m ) of a Penn Central freight rail yard south of Riverside Park, proposed a large real estate development project. Following financial difficulties and opposition from local civic groups, Trump announced a modified plan in 1991. Under the agreed-upon plan, Trump would expand Riverside Park by 23 acres (93,000 m ) and construct
14758-427: The designers of Riverside Park followed, and in 1873 the commissioners selected Frederick Law Olmsted , a park commissioner who had also designed Central Park. Initially, Riverside Drive had been planned to run in a straight line, which would have required a retaining wall and extensive fill. By then, the difficult topography of the area had come to the attention of the Manhattan park commissioners, and in 1873 Olmsted
14915-427: The east of the aqueduct and Bloomingdale to the west. Bloomingdale, in the latter half of the 19th century, was the name of a village that occupied the area just south of 110th Street. Much of the riverfront of the Upper West Side was a shipping, transportation, and manufacturing corridor. The Hudson River Railroad line right-of-way was granted in the late 1830s to connect New York City to Albany, and soon ran along
15072-406: The east. Olmsted and Arnold W. Brunner recommended in 1913 that Riverside Drive be extended north to the Bronx , with a new viaduct connecting 155th Street and the Boulevard Lafayette. Work north of 155th Street had not started. Workers began adding a permanent pavement to the avenue between 72nd and 110th streets in 1913, and upgrades to the section from 110th to 128th street began in 1915. After
15229-481: The eighteenth and early nineteenth century, the Upper West Side-to-be contained some of colonial New York's most ambitious houses, spaced along Bloomingdale Road. It became increasingly infilled with smaller, more suburban villas in the first half of the nineteenth century, and in the middle of the century, parts had become decidedly lower class. The name "Bloomingdale District" was used to refer to
15386-419: The enlarged, but short-lived Penn Central Railroad brought other proposals and prospective developers. The one generating the most opposition was Donald Trump 's "Television City" concept of 1985, which would have included a 152-story office tower and six 75-story residential buildings. In 1991, a coalition of civic organizations proposed a purely residential development of about half that size, and then reached
15543-502: The film musical West Side Story . Thereafter, urban renewal brought the construction of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Lincoln Towers apartments during 1962–1968. The Upper West Side is a significant Jewish neighborhood, populated with both German Jews who moved in at the turn of last century, and Jewish refugees escaping Hitler's Europe in the 1930s. Today the area between 85th Street and 100th Street
15700-486: The first proposal for a riverside park along the Hudson River . An act providing for such was presented to the Legislature by commissioner Andrew Haswell Green in 1866 and approved the next year. The first segment of Riverside Park was acquired through condemnation in 1872. The park also included the construction of Riverside Drive, a tree-lined drive curving around the valleys and rock outcroppings, overlooking
15857-406: The five major violent felonies (murder, rape, felony assault, robbery, and burglary), the 24th Precinct had a rate of 414 crimes per 100,000 residents in 2019, compared to the boroughwide average of 632 crimes per 100,000 and the citywide average of 572 crimes per 100,000. As of 2018 , Manhattan Community District 7 has a non-fatal assault hospitalization rate of 25 per 100,000 people, compared to
16014-566: The formerly expensive elevator made it possible to construct large apartment buildings for the middle classes. The large scale and style of these buildings is one reason why the neighborhood has remained largely unchanged into the twenty-first century. The neighborhood changed from the 1930s to the 1950s. In 1932, the IND Eighth Avenue Line opened under Central Park West. In 1940, the elevated IRT Ninth Avenue Line over Columbus Avenue closed. Immigrants from Eastern Europe and
16171-446: The future park and the waterfront. The road was originally known as Riverside Avenue, although the entire avenue was renamed Riverside Drive by the 1900s. The avenue was laid out in 1868 and was 100 feet (30 m) wide for its entire length. The plans for Riverside Park and Avenue brought the attention of William M. Tweed , who bought several lots adjacent to the park in anticipation of its construction. A selection process for
