You mentioned stopping at Patsy's twice for pizza. What you didn't say is that is is the most glorious pizza in the world!
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I grew up in Yorkville. My grandparents had a Hungarian restaurant in 86th St. I remember the German-American Bund marching down that street with Nazi banners. As teenagers, we went down to Carl Schurtz Park and serenaded Mayor Laguardia at Gracie Mansion on X-Mas eve. Good and bad memories.
2
I've lived on the Upper East Side for nearly 40 years. I know many of the establishments mentioned here, but don't frequent many. So I can assure you that I'm not taking any of this personally. But this is one of THE MOST obnoxious articles I've ever read.
3
In my view there was something stilted and contrived about this article. One tires of arch locutions such as something being "unaccountably" good or "we repaired" or "decamped" to a restaurant.
Most people don't know what Yorkville means anymore, that's right, just as the crowd he hangs with don't know who Mel Allen was or James Beard or the author of Lunchtime Poems. Why should they?
Food journalism reached its apogee long ago at the New York Times, time to change direction.
1
This young writer thinks he is discovering Yorkville,
but the neighborhood is now just a shadow of its former self when there were Hungarian coffee houses and wonderful German restaurants galore. The local coffee shop was the "Ideal" and for chocolates you would head over to Elk Chocolates. Now the neighborhood is an ugly hodgepodge of mammoth glass buildings mixed in with national chain stores. All the charm of the former neighborhood is gone, so go shop and dine and enjoy the few remaining spots before they become a distant memory as well.
10
For years I apologized about UES food, that's my home turf. Reading your review, made me rethink and want to share the bounty. I'm in total agreement with you about Schaller and Weber. What a great emporium of food it has become. Here are a few places for you to try on your next journey to this foreign country, Papaya King..not to be missed, Andre's where the rugelach is to die for, Orwashers for incredible Jewis breads, for an UES Italian restaurant, it's hard to beat Lusardis or for that matter Paola's. For romance the divine little Table d'hote is a charming spot with a very fine chef. Meijin Ramen is wonderful. For Mexican you might want to try Cascobel or the more upscale Toloache and down the block you could have a millions styles of mussels at Flex mussels. For Panini and cappucino I'd go to the tiny Via Quadrono where you will rub elbows with lots of the hibrow neighbors.
4
Cheack out E.A.T. on Madison Ave, not far from the museum. My favorate lunch spot when I go to the Met.
1
I hate when writers attempt to praise a place and then turn around and disparage it for not appealing to some personal whim of theirs.
I hate going to most restaurants today. In catering to the trends, they provide an unpleasant experience. I long for the kinds of restaurants my parents would go to, plush interiors with "continental cuisine," only they don't seem to exist anymore. And where those restaurants could serve 10-page menus, you're lucky today if they have ten items on the menu. It's pathetic.
4
Mr. Simonson,
Very nicely written. One could sense that you could make a piece on storm doors seem deeply interesting.
This subject was.
Thanks.
1
Lived in Yorkville 2003 to 2009 and loved all these places and more. Shout out to Cavatappo (90th and 2nd) and Pintaile's pizza and Logos bookstore on York. Got my designer wedding dress at the goodwill on 2nd for $60. Miss that neighborhood!
5
Mr. Simonson, if you don't "get" the appeal of a classic, iconic NYC black-and-white cookie, no one can help you. It's on a par with not liking bagels.
But congrats on getting into Rao's!
6
Thanks for this article. I’m a former Yorkville resident whose heart was broken when I revisited last fall. A walk eastward down 86th St shocked me with all the homogeneous big box names and new, pristine cafes. The only place still remaining is Papaya King! When did my old hangout Fitzpatrick’s at 85 and 2nd get replaced? That joint even turned up in a Seinfeld episode.
When I visit again next week, I’ll bring this guide with me and find those old gems that still remain.
2
Upper East Siders have known all of these places for years, and many have been written up as the Second Avenue subway neared completion and open. No one wanted to come up here for years, but now that is easier to get to it's suddenly become cool - and even more so if someone from Brooklyn writes about it. I personally liked when everyone else thought is was stuffy and felt like a foreign country. Its a lovely neighborhood that feels like a small town in a big city.
5
I used to live six blocks from the Candy Shop, and we’d go there all the time. Best turkey club and vanilla milkshake I know of in Manhattan. I also always loved the early 90s magazine clippings on the walls.
The one place I would mention that was omitted would be Eats at 75th and Lexington. The lamb burger there is one of my all-time favorite burgers.
3
Just moved to the neighborhood so wonderful to see this story and get the great tips! Thanks to the friend who passed it along and to you for writing it.
1
A wonderful article that matches my emotional experience with the UES as well. I first came here having lived on the UWS for four years, and West Harlem for four year prior to that. Needless to say, my NYC life consisted on the west side, with an unimpressed view of the east side. But having moved to the east side due to work, it only took a week for me to realize I was dead wrong. Especially east of Lex, there is so much hidden life on the UES. It has been fun to watch others discover it as well, much like this article conveyed!
