8.6 out of 10

West 59 St, Central Park

Ranked 1st best street in Central Park
40.7662411785499 -73.9775761874709
Great for
  • Clean & Green
  • Gym & Fitness
  • Parks & Recreation
  • Shopping Options
  • Eating Out
Not great for
  • Cost of Living
  • Lack of Traffic
  • Neighborly Spirit
  • Nightlife
  • Parking
Who lives here?
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists

Reviews

5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
2yrs+

"Park Living"

Central Park South is the stretch of 59th street that lines the southern entrance to Central Park. Because of the magnificent view and proximity to green, all of the residences, hotels and restaurants lining Central Park South are extraordinarily expensive. A couple of months in New York, though, and anyone can see why. This is some of the only nature we get here, and this particular plot of nature is incredibly beautiful.
The South entrance to Central Park is, naturally, at Central Park South. It is called the Merchant's Gate. And, merchants, there are. There is a ton of shopping in the Time Warner Center as well as numerous stand-alone shops on the street. There are also people selling all sorts of things to tourists at this entrance. . . my least favorite being the carriage rides. If you are a tourist reading this, please do not patronize these people. Horses do not need to be pulling people amongst this many cars. And, they're living conditions are atrocious. Yuck. Anyway, aside from that the Park is truly magnificent if next to impossible to navigate. It's over 800 acres and, incredibly, entirely man -made. It was completed nearly 150 years ago and it looks like it was just made that way. It really is a work of art and it is the most visited public park in the world. Deservedly so.
The buildings across the street from the park are some prime real estate, so whether it is commercial or residential, the price is excessively high. Many of the buildings do the most they can to capitalize on the view by rounding the frame to allow for more apartments to have views and having floor to ceiling windows. Naturally, a lot of notable people have lived in the apartment buildings the line Central Park West. Anais Nin, Frank Sinatra, Raquel Welch, Ava Gardner and Ingrid Bergman have all called Central Park South Home. Billy Joel owns the entire 16 story building at 128 and he lived there when he was married to Christie Brinkley. The Essex Hotel has long been an actor's haunt and is now the official hotel for the hosts of Saturday Night Live. So, if you want to do some celebrity stalking, this is a good street to start.
The most famous children's playground is at the east end of Central Park South. It is the site of the very old and famous Central Park Carousel. Weird fact that I just found out: the carousel was operated in the 1800's by an actual horse under ground. So, obviously Central Park has been responsible for some really interestingly inhumane uses of animals long before the carriages.
Central Park South and 6th Ave marks the block of ritzy hotels. The Ritz Carlton, appropriately, is right on the corner. The Park Lane and the famous Plaza Hotel are on the same block trickling east. The view these hotels have, park-wise, is of the Pond and wildlife sanctuary. Not bad, eh?
Pros
  • The Park
  • Luxury
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Noisy
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists
  • LGBT+
  • Students
  • Country Lovers
  • Trendy & Stylish
5/5
2yrs+

"Retro flair in Old New York"

"N...Y...C - what is it about you?" sings millionaire steel magnate Oliver Warbucks in the well-loved family musical "Annie." That je ne sais quoi may well be found on Central Park South, the scenic stretch of land adjacent to the city's best-known park. From Old World haunts like the New York Athletic Club to the uber-modern lights of the new Time Warner Center, from the kid's paradise of newly-revived FAO Schwartz to the bucolic pleasures of Central Park, this street has it all. The real estate can be expensive - but at its best it offers stunning park views flanked by the Art Deco buildings on all sides. The location can't be beat - especially for art hounds. Lincoln Center, with its music, dance, and film offerings, is right nearby, as is Carnegie Hall. Foodies should be pleased, too - there are plenty of fantastic restaurants near here, such as 57th Street's Italian Trattoria dell'Arte and Lincoln Center's Fiorino's. This is the center of the action - cultural, theatrical, and social - and many of the old-school buildings are reminiscent of an older, perhaps better, time for this always-thriving city. While the restaurants lining the park itself are likely to be relatively touristy, nobody can deny the thrill of the revamped Plaza Hotel or concourse at the Time Warner Building.

If Times Square is the touristy heart of New York, then Central Park South is truly its beating center. While the crowds and bustle might be too much for families seeking a lower-key existence, it's a perfect spot for established empty-nesters and culture-leaning childfrees alike.

Best Streets in Central Park

1

West 59 St

4.5/5
"Park Living"
40.7662411785499 -73.9775761874709
2

East Dr

4/5
"The best of Manhattan, this street runs the length of Central Park."
40.7838795750048 -73.9591768447992
3

Columbus Cir

3.5/5
"A Hub of the Westside"
40.7684265265769 -73.9816315647617
"Transverse this Road with caution!"
40.769865218902 -73.9747038359898
"The route to all the goodies"
40.7738043695359 -73.9725121707311
6

West Dr

3.5/5
"Great for joggers, during off-traffic hours"
40.7870201971717 -73.9671436207382
7

5 Ave

3.5/5
"Crowded part of the park"
40.764260000221 -73.973862501056
"Top end of the Resevoir"
40.7884015005813 -73.9561449973001
"The American Museum of Natural History Tops The List"
40.7851415700214 -73.9694464924141
"The way to Belvedere and the Wall"
40.7786856035021 -73.9681952675445

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