16328-468: The increases in traffic on the avenue, prompted several residents to form an organization to protest congestion on Riverside Drive. In response, the adjacent section of Henry Hudson Parkway was partly reopened as a reversible lane in September 1974, but this failed to decrease congestion on Riverside Drive. In addition, double-decker buses began running on the M5 route along Riverside Drive in 1976, requiring
16485-530: The intersection of 72nd Street and Broadway also had 14 robberies in 2019. The Upper West Side is served by multiple New York City Fire Department (FDNY) fire stations: As of 2018 , preterm births and births to teenage mothers in the Upper West Side are lower than the city average. In the Upper West Side, there were 78 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 7.1 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). The Upper West Side has
16642-581: The introduction of the Ninth Avenue elevated in the 1870s along Ninth Avenue (renamed Columbus Avenue in 1890), and with Columbia University 's relocation to Morningside Heights in the 1890s, using lands once held by the Bloomingdale Insane Asylum . Riverside Park was conceived in 1866 and formally approved by the state legislature through the efforts of city parks commissioner Andrew Haswell Green . The first segment of park
16799-424: The late 19th and early 20th century. By the end of the 19th century, nearly every lot on the eastern side of Riverside Drive had been developed with private mansions and apartment buildings. By comparison, there had been fewer than 10 houses between 72nd and 125th streets on the shoreline before construction of the avenue began. One publication described Riverside Drive as "one of the most beautiful and picturesque in
16956-461: The main road, providing access to the residential buildings. Several viaducts connect the various segments of Riverside Drive, including the 2,047-foot (624 m) Manhattan Valley Viaduct between Tiemann Place and 135th Street. A disconnected section of Riverside Drive exists in Inwood, Manhattan . The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has designated the original section of Riverside Drive, between 72nd and 125th streets, as part of
17113-481: The mid-1900s, engineers were considering extending Riverside Drive further north from 158th Street to the proposed Henry Hudson Bridge , as well as southeast from 72nd Street to West End Avenue . The New York Times estimated that the northward extension would cost $ 4.8 million, and the New-York Tribune estimated the total cost of Riverside Drive at $ 25.2 million. The Board of Estimate declined to fund
17270-405: The natural terminus of much of Riverside Drive's traffic as well as to give full advantage to the vista overlooking the Hudson River and New Jersey Palisades to the west. There is also a single masonry arch with a glazed-brick vault next to the southern approach. Another viaduct carries Riverside Drive between 155th and 161st streets. This viaduct is 0.25 miles (0.40 km) long and carries
17427-416: The neighborhood had a population density of 166.8 inhabitants per acre (106,800/sq mi; 41,200/km ). The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 69.5% (134,735) White , 7.1% (13,856) African American , 0.1% (194) Native American , 7.6% (14,804) Asian , 0% (48) Pacific Islander , 0.3% (620) from other races , and 2% (3,828) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.3% (25,782) of
17584-500: The neighborhood 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. With the construction of Lincoln Center , its name, though perhaps not the reality, was stretched south to 58th Street. With the arrival of the corporate headquarters and expensive condos of
17741-444: The neighboring Riverside Park are designated as a New York City scenic landmark from 72nd to 125th streets, the western sidewalk between these streets does not have any bus stop shelters . There is no New York City Subway service along Riverside Drive, though the 1 , 2 , and 3 trains run on the parallel Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line for much of the avenue's length. The Dyckman Street station on
17898-546: 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
18055-418: The northern end of the avenue, there were proposals for ramps to and from the then-new George Washington Bridge ; these ramps opened along with the bridge in 1931. Many luxury apartments continued to be developed on Riverside Drive in the 1920s and 1930s; however, upper-class residents were also starting to move away, and lower- and middle-class renters began to move in. During the mid-20th century, many of
