Archie's Guide to The Upper West Side, NYC
Written & curated by his human, @elizabethanneventer.
If I were a dog living in New York City, I’d want to be an Upper West Side Dog.
Sandwiched between Riverside Park and Central Park, the Upper West Side is one of the dog-friendliest of Manhattan’s dog-friendly neighborhoods. It’s almost impossible to find a shoe shop, bookstore, or coffee shop that doesn’t have a water dish and a bowl of treats set out for the neighborhood dogs.
But of all the places a dog can go, these are our Uptown Dog’s Favorites …
The Place We Love: Riverside Park
Why We Love It: Riverside Park is a favorite of ours for long walks because it’s meandering and skinny — stretching four miles along the Hudson from 72nd St. to 158th St. Our loop usually starts at the 72nd St. Dog Run (with designated social areas for large and small dogs) and ends at the 91st Street Garden (you know, the one where Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks meet at the end of You’ve Got Mail).
We do a loop around the garden and head home for a good 3-mile round trip. Sometimes we walk along the top part of the park through gardens and under trees, and sometimes we walk on the lower path along the Hudson River. Either way, the park is always full of other dogs and their respective dog parents to say hello to.
The Place We Love: Tiki Chick (85th and Amsterdam)
Why We Love It: The Upper West Side is full of dog-friendly restaurants, but Tiki Chick is a favorite during the summer. There’s nothing like ending a balmy evening on their patio with a piña colada and one of their $5 chicken sandwiches. They always bring water out for Archie, too and, of course, leis for everyone.
The Place We Love: Off-Leash Hours In Central Park
Why We Love It: City dogs don’t always have a lot of opportunities to run around freely, but Archie gets his chance once a week during Central Park’s Off-Leash Hours. Off-Leash Hours are technically every day from 6am - 9am and every night from 9pm to 1am. If we were morning people we would be there every day of the week. As it stands, we are not, but our Sunday morning tradition is to pick up a coffee, get to the park by 8am to walk the path around the great lawn, and finish the morning at the 79th St. Greenmarket for a pastry and some groceries for the week.
The Place We Love: The 79th St. Greenmarket
Why We Love It: Speaking of the greenmarket, our week wouldn’t be complete without a stop at our two favorite stalls: one for the humans, and one for Archie. My husband and I like to stop by She Wolf Bakery to grab one of their polenta loafs for the week (the best bread in New York City, I swear), and Archie always stops at Roaming Acres for a bison bone. The greenmarket just happens to be across the street from the Grand Bazaar — another Sunday morning favorite.
The Place We Love: Cherry Hill
Why We Love It: Just above Bow Bridge and close to Bethesda Fountain is Cherry Hill (our favorite place in the park for a picnic). It’s shaded by trees with plenty of lawn to find a place to sit and get a view of The Lake (that’s gorgeous any time of year — especially at sunset). But it’s even better during the summer when the Boat House is open for boat rentals, and you can watch the rowers paddle by as you snack. We like to pick up a little something to sip on from Amsterdam Wine Company (Archie loves to stop here too because they are big fans and he always leaves with a treat), and then stop by 67 Gourmet for cheese and crackers. If you’re lucky — or come on a weekend — there is usually someone playing live music near the base of Bow Bridge.
The Place We Love: The Steps of the Met
Why We Love It: During the summer, we love an evening/night walk when the sun is down and the weather is slightly cooler. We like to enter at 72nd St., walk past Bethesda Fountain (through the children’s area of the park), and end at the Met on the East Side. The steps are beautiful (and empty) at night — and how many dogs can say they’ve been to the Met?
The Place We Love: The Bridle Path along the Jackie Onassis Reservoir
Why We Love It: Sometimes a dog needs a walk on something other than cement. For us, that means walking the Bridle Path along the base of the Jackie Onassis Reservoir. It’s a little over 1.5 miles around the reservoir on a mostly shaded path. In the spring, the path on the West Side is lined with cherry blossoms, and in the summer, it’s shaded in a tunnel of green foliage. If you go at sunset, you have beautiful views of the reservoir, Billionaire’s Row, and the West Side. Another summertime perk is a Mr. Softee truck parked at the 90th St. Entrance not to mention Archie’s favorite public fountain (shaped like a dog).
The Place We Love: Black Press Coffee
Why We Love It: There are plenty of places to get coffee on the Upper West Side, but we prefer Black Press on 73rd and Columbus. They’re small, dog-friendly, and there’s almost always room on the benches outside to enjoy a pastry and a coffee (tip: they make a very good dirty chai).