4
I lived in UES nearly 15 years, only moving out in the early 90's because I was getting married. My biggest regret was not trying out a lot more eateries than I did. But I did something much more important; I became part of the community. That's what too many people who pop in and pop out miss - they've no idea that there are lots of little neighborhoods, lots of people who don't want to be strangers. Nice parks, the East River, Central Park, the Met and other great museums. And plenty of places where people knew me. A few months ago, a coworker told me he was moving to a certain street, same I lived on - turns out to be the same little elevator building that I lived in. It's in better shape now, but I still miss the place despite it being so small - because it was in the Upper East Side! Which I'll take any day over...
5
My cousin was in a rehab facility on UES, around 90th and Riverside and I flew to NYC to wish her a 91st birthday. I'm no stranger to Manhattan, but this was my first foray up that far. Following our visit, I was walking home to my hotel on 34th (nothing like NYC for superb on-the-street surprises unavailable on public transport) when it started to rain. While I don't recall the names, I ducked into a couple of bars to escape the downpours and ended up eating dinner at a small but lovely family-owned restaurant. It was almost like being in Europe; everyone sensed I was an out-of-towner and were so friendly, welcoming (What? You came all the way from St Paul for this?") and sympathetic to my dripping on their floors. My cousin is back home on the LES, but I can promise you that I'll be returning to the UES with this in hand. Thank you for a fabulous article.
3
The Times needs MUCH more writing by Mr Simonson. Excellent.
And yes, this took me down memory lane too - late after-game dinners and beer with my women's volleyball team at Heidelberg, got serenaded on a second date at Brandy's piano bar (with a Billy Joel song), desperately wanted to eat at Rao's when I worked in East Harlem, lots of Patsys margherita pizza - which I liked best from the refrigerator the next day, romantic dinner at Erminia and leaned too close to the tall candle on the tiny table and set (just a little of) my hair on fire - luckily I had hair to spare and we were sitting near the door so they could air out the burnt hair smell fast - apologized profusely!
Thanks for the brilliant reminder to go back and visit!
5
Terrific article, Robert.
By the way, not sure if you're on Twitter, but the supposed link to it on your website doesn't actually connect.
3
good article about a hood that has fallen to the so called trendy downtown hoods.. still a lot of old new york in yorkville one just has to look for it.. and that heidelberg food and drink..? definitely coma inducing but oh so good!
8
Oh my friend, you missed the delight of the Brooklyn Blackout cupcake at Two Little Red Hens, right next to the schnitzel joint!
19
Sigh. You touched off either most of my golden memories or gotta go places very nicely. And there is so much more, I.,e. Drunken Monkey, Gracie Mansion Park, Eli's etc. Thanks!
9
As an Upper West Sider I must sadly agree with your observation that the UES has retained its character while the UWS is seeing that slowly slip away. I can assure you however that there are still old cranky socialists to play chess with in Riverside Park and that every fifth building you pass has someone rehearsing their cello or opera arias or show tunes. But it is now much more the domain of the yoga clad stroller brigade and not the quirky intellectual's neighborhood it once was.
23
I have a confession: a few years ago, as a tourist to NYC, I shopped at Shaller and Weber for a fancy beer stein they have displayed in the window. I bought a huge glass boot along with a few goodies to eat - $75. I paid and hustled my stuff back to my hotel room, then went to dinner.
It wasn't until I got home and looked at my spending that I saw the Shaller cashier had charged me the wrong amount for the stein: $0.75.
9
Great neighborhood but your about 18 years too late for the best bar in Yorkville. Elsie's Okie Dokie bar was on 84th for 50 years(google it). I miss her everytime I'm in Manhattan. I spent a lot of one on one nights with her. We all lost when she passed away.
4
Good food, better drinks, best write-up.
Thank you!
6
Such a lovely portrait of the Upper East Side. Thank you!
6
Love this! 30 years ago I moved to East 96th street from West 95th and discovered the same thing: a well-worn, welcoming neighborhood of butchers, bakers, bars, and the Heidelberg!
14
I lived and worked on the UES for nearly 12 years. One MUST visit the Lexington Candy Shop on 81st/Lex. I believe its the only remaining authentic luncheonette left in the city; still owned by the same family. I used to see Paul McCartney and his (then) young daugther there all the time. He still has an home up the street.
18
This guy missed the best Germanic (okay, Austrian) lunch in Manhattan at one of the Upper East Side's matchless cultural treasures, all of which this guy ignores, the Neue Galerie. Every single time I go culture-vulturing in Manhattan, naturally centering on the Met, I eat lunch a couple of blocks away at this culinary temple, always having superb Weisswurst, excellent pretzels, a Coke, and Sachertorte as good as any in Vienna. That lunch is a bit pricier than the Heidelberg's menu, but as always in NYC, you get what you pay for.
11
@Fred: He also missed the WAIT to get into the restaurant at the Neue Gallerie! The food may be great, but spending time waiting to get in is not.
3
Interesting article, I know the upper east side pretty well and I have to agree with the writer for the most part except that it is pricey.
I think housing is on par with the other parts of Manhattan if not cheaper, the bars and restaurants
Are decently priced, you can still get a beer for 5
Bucks.
6
When I first moved to New York in 1998, Yorkville was unfashionable enough that we scored a walk up tenement apartment on 86th between 1st and East End. We discovered all kinds of wonderful, local restaurants and I loved the neighborhood. But I too, when I moved (next was 11th and A), didn’t look back and rarely made it up there again.
5