Keeping up with my walks around New York City, here’s the longest one that I undertook. I spent a whole morning walking down the Upper West Side from Columbia University down to Columbus Circus (with a break for lunch). In my past visits in New York City I passed by the area with the hop on hop off bus, but didn’t remember a thing. I did some research on what to see (architecture mainly) and then set out on my walk!
Columbia University + Morningside Heights
I made Columbia University my starting point since I wanted to explore the grounds of this Ivy League university (which makes it the 3rd Ivy League institution that I visit after Harvard and Brown). On top of that Buzzfeed has listed Butler Library among the 49 breathtaking Libraries from all over the world.
I didn’t get in the library though, I just lurked around the campus snapping photos of the buildings and some Japanese lanterns I found on the grounds. I also admired the view from Morningside Park and realized that Manhattan isn’t a totally flat island and there is a reason why this area is called Morningside Heights!
Upper West Side
For the my journey from Columbia University to 83rd W street I alternated between Broadway, West End Avenue and Riverside Drive, checking out notable buildings in the perpendicular streets and shooting photos of architectural details. You will notice that this walk is much more photo heavy than the one in Brooklyn, which proves my point that I’m driven to decorative details and interesting architecture.
The quirkiest place to check out in Upper West Side is Pomander Walk, which is an apartment complex different from the tall buildings that surround it. My favorite place in the area though is the cafe where I had lunch: Café Lalo. I was tipped about this place by a friend of mine, who added that this café is featured in the movie “You’ve got mail”. I love this place for the French flair and the delicious desserts. My “light” lunch consisted of a grilled croissant – sandwich with roasted potatoes and a slice of pecan pie (delicious)! I was now ready to move south!
Central Park + Columbus Circus
My next stop was the Central Park as I longed to see it (somewhat) in bloom. This was my 3rd visit in NYC and still I haven’t had the opportunity to visit during late spring or summer when the trees will be green, but I was content with daffodils, wildflowers and magnolias! I made my way towards the Belvedere Castle, which is one of my favorite spots in the park and has amazing view over Turtle Pond.
Columbus Circus was the last stop of my Upper West Side exploration. Again it was a place I hadn’t explored in the past, so I walked around the circus, admired the Time Warner Center, the globe “sculpture” on the north side of the circus and a super cute ice cream truck.
Have you walked on the Upper East Side? What did you like the most?
If you’re interested in more walking routes in New York City, check out A walk around Greenwich Village and A walk in Brooklyn & Williamsburg.
P.S. Linking up to Travel Tuesday
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