18212-517: The percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 40% in the Upper West Side, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 45% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018 , Community District 7 is not considered to be gentrifying : according to the Community Health Profile, the district was not low-income in 1990. The Upper West Side is part of Manhattan Community District 7 . Politically,
18369-565: The population. The racial composition of the Upper West Side changed moderately from 2000 to 2010, with the greatest changes being the increase in the Asian population by 38% (4,100), the decrease in the Black population by 15% (2,435), and the increase in the Hispanic / Latino population by 8% (2,147). The White population remained the majority, experiencing a slight increase of 2% (2,098), while
18526-580: The project because it would require the removal of trees in the median, so the DOT decided instead to retain all but eight of the trees. Work began in 1992. The sidewalks from 135th to 153rd streets were also rebuilt. to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA); at the time, some of the sidewalks had a slope of 6%, three times the maximum slope allowed under the ADA. As a result, 20 buildings along
18683-529: The relocation of several traffic lights and wires, as well as the removal of tree limbs. In February 1980, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the portion of Riverside Park and Drive south of 125th Street as a New York City scenic landmark . Another renovation project for the Manhattan Valley Viaduct was scheduled in 1981, at which point the project was to cost $ 27 million. By then,
18840-405: The renovation was completed. When the George Washington Bridge's lower level opened in 1962, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) considered retiming the avenue's traffic lights to allow for smoother traffic flow. A progressive-traffic-signal system was implemented in October 1962. During the morning, the traffic lights were timed for southbound traffic, while during the evening,
18997-748: The river itself. 1868 saw the opening of the now demolished IRT Ninth Avenue Line – the city's first elevated railway – which opened in the decade following the American Civil War . 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 comprised, in part, what is now a portion of the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line , with subway stations at 59th , 66th , 72nd , 79th , 86th , 91st , 96th , 103rd , 110th , 116th , and 125th Streets. This further stimulated residential development of
19154-499: The riverbank. One major non-industrial development, the creation of Central Park in the 1850s and '60s, caused many squatters to move their shacks into the Upper West Side. Parts of the neighborhood became a ragtag collection of squatters' housing, boarding houses, and rowdy taverns. As this development occurred, the old name of Bloomingdale Road was being chopped away and the name Broadway was progressively applied further northward to include what had been lower Bloomingdale Road. In 1868,
19311-557: The road further north was known as the Kingsbridge Road. Within the confines of the modern-day Upper West Side, the road passed through areas known as Harsenville, Strycker's Bay, and Bloomingdale Village. With the building of the Croton Aqueduct passing down the area between present day Amsterdam Avenue and Columbus Avenue in 1838–42, the northern reaches of the district became divided into Manhattan Valley to
19468-407: The road ran along the coast of the Hudson River, running north to the intersection of Broadway (then known as Kingsbridge Road) and Dyckman Street . Originally known simply as "The Boulevard", the road was renamed the Boulevard Lafayette in 1870; work on that road began in 1873. Although a right-of-way measuring 100 feet (30 m) wide was provided for the Boulevard Lafayette, the roadway itself
19625-479: The route of Riverside Drive, including at 96th Street on the Upper West Side; between Tiemann Place and 135th Street in Manhattanville; and between 155th and 161st streets in Hamilton Heights. The street atop the viaduct in Hamilton Heights is officially named Riverside Drive West, while the original Riverside Drive curves inland. North of 181st Street, Riverside Drive merges with the northbound lanes of
19782-440: The same year. Meanwhile, the abutments for the Manhattan Valley Viaduct were finished by mid-1900. The chief engineer of the city's highways departments reported in April 1901 that the Manhattan Valley Viaduct was completed except for filling and electrical work. Work on the 96th Street overpass was delayed for two months due to difficulties in installing sewage pipes; the overpass opened in January 1902 following complaints that
