Amsterdam Ave, Morningside Heights

Amsterdam is really beautiful around Columbia University. I really like this part of town and if it weren't so boring, I wouldn't mind living up around here. There are a lot of college kids in the area and a lot of families and that's pretty much it. But, there are cute little bars, a ton of nature and a great little restaurant row. Amsterdam in and around the 80's is restaurant and bar after restaurant and bar. They have a lot of uptown outposts of downtown staples too. Some of my favorite places (Fatty Crab and Mermaid Inn) are on Amsterdam. It really is such a cute part of town and the architecture of some of the buildings is pretty spectacular. There are a lot of newer buildings in the mix now but some of the older buildings are so beautiful. My sister lives on Amsterdam and 90th and her apartment is great. She always complains that there's not much to do though. I can see how that little area with all of the restaurants could get old after a while and maybe the students could get old as well. But, I always have a lovely time when I go up there. One thing that is really unfortunate about Amsterdam, though, is transportation. The only train you can take to get to a lot of parts of Amsterdam is the 1 train and it is slow and only runs on the west side so it's a pain to get to from other parts of town.

As you get down to around 60th street, Amsterdam becomes 10th Avenue and becomes severely lackluster. And, above the Columbia area can be a little rough around the edges. But the sweet spot is pretty indeed.

Picking up at 59th Street, where 10th Avenue leaves off, Amsterdam winds uptown through the Upper West Side, heading up into the Columbia-tinted reaches of Morningside Heights. With a range of moods and feels - ranging from the downmarket faded glitz and cheesy sauciness of Hell's Kitchen to the imposing, nineteenth-century grandeur of the Upper West Side proper, to the bohemian glee of the Columbia region, Amsterdam Avenue seems to have it all. Its most charming area, perhaps, is up in the Morningside Heights area, where it is also known as Cathedral Parkway. There, Amsterdam Avenue plays host to the stunning St. John the Divine Cathedral, as well as to the Hungarian Pastry Shop, one of the city's best literary cafes, and site of the best strudels and pastries west of Central Europe. Other worthwhile landmarks on Amsterdam Avenue include the Amsterdam Cafe, Sarabeth's West, Kitchenette Uptown, the Columbia campus, and New York Presbyterian Medical center.

Where to begin. Amsterdam Avenue is not for the faint of heart. There are restaurants everywhere you turn. CUNY, Columbia University, Jewish Theological, a smeltering of public schools and more can be found on Amsterdam. To get a way from the traffic and noise, you can take a stroll in Morningside Park.. St. Luke's is closeby and a few other hospitals within a five mile radius. Traffic can sometimes get uncontrollable and I'd recommend walking everywhere! Last, and definitely not least, Tom's Restaurant on 111 St. is the place to visit for those Seinfeld fans - it's the diner they always go to. Oh, and the Hungarian Pasty Shop is definitely not for those dieting - across from St. John the Divine.

Amsterdam Ave is one of those perfect areas to get away to when you are tired of the noise of downtown. There are plenty of restaurants in the Upper West Side with a relaxed, and fun atmosphere, where you can even linger a bit if you feel like it. The area around the 80's is a predominantly Jewish area and so you will find some fantastic Delis that can rival those of the Lower East Side. For example, Barney Greengrass is a great place to go for Bagels or breakfast, and many people order their holiday food from here as well. Another great place is Good Enough To Eat, whose name pretty much describes the restaurant. It’s a very lively area, and it is nice for older couples who are not so keen on the commotion of the other parts of the city. It is sprinkled with nice restaurants, but also some great movie theaters, and of course, who could forget Lincoln Center. Apart from the opera, one can also catch a nice concert of simply go and stroll around.

Amsterdam Avenue in this area is very lively and great for older couples. It's full of upscale restaurants, movie theaters, and really close to Lincoln Center which is really a treat. There's much relaxing strolling to be done in the area. You're sure to catch a great view of the sunset on the Hudson while walking down Amsterdam too.

I live on a street that runs parallel to amsterdam avenue, near the cross street of 133rd. Amsterdam from 125th to 145th, is pretty much dead. Some points of interest - at Amsterdam and 128th street, there is a live poultry market. In the four years I've lived here, a chicken once escaped and ran all the way up to 133rd street and got into the apartment building next door to mine. At 131st street there is a laundromat, Miss Bubble & don't go there on Sunday nights - their drains get clogged after everyone does his/her wash & it becomes a mess. Next to Miss Bubble there is a grocery store, which is OK, but not the best. Both these are at 131st street. Across from both are some pretty sorry stores & a Kennedy Fried chicken & a chinese take out. Surprisingly, the Kennedy Fried chicken sells really good Hershy icecream. Up at 138th street, the NAC Building of City College has an entrance off Amsterdam. In between 138th and 140th (on the west side of Amsterdam) there is a chinese food place, a dominican restaurant (VERY GOOD FOOD HERE), and a diner called "Collegiate Food" - which everyone calls the "The Greeks" because it is owned/operated by Greeks. The Greeks, is plain old diner food - it is OK, it closes by 6pm & opens early. In between the Greeks and the Dominican restaurant, there is an auto parts store, and yes, there are the men who fix cars right outside the store. I've used their services and found them to be decent. You have to determine how much you want to pay for the repairs before they start & you have to purchase the parts from the auto parts store.

I'm going to focus on Amsterdam Avenue between about 95th to 109th Street since that is where I lived. It's a very ethnically diverse neighborhood. Older buildings. Visit the Ayurveda Cafe at 94th Street for a wonderful vegetarian Indian menu. The American Youth Hostel building is at 104th Street. A marvelous fruit/vegetable store at 103rd at the NW corner. Very interesting shops from 106th to 109th-110th, groceries, restaurants. Not big on snob appeal, just good basics. (at least for now!).