Middle of the UWS: Fun activities, gorgeous homes in the 80th streets

The Upper West Side’s story of the high-demand area between West 80th and West 89th streets is an alluring one.

The massive changes and gentrification that it experienced in recent decades attracted all types of businesses and residents, allowing the area to benefit from its transformation.

It is teeming with bars, restaurants, big name chain stores and boutiques, all coexisting and providing an eclectic mix of entertainment for those who reside within this 10-block radius.

And a turn down one quiet brownstone-filled street offers a quick escape from the clanking cutlery and chatter that saturate the avenues — a characteristic that makes it one of the city’s most sought after areas to live.

This stretch of streets is punctuated by five main corridors, each with their own distinct personality.

To the east is Central Park West, the scenic strip framed on one side by the rocky, tree-filled edges of Central Park and on the other by high-rise apartment buildings.

Columbus Avenue is the next corridor over, known for its cafes, bistros and restaurants, many of which offer outdoor seating in the summer, as well as its small boutiques like Purdy Girl and Mint. Next is Amsterdam Avenue, another main street dotted with restaurants and boutiques.

Broadway is the spine which cuts the area in half. It is well known for its chain retail establishments, although a number of smaller businesses mingle among the big names.

To the west of Broadway, a short walk over to West End Avenue is like stepping into a seperate neighborhood as this strip is more residential and filled with mid-rise buildings and churches. The next one over is Riverside Drive, an even quieter strip overlooking the famed Riverside Park.

In addition to being bordered by two stunning green spaces, this enclave’s tree-lined blocks and elegant pre-war, detailed architecture make it a lovely area for an afternoon or evening stroll.

“All of the different architecture is spectacular and any block you live on you have a subway within two walking blocks,” said Mitchell Hall, an associate broker at Corcoran’s West Side Gallery who moved here in 1982.

Hall says the real estate goes quickly and the area pulls in every demographic far and wide.

“I get a lot of people from New Jersey and Long Island looking to move here,” he said.

The area is also known for its artistic denizens ranging from the literary to the performing arts. The area has been home to stars including a young Tom Cruise, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr., according to vrbo.com.

This stretch is also located within a few designated historic districts including the Upper West Side-Central Park West Historic District, the Riverside Drive Historic District and the Riverside-West End Historic District.

A walk about the neighborhood flaunts the family-friendly, laid back vibe as hellos are exchanged between residents while caretakers and mothers push strollers, young singles and couples walk their dogs and doormen give a cheery greeting to building residents.

"That’s the one thing I like about it, people know each other here. It’s residential; it’s not suburbs either and it’s not like midtown or downtown," Hall said. "There is a sense of community here."

-- 1 train to 86th Street
-- B/C trains to 81st and 86th streets
-- M5 on Riverside Drive
-- M86 on 86th Street
-- M10 on Central Park West
-- M7 and M11 on Columbus and Amsterdam avenues
-- M104 on Broadway

Robbery numbers were high in 1990 at 978; in 2012 robbery numbers fell by 90% to 94. Burglary numbers have also decreased significantly in the past two decades. There were 1,305 burglaries in 1990 compared to 105 in 2012.

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As with any neighborhood undergoing gentrification, many businesses rise and fall in the ebb and flow of changes. This part of the Upper West Side has seen its share of businesses close, and it’s not only happening among the small businesses.

High-end brand Coach shuttered its doors in January and now Aldo Shoes is moving into its old location at 2321 Broadway.

According to racked.com, there is another Aldo store at 2345 Broadway, but it will be transformed into an outlet until it closes in June.

According to westsiderag.com, a neighborhood favorite, Good Enough To Eat, located at 483 Amsterdam Ave., was almost lost as it its lease is up and isn’t set to be renewed. But the restaurant recently announced that it will move to 85th Street and Columbus Avenue, where it will open on June 13.

Avventura, a glass and home décor store located at 463 Amsterdam Ave. was also slated to close its doors after 27 years but just last week the store found a new benefactor who was able to save it. It will remain open and new management will take over at the end of June.

Former English teacher Drew Dvorkin opened the Dead Poet Bar on Amsterdam Avenue in 2000 to bring people together in a comfortable setting, similar to what he encountered in English pubs when he studied abroad during college.

The bar pays homage to acclaimed and since passed writers and poets, and it brings in locals, young professionals and college students alike, many of whom share his love for literature.

There’s even a library of 300 to 400 books customers can check out.