As a native New Yorker with friends who live all over the city, I've spent lots of time on the Upper East Side over the years.
The neighborhood is probably known best to travelers for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Central Park.
But I can tell you there are many other interesting and worthwhile things to do on the Upper East Side and if you have some spare time on your trip, I encourage you to check it out.
Below is my review of the best things to do on the Upper East Side including visiting top museums, relaxing in parks, shopping, snacking, and more!
Upper East Side Highlights
Before delving into detail about the places you might like to visit, here's a bit of info to pique your interest!
Stroll through Central Park -- or rent a bike, take a free walking tour, or snap some photos of the park’s most iconic locales.
Have a double-chocolate chip cookie at Levain Bakery -- ask them to heat it up for extra gooeyness.
See the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Lady in Gold at the Neue Galerie.
Do something non-touristy -- ride the Roosevelt Island Tram for jaw-dropping 360-degree views of NYC.
Chill out at a sleek piano bar -- the famous Bemelmans Bar is just the spot.
Get a great night’s sleep -- stay at the sumptuous Sherry-Netherland, a timeless New York City hotel.
Overview
The Upper East Side is between the East River and Central Park, bordered by E. 59th Street to the south and E. 96th Street to the north.
It’s one of the largest neighborhoods of New York City, so large that it has many sub-neighborhoods such as Lenox Hill, Yorkville, and Carnegie Hill.
The Upper East Side is known for being affluent, with its wealthiest residents living in historic brownstones on the leafy quiet side streets.
Carnegie Hill, a neighborhood near the park between E. 86th Street and E. 98th Street is especially beautiful, with its historic turn-of-the-century townhouses and mansions.
The area acquired its name sometime after Andrew Carnegie, one of the wealthiest men in America, built his mansion on 5th Avenue and E. 91st Street in 1902.
More millionaires followed filling the side streets with large, luxurious homes.
Along the avenues, there are hundreds of medium to large apartment buildings, many of which are enormously expensive. But plenty of residents of the area can afford an apartment here.
Due to the huge population of the Upper East Side, there are thousands of restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues, so there are always things to do at night.
There are quite a lot of historic buildings, though, for the most part, you should head to the Upper East Side for the museums and parks.
Some New Yorkers debate which is nicer - the Upper East Side or the Upper West Side. The answer depends on what one is looking for in a neighborhood.
After you explore the Upper East Side, visit the Upper West Side and decide for yourself!
How To Get Here
By subway
- 4/5 express line and 6 local line
- Q local line
Read our post on using the subway system.
By bus
- Uptown/Downtown: M1, M2, M3, M4, M101, M102, M103, M15,
- Crosstown: M57, M66, M72, M79, M86, M96 (numbers correlate to the street the buses travel on)
By ferry
NYC Ferry Service Astoria route to E. 90th Street
1. Explore Green Pastures In Central Park
One appeal of the Upper East Side to so many New Yorkers is its proximity to Central Park.
Central Park’s eastern border is Fifth Avenue and you can enter the park from many locations between E. 59th Street and E. 96th Street (the Upper East Side’s northern boundary).
When I bring out-of-town guests to the park for the first time, we enter at the corner of 5th Avenue and E. 59th Street.
From here, one immediately sees some of the most beautiful landscaping and the charming Gapstow Bridge, one of the park's most photographed locales in Central Park.
Other sites in the park along its east side are the Central Park Zoo, the Loeb Boathouse, the Mall, the Great Lawn, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.
So get those walking shoes on or grab a bike and discover one of the most amazing places in New York City.
Read more about what to do in Central Park.
2. See Magnificent Art At The Met
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the main reasons tourists and locals head to the Upper East Side.
It is one of the most prestigious museums in the world and the 5th largest with a permanent collection of a staggering 2 million objects and works of art.
The museum is huge and cannot be covered in one day. I have been at least a dozen times in my life and still haven't seen it all!
Choose a few of the wings housing European sculpture and decorative arts, medieval and Renaissance art, antiquities from the ancient world, and more.
And please, do not miss the Temple of Dendur. I visit this wing every time I go. It never ceases to amaze me!
Read about this incredible attraction from our post on highlights of the Met collection to figure out in advance what you simply cannot miss!
3. Get The Best Black And White Cookie In NYC
Two blocks away from the Metropolitan Museum of Art is William Greenberg Desserts, which opened in 1946.
Generations of New Yorkers have come here for the delicious traditional baked goods.
