A recurring column where CRUSH Readers share a snapshot of where they’ve been and what they loved there.
Manhattan's Upper East Side
Tell us a little bit about you.
As CRUSH Readers, you already know a little bit about me! Since this is our travel column I’ll focus on that. Perhaps because I was born in Japan to two American parents, I was born to travel or, at the very least, born feeling comfortable in foreign lands. I have gone through many periods in my life — particularly the decade after my husband’s death — when I have been a voracious traveler.
My favorite trip was the one I took with two close girlfriends when I turned 50: we went to Madrid, then Marrakech, then took a sometimes harrowing ride through the Atlas Mountains down to the Western Sahara. We stayed in a small, gorgeous, homey riad in Marrakech. That trip incorporated every element I enjoy most about traveling — immersing myself in another culture, glamour, history, adventure (even a little danger, though that was not anticipated). Also, the intimacy of prolonged time with close friends in another world, and the ‘other worldly’ space that creates for conversations to unfold slowly that weave back and forth over days. Revealing more secrets from the people you already know quite well.
As COVID was wrapping up, I decided to move back to New York City. I had been living in Boston for twenty years by then, having moved there to marry my late husband. Before that I spent my twenties living in many different neighborhoods in New York, but mostly in the West Village. For a year in the mid-90’s I was a house sitter in the glamorous Upper West Side building Nora Ephron made famous, the Apthorp. In exchange for free rent in a penthouse apartment outfitted with an intimidating Aga stove, I took care of the owners’ cat, Mellarooney.
Moving back to New York in my fifties, I was drawn to Central Park and the elegant, quiet, clean, tree-lined streets of the Upper East Side. Everybody thought it was odd, me being pulled in by the city just as so many bold-faced names and long-term New Yorkers were pulling out. But it felt both generous-hearted and exciting, like taking an old lover back when he‘d hit a rough patch. The choice of the UES seemed, in particular, like a mistake to most everyone. “Dead, Dish,” said one former New Yorker, who had just sold her Park Avenue apartment and exited for Naples. “Madison Avenue is boarded up. You’re crazy. It’s never coming back.”
Yet, back I went. And back it is. I got what I thought was a good price on a prewar two bedroom apartment that needed renovating. Three years later, the construction finally done, I have fallen truly, madly, completely in love with my new neighborhood.
I love it with the passion of the newly converted. Instead of traveling abroad, I feel drawn to drinking in my new (and former) lover. Here is what I love (so far).
In one word, describe the atmosphere:
Refreshed.
From the newly reopened Frick Museum and Surrey Hotel, to some of the city’s best new restaurants (Chez Fifi, Cafe Commerce, Schnipper’s Quality Soups, NR, and the yet-to-open London transplant Birley Bakery), the Upper East Side feels fresh.
Where should we stay?
There are no bargain hotels on the Upper East Side. If you want to stay in the neighborhood you have to be feeling like a ‘splurge.’ Over the last decade when I visited I stayed at The Mark, The Carlyle and The Lowell.
Favorite hotel: The Lowell. A lovely, elegant boutique hotel experience. It has the lovely Marjorelle restaurant downstairs, French with a Moroccan touch. Its Club Room is only for guests, a nice touch.
The Carlyle is the grand dame of old glamour hotels, memorialized in the documentary Always at the Carlyle. I stayed here for two nights on my way to London, primarily because I wanted to see Isaac Mizrahi’s sold out cabaret show at Cafe Carlyle, its legendary, intimate cabaret performance venue. As a hotel guest I was able to snag a seat at the bar.
The Mark is the favorite of a lot of friends. I tried it when I visited New York to look for my apartment, but only because it was the tail-end of COVID and neither The Lowell nor the Carlyle had reopened. It is both more ’modern chic’ and younger than either of the other two, and it’s a lovely place to stay, though to me it has less of a cozy feel.
Recently reopened, I have a friend who says that The Surrey is the best of all of them. I haven’t stayed there myself, But I have been to Casa Tua (the restaurant, as well as The Lounge.
Also an option: The Loew’s Regency on Park Avenue between 61st and 62nd. A friend who was in town to attend the same cocktail party as me stayed here for the location, and because he could use his loyalty rewards. Report:
Favorite hotel bars, for various situations: The UES is blessed with upscale bars — each perfect in its own way, for its own thing. The Casa Tua Lounge (to the right, off the hotel lobby) is my preferred hotel bar in the neighborhood for grabbing a small bite and drinks with a friend (or date). You expect glamour when you’re in a stately hotel on the UES, and you get that. Also, it’s the right balance of people watching with an acceptable noise level for having a conversation. The Casa Tua Lounge leans toward an intimate, clubby feel and it’s where I end up most often. In contrast, The Mark Bar (a block away) is more of a “see and be seen” spot (which has its value). And while Bemelman’s Bar at the Carlyle is the most authentically glamorous, I prefer it for popping in for a late afternoon glass of wine (around 4pm) when there is rarely a line, and it is still quiet enough to have a conversation. In the evenings there is usually live music (and a cover) and while conversations are difficult, it’s great for enjoying live music in an intimate, elegant, bubbling setting.
Favorite hotel restaurant for breakfast: Dowling’s at the Carlyle.
Favorite hotel restaurant for lunch: Casa Tua at the Surrey.
Any restaurant recommendations?