19939-589: The small population of all other races experienced a negligible increase of 1% (58). Taking into account the two census tabulation areas, the overall decreases in the Black and Hispanic / Latino populations were concentrated in the Upper West Side area, with the Hispanic / Latino population actually increasing by a smaller margin in Lincoln Square. On the other hand, the increases in the White and Asian populations were mostly in Lincoln Center, especially
20096-535: The south end. The Upper West Side is part of Manhattan Community District 7 , and its primary ZIP Codes are 10023, 10024, 10025, and 10069. It is patrolled by the 20th and 24th Precincts of the New York City Police Department . The Upper West Side is bounded on the south by 59th Street , Central Park to the east, the Hudson River to the west, and 110th Street to the north. The area north of West 96th Street and east of Broadway
20253-524: The spine of the neighborhood and runs diagonally north–south across the other avenues at the south end of the neighborhood; above 78th Street Broadway runs north parallel to the other avenues. Broadway enters the neighborhood at its juncture with Central Park West at Columbus Circle (59th Street), crosses Columbus Avenue at Lincoln Square (65th Street), Amsterdam Avenue at Verdi Square (71st Street), and then merges with West End Avenue at Straus Park (aka Bloomingdale Square, at 107th Street). Traditionally
20410-493: The street had to build stairways to their entrances, and Manhattan Community Board 9 requested that the LPC protect the northern portion of the street. In the late 1990s, local groups restored two traffic islands on Riverside Drive, and the DOT hired a contractor to restore the viaduct in Hamilton Heights. By then, the values of apartments on the southern portion of Riverside Drive had increased significantly compared with earlier in
20567-517: The streets that it intersected, prompting residents of these cross-streets to complain that their vehicles could not access Riverside Drive. The plans also included widening the Boulevard Lafayette within the Washington Heights neighborhood and constructing a service road to the east of the existing boulevard. Because people frequently referred to the Boulevard Lafayette by several incorrect names, residents of Washington Heights also wanted
20724-593: The traffic lights were timed for northbound traffic. The DOT also added radar antennas to traffic lights along the avenue, which collected data for a computerized traffic-signal control system. In 1964, the DOT implemented no-standing rules on Riverside Drive north of 154th Street during the mornings, and it began using a radio system to control the traffic lights between 72nd and 154th streets. The changes were meant to increase traffic capacity, but local residents opposed these changes, claiming that it would make Riverside Drive more congested. In addition, Riverside Drive
20881-433: The traffic signal at the intersection of 120th Street and Riverside Drive, adding a pedestrian clearance interval ; at the time, most of the city's traffic lights had no pedestrian clearance intervals. Also in 1930, a northward extension of Riverside Drive was again proposed in conjunction with the proposed Henry Hudson Bridge . The next year, workers began replacing the Manhattan Valley Viaduct's wood-block pavement, which
21038-459: The tunnel shafts. There were also proposals in the early 1970s to convert Riverside Drive to a one-way street during weekday rush hours, carrying southbound traffic in the morning and northbound traffic in the afternoon. When a section of the Henry Hudson Parkway was entirely closed for repairs in January 1974, drivers were detoured onto Riverside Drive, and a no-parking restriction was enacted between 72nd and 79th streets. These restrictions, and
21195-415: The viaduct did not reopen until that December. The same year, the city government began studying plans to improve lighting along the avenue. Also starting in 1959, the Manhattan Valley Viaduct was renovated at a cost of $ 1.4 million; workers added new roadways, replaced one-third of the viaduct, and added aluminum netting to discourage birds from nesting there. The viaduct was rededicated in April 1961 after
21352-416: The viaduct were drawn up within three weeks. At the end of that month, the firm of O'Brien, Sheehan, and McBean was hired to build the viaduct for $ 570,000; under the terms of the contract, the viaduct had to be completed in 400 days. Work on the viaduct began in March 1898. The viaduct's engineers requested in June 1898 that the approaches be made of granite rather than sandstone, which would add $ 80,000 to
21509-484: The viaduct's floor beams for $ 250,000. The Manhattan Valley Viaduct closed for renovations in 1984, and it reopened that November following emergency repairs. The New York State Department of Transportation closed the Manhattan Valley Viaduct again in May 1985 for emergency repairs. The deck had corroded significantly, prompting officials to spend another $ 9.5 million replacing girders. That December, city officials announced that they would spend $ 26 million rebuilding
21666-422: The wall was repaired. The wall was repaired and the roadway reopened in March 2008. By the 2010s, the intersection of Riverside Drive and 79th Street was among the most dangerous on the Upper West Side, prompting Manhattan Community Board 7 to request that the intersection be redesigned. The DOT proposed narrowing Riverside Drive to one lane in each direction from 116th to 135th streets in early 2015, but this
21823-415: The western side of the avenue, facing the river. Near 190th Street, a scenic overlook was built at Inspiration Point , where Riverside Drive curved outward toward the river. The Municipal Art Commission approved the construction of Riverside Drive West in 1926, and workers began constructing foundations for the viaduct the same year. The city began requesting bids from steel contractors in April 1927, and
21980-625: The world", and The New York Times wrote that the avenue's mansions "glittered like a wedding cake" by the 1890s. Tugboats along the Hudson River frequently made loud noises, prompting several Riverside Drive residents to create the Society for the Suppression of Unnecessary Noise in 1907. The effort ultimately led to federal legislation limiting noise from tugboats. In addition, until 1916, fumes from factories in North Jersey , across
22137-488: The years, the original road between 72nd and 125th streets had degraded extensively by the early 1910s. As such, in 1912, New York City park commissioner Charles B. Stover proposed replacing the pavement, and he sought $ 475,000 from the city government. Stover also wanted to build a highway around the northern tip of Manhattan, connecting the northern end of Riverside Drive with the Harlem River Speedway to
22294-463: Was Anglicized to "Bloomingdale" or "the Bloomingdale District", covering the west side of Manhattan from about 23rd Street up to the Hollow Way (modern 125th Street ). It consisted of farms and villages along a road (regularized in 1703) known as the Bloomingdale Road. Bloomingdale Road was renamed The Boulevard in 1868, as the farms and villages were divided into building lots and absorbed into
22451-415: Was 30 feet (9.1 m) above sea level. The rest of the tunnel remains incomplete. The connection between Riverside Drive's southern terminus and Riverside Boulevard remained closed until November 2011. In 2005, the retaining wall of Castle Village collapsed onto the northern section of Riverside Drive and the northbound lanes of the Henry Hudson Parkway. Part of Riverside Drive had to be closed while
22608-606: Was acquired through condemnation in 1872, and construction soon began following a design created by the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted , who also designed the adjacent, gracefully curving Riverside Drive . In 1937, under the administration of commissioner Robert Moses , 132 acres (0.53 km ) of land were added to the park, primarily by creating a promenade that covered the tracks of the Hudson River Railroad. Moses, working with landscape architect Gilmore D. Clarke also added playgrounds, and distinctive stonework and
22765-430: Was added in 1875). Olmsted was asked to create plans for the design of the avenue as an unpaved country drive, but it was eventually paved. In late 1876, bids were accepted for the paving of Riverside Drive. Olmsted was ousted as parks superintendent in December 1877. Architects and horticulturalists such as Calvert Vaux and Samuel Parsons laid out the stretch of park and road between 72nd and 125th streets according to
22922-629: Was also constructed as part of the West Side Improvement, and Riverside Park was greatly expanded as well. In March 1934, the New York State Legislature approved a northward extension of Riverside Drive from Dyckman Street to the Bronx; this extension was to be developed as part of the Henry Hudson Parkway. Work on the extension began in February 1935; the project was funded by a $ 3.1 million bond issue. The city government also submitted plans in mid-1936 for
23079-431: Was budgeted at $ 3.6 million, with the viaduct alone costing $ 840,000. At 153rd Street, Riverside Drive would be cantilevered over the New York Central Railroad 's (NYCRR) West Side Line railroad tracks to avoid Trinity Church Cemetery. The extension plans also involved demolishing several old mansions. The New York City Board of Estimate formally approved the Manhattan Valley Viaduct in December 1898, and plans for