Their brownies were immortalized in the Mad Men TV series! But the real stand-out is their Black and White cookie, the unofficial cookie of New York City.
I'm a sucker for this unofficial cookie of New York and William Greenberg makes a great version.
These cookies have a light cake-like texture and are frosted with a light coat of vanilla and chocolate icing, hence the name.
William Greenberg carries lots of other yummies like cupcakes, fruit tarts, pies, and cakes.
They are known for their traditional desserts from other nationalities and ethnicities.
Grab some rugelach, linzer tarts, schnecken, babka, hot cross buns and more!
If you are looking for a chocolate chip cookie, you will find the absolute best a few blocks away at Levain Bakery.
4. Go Window Shopping
If you have an eye for designer clothing and/or a fondness for historic architecture, take a stroll along Madison Avenue between 60th and 80th Streets.
Some of the boutiques on Madison Ave. are in stunning, historic landmarked buildings dating back to the 1870s and 1880s. The side streets nearby also have some hidden gems of the Upper East Side.
Stop by the Ralph Lauren flagship men’s shop on Madison Avenue between E. 71st and E. 72nd Streets.
It’s housed in a huge French Renaissance Revival mansion built in 1898, modeled after a French Chateau!
TIP: Read more about the best places to shop in NYC here.
5. See Modern Art Inside An Iconic Building
The marvelous modern art begins before you even enter the Guggenheim Museum!
The museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is one of the most recognizable buildings in New York City if not the world.
The collection is among the most important in the art world, with masterworks of Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and early modern and contemporary art.
If you are on a budget like me, you can go to the Guggenheim for as little as $1 during its Pay-What-You-Wish hours, Mondays and Saturdays from 4 pm to 5:30 pm.
Read how to get Pay What You Wish tickets to the Guggenheim Museum.
Learn what other NYC museums are free or have free hours/days here.
6. Stroll Along The East River In Carl Schurz Park
Many, many years ago, while I was in college, I was a dog walker on the Upper East Side. Carl Schurz Park was my favorite place to take the pooches.
I'd walk along the lovely promenade along the East River, and admire the exceptional landscaping maintained by a neighborhood gardening association.
Inside the park is Gracie Mansion, a splendid restored 18th-century house that has been the official residence of the Mayor of New York City since 1942. Tours of Gracie Mansion are offered.
The park is located at East End Avenue between E. 84th and E. 90th Streets, at the northern end of the East River Greenway.
TIP: You can combine your visit to the Upper East Side with a DIY sightseeing cruise. Hop on the NYC Ferry at E. 90th Street.
For $4.50, you'll travel the East River to Wall Street, and along the way, you'll get amazing views of the city from the water.
7. See The Lady In Gold At The Neue Galerie
This prestigious art gallery is dedicated to early 20th century German and Austrian art and design including paintings, furniture, sculpture, photography, and more.
The Neue is home to the world-famous, and sumptuous The Lady in Gold by Gustav Klimt.
The art is beautiful but so is the landmarked building housing the Neue Galerie, the former William Starr Miller House.
This Louis XIII/Beaux-Arts style mansion was completed in 1914 by Carrère & Hastings, also the architects of the New York Public Library.
If you want to enjoy Viennese cuisine, have a meal at either Cafe Fledermaus or Cafe Sabarsky, both part of the Galerie.
Neue Galerie is at 1048 5th Avenue at 86th Street.
8. Have a Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity 3
This decadent dessert shop opened in 1954 is loved by locals and celebrities alike.
Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol, and First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis were frequent diners.
Serendipity 3's signature drink is the Frozen Hot Chocolate.
This was my favorite spot for sweets when I was a child. If offered a Frozen Hot Chocolate now, I'd say yes in a split second!
Several films and TV series have featured scenes in Serendipity 3, including, of course, the 2001 comedy Serendipity.
Naturally, Serendipity 3 appears in the quintessential series about being a teen in New York City, Gossip Girl.
Serendipity 3 is at 225 East 60th Street between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue.
9. Get a Big Brown Bag At Bloomingdale’s
Bloomingdale’s (known fondly as Bloomie’s) opened in 1860!
After being based on the Lower East Side for 26 years, it moved uptown to 59th Street and Lexington Avenue.
In the 1920s, Bloomingdale's took over an entire city block and has been there ever since. The iconic Big Brown Bags debuted in 1973.
Don't be daunted by the haute couture designers who sell there.
Bloomie’s has great sales and you can get some deep price cuts if you look for them! I have many Little Brown