Travel Guide of Upper East Side, Manhattan for: The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel Rating: Pearls
| 1 of 29 | The Metropolitan Museum on the Upper East Side, New York, NY | View All 29 Photos |
Upper East Side Summary
Pros
- Exclusive shopping -- among the best in New York
- Adjacent to Central Park
- World-famous museums like the Met, the Guggenheim, and the Whitney
- Stunning old architecture, ranging from neoclassical to Art Deco
- Calmer, quieter streets than in most New York neighborhoods
Cons
- Expensive dining, even by New York standards
- Limited nightlife
- Fewer subway lines than most Manhattan neighborhoods
What's It Like?
Barney's and Vera Wang. Gossip Girl and The Jeffersons ("Movin' on up, to the East Side ... "). Andrew Carnegie, Woody Allen, and Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl." Long synonymous with old money and pricey real estate, the Upper East Side has lost some of its luster since the days of Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye. Nonetheless, it remains home to what might be the greatest concentration of individual wealth in the country.
There are basically three reasons to visit: shopping, museums, and Central Park. The shops that line Madison and 5th Avenues -- Valentino, Oscar de la Renta, Jimmy Choo, and on and on -- represent a veritable what's what (and who's who) of high-end fashion. The stretch of 5th Avenue that runs north from the low 80s to 104th Street, known as "Museum Mile," is home to a number of world-renowned museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art ("The Met") and the Guggenheim. Finally, there's Central Park (simply "the park" to locals), which, besides keeping New Yorkers sane, is a delightful place to walk, jog, bike, or sunbathe.
Where to Stay
The Upper East Side is ideal for families or older travelers who want to take in the museums and Central Park and avoid the tourist crowds of Times Square or the late-night parties of downtown. Unfortunately, quiet exclusivity also means fewer hotels. On the highest end, the iconic Pierre and Carlyle hotels offer a vivid taste of swanky Old New York. The Loews Regency is slightly more affordable, and also great for families (welcome treats for kids, magic shows every other Sunday). And then there's the Franklin -- one of the few budget options in the area ("budget" being a relative term in New York) -- which has small rooms but plenty of charm.
Upper East Side Hotel Guides
Best Luxury Hotels on the Upper East Side
The Upper East Side has a reputation for posh living for a reason, and the neighborhood is home to some of the city's oldest and swankiest hotels.
Map of Hotels -- Upper East Side, Manhattan
Expand Map »
Facts
| Languages: | English, Spanish |
| Airports: | |
| Peak: | April - June |
| Off-Peak: | Jan. - March |
| Visa: | No, for nationalities included in the Visa Waiver Program |
| Vaccines: | No |
| Currency: | |
| Electricity: | 120 V, 60 Hz |
| Tipping: | 15-20% in restaurants and cabs |
Oyster Travel Guides
New York City Travel Guide
A high-density, vertical city with tourists and locals from everywhere on the planet, New York… Read More
Brooklyn Travel Guide
Like Manhattan, Brooklyn is made up of various and diverse neighborhoods, each with its own… Read More
Chelsea Travel Guide
Running from 14th Street to 34th Street on Manhattan's westside, Chelsea is the center of… Read More
East Village Travel Guide
Bounded by 14th Street to the north and Houston Street to the south, on the… Read More
Flatiron Travel Guide
A relatively quiet business district in the center of Manhattan, the Flatiron District lies between… Read More
Gramercy and Murray Hill Travel Guide
A balance of business and residential, the neighborhoods of Gramercy and Murray Hill don't have… Read More
Lower East Side Travel Guide
For much of the past century, the Lower East Side was the neighborhood where newly… Read More
Lower Manhattan Travel Guide
In the skyscraper-packed southern tip of Manhattan, Wall Street traders weave between tourists along narrow… Read More
Midtown East Travel Guide
Midtown East is where many New Yorkers come to work. Iconic skyscrapers -- the Chrysler… Read More
Midtown West Travel Guide
Outside the dazzling marquees of Times Square, Midtown West is made up of numerous smaller… Read More
SoHo Travel Guide
Once, SoHo (the name is a shortened version of "south of Houston") was an industrial… Read More
Times Square Travel Guide
Though once seedy, Times Square was reborn in the mid-'90s as a commercialized tourist haven… Read More
Tribeca Travel Guide
TriBeCa, short for "triangle below Canal Street," became a neighborhood in the 1970s when a… Read More
Upper West Side Travel Guide
Safe, residential, professional, and full of families, the Upper West Side is sandwiched between Manhattan's… Read More
West Village Travel Guide
More famously known as Greenwich Village, the maze of streets between Houston and 14th streets… Read More