23236-445: Was changed to two northbound and one southbound lanes following opposition from local residents. As part of a related project the same year, speed limits from 103rd to 165th streets were reduced from 30 to 25 miles per hour (48 to 40 km/h); the section of Riverside Drive south of 103rd Street was already restricted to 25 miles per hour. The city government awarded a $ 102 million construction contract in 2018 to Judlau Contracting for
23393-483: Was designated as part of a citywide bike route in 1968. The city announced plans in 1967 to construct a sewage tunnel under Riverside Drive, which would divert sewage away from the Hudson River. City workers began excavating shafts for the tunnel in 1970, which required the construction of temporary footpaths, but local residents protested the project because it was too noisy. In response, the city government froze several tons of wet soil to reduce construction noise near
23550-481: Was extended north to 155th Street in the 1900s, and a viaduct carrying Riverside Drive West between 155th and 161st streets was built in the 1920s. Traffic flow on Riverside Drive was modified several times throughout the years, and the viaducts have been renovated as well. A southern extension, known as Riverside Boulevard, was built starting in the 1990s when the Riverside South complex was developed. Between 72nd and 125th streets, nearly every block of Riverside Drive
23707-433: Was given the authorization to redesign the grade of Riverside Drive. To accommodate this, Olmsted devised a new plan that would create a main road extending from 72nd to 123rd streets, with overpasses at 79th and 96th streets, as well as "carriage roads" to serve the nearby neighborhood. The grade of the road was not to exceed 1:27. Riverside Drive's main road would contain two roadways, one for each direction, separated by
23864-495: Was highly ornamented. The surrounding area is part of the Manhattanville valley, which contains a fault . As planned, the viaduct measured 1,564 feet (477 m) long, excluding the approaches. The viaduct carries a roadway measuring 60 feet (18 m) wide, as well as a 10-foot (3.0 m) wide sidewalk on either side of the viaduct. The viaduct measures 95 feet (29 m) above mean high water at 125th Street and 75 feet (23 m) above mean high water at 135th Street. It
24021-669: Was officially designated Bloomingdale Square in 1907. The neighborhood also includes the Bloomingdale School of Music and Bloomingdale neighborhood branch of the New York Public Library . Adjacent to the Bloomingdale neighborhood is a more diverse and less affluent subsection of the Upper West Side called Manhattan Valley , focused on the downslope of Columbus Avenue and Manhattan Avenue from about 96th Street up to 110th Street. For census purposes,
24178-424: Was one of the few extremely wealthy residents to relocate to the avenue. One of the first mansions to be built on Riverside Drive was a house belonging to the engineer Egbert Ludovicus Viele , who moved to the intersection with 88th Street. This was followed by additional structures along both the avenue and the side streets. Mansions, middle-class row houses, and upscale apartments were built on Riverside Drive in
24335-473: Was originally only 60 feet (18 m) wide. At several points, due to the steep topography, a retaining wall was built adjacent to the road. Riverside Drive was opened in 1880 and was well used by pedestrians, bikers, and drivers; it had cost nearly $ 10 million. Riverside Drive originally terminated at 122nd Street, near where Grant's Tomb was later built. City parks workers had to use 125,000 U.S. gallons (470,000 L) of water every day to ensure that
24492-684: Was starting to deteriorate. The northern section of the West Side Elevated Highway , connecting to Riverside Drive's southern terminus, opened in 1932; this provided a link from Riverside Drive to the Holland Tunnel , which led to New Jersey. As part of the concurrent West Side Improvement project, the West Side railroad line was relocated into the Freedom Tunnel north of 72nd Street. The Henry Hudson Parkway
24649-586: Was the spine for major post-World War II urban renewal. Broadway is lined with such architecturally notable apartment buildings as The Ansonia , The Apthorp , The Belnord , the Astor Court Building , and The Cornwall , which features an Art Nouveau cornice. Newly constructed 15 Central Park West and 535 West End Avenue are among some of the prestigious residential addresses in Manhattan. Both Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue from 67th Street up to 110th Street are lined with restaurants and bars, as
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