15 West 81st Street

Although geographically it sits between Central Park and the Hudson River, the Upper West Side is arguably an attitude as much as it is a place. Many of its residents have a passion for embracing all the cultural riches that New York offers, and it’s been a favorite neighborhood of people who produce much of that culture — actors, writers, professors, musicians, and others. Much of the bookish quality of the Upper West Side is due to some of the institutions that call it home (or sit on its edges) — Columbia and Barnard (just north, in Morningside Heights), Fordham Law School, Juilliard, and other smaller schools. The neighborhood attracts more than academics and the creative class, however, with everyone — recent grads, young families, and retirees included — enjoying its welcoming and easygoing atmosphere.