Cafe Commerce This is my favorite and most-frequented spot. It helps that it’s just a few blocks from my apartment but honestly, the food is comforting, yet sophisticated and yummy. It also helps that it serves both lunch and dinner (same menu). It is small spot of maybe 20 tables in a warm but modern atmosphere where the primary visual is the beautiful mural by David Joel that hangs above the bar. Harold Moore, the chef-owner, previously ran Commerce in the West Village, which had a cult-like following with lines around the block. That closed 10 years ago, and this is his revival, which includes many of his downtown favorites, including his famous Cocoanut Cake (huge and delicious). My favorites are the 20 Herb Salad, the Roast Chicken, the Rigatoni with a carbonara sauce and the chicken salad. Everything hits a perfect note.
I have eaten here about 10 times (often in a seat at the bar) and I’ve never not seen Moore there. On my second visit, when he passed me, I thanked him for opening up in the neighborhood. He blushed. Blushed! And humbly said, “Thank you for being here.”
Cocktails and apps at NR. We also had ramen, but I forgot to photograph it.
NR (cocktails and ramen). I love this place, I love this place, I love this place. You have to check out their website to get a feel for it. ”Walk ins welcome. Limited reservations available,” it says which makes it — as a neighborhood place — fabulous. There will be lines at the heavy hours, of course, so avoid those. Lots of warm, bordering on hip vibes. A friend and I recently sat at the bar and indulged in cocktails, the above appetizers of charred edamame and Japanese truffle egg salad sandwich, followed by ramen. It was delicious and so much fun. Afterward we headed to Rodney’s Comedy Club for the late act. A great Thursday night.
Jojo by Jean-Georges I love the menu and elegant comfort of this quiet, lovely restaurant for lunch with a friend.
Tha Phraya My nephew turned me onto this Thai restaurant, which is rated as one of the top in the city. It is terrific for a neighborhood casual spot.
Japanese style egg salad is definitely a thing at upscale eateries on the UES. Schnipper’s version is delicious. That’s
Schnipper’s Quality Soups The two Schnipper brothers behind this wonderful soup and sandwich take-out have run a string of successful family-owned comfort food restaurants in the city, including Hale and Hearty Soups. They opened Schnipper’s Quality Soups on Lexington Avenue this winter, thank god. I have gotten buckets of their soup since then. Buckets. My favorites are the tomato cheddar, white bean and kale and their pea soup with smoked bacon. The last two can be frozen, and I always have a number of pints in my freezer for last minute meals. When they first opened they were only offering soups, about 10 varieties a day, but this spring they started offering sandwiches and those are delicious, too.
There are a few spots for eating inside, but now that the weather is nice you might consider grabbing your soup and walking the few blocks to Central Park to enjoy it on a bench.
You can see one of the brothers, Jonathan, sitting in the window in the image (above on the left). This morning Koko and I walked over and Jonathan ran to the door to greet her. After giving her some love, he pulled up a picture of his eight-year-old King Charles Cavalier. So nice.
Chez Fifi I list this one last not because it is last in my heart, but because it is so impossible to get into. If you have the restaurant app Beli (I was an early adopter, thanks to my nephew) then you know that this is the no. 1 rated new NYC restaurant (based on over 55 million ratings on Beli). (It’s not just Beli, really everybody is raving about it.) It was opened by the folks behind the two-star Michelin rated sushi spot Noz. It is a gorgeous French bistro in a stunning, intimate townhouse on a pretty tree-lined street. The food is wonderful, yes, but it’s really that the whole experience is so lovely — from the beautiful setting and decor to the perfect service to the menu. I was lucky to have heard about it right after it opened and before the rush began, but I haven’t been able to snag a reservation since.
Chez Fifi has a chic cocktail lounge upstairs, with a (very) light bite menu. Pretty, but lines start well before it opens.
Birley Bakery’s UES location on 69th Street isn’t open yet, sadly. But if you’re planning a trip, check to see if it’s open when you’re here. I’ve been to the one in London and it’s divine.
Any recommendations for someone who hasn’t spent much time on the Upper East Side?
The UES is famous for its museums. My current favorites are Neue Galerie and The Frick Collection. Neue has, among other Austrian and German masterpieces, an exquisite collection of opulent art in the Vienna Secession style, including the highlight in its collection, Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer (also knows as Woman in Gold). Make sure you reserve in advance for lunch or coffee at their lovely Cafe Sabarsky. The Frick recently reopened after a $220 million renovation which architecture critic Michael Kimmelman called “poetic.” It is renown for its collection of Old Master paintings, as well as its European decorative arts. These are both small, exquisite museums in former historic mansions that you can see in a couple of hours, so they incorporate easily into a day filled with additional things.
Splurge and spend an elegant late Spring week end here — if you’re going to come, make sure you reserve in advance for tickets to the Frick and dinner reservations at Chez Fifi.
The easiest reservation to get at Cafe Commerce is for late lunch.
Wear sneakers so that you can incorporate a walk through the blossoms in Central Park into your agenda.
Anything else we should know?
Here’s a Half-day Itinerary: You don’t have to stay in one of the outrageously expensive UES hotels to enjoy it. Stay in Midtown - somewhere where you can use points! — walk up through Central Park by taking the closest entrance to you along 57th Street (there’s a map of the park’swalking paths here), get out at the East 70th Street exit. Go to the Frick (get tickets in advance). Then have a late lunch at Cafe Commerce (get advance reservations). Then go shopping around the 70’s, grab a late coffee at Bel Ami Cafe or drink at The Lounge at Casa Tua in The Surrey Hotel, then walk back down to midtown along Madison Avenue.
For coffee, skip the influencers in the long line outside Ralph’s Coffee and go instead to Bel Ami Cafe on the corner of Lexington and 65th. Last time I was there, two theater critics were discussing Sarah Snook’s performance in Dorian Gray on my left, while the couple on my right shared details of their plans to spend the summer retracing their ancestral roots hiking around Scotland.
I am working on a guide to my favorite UES shops! But this will be number one (for window shopping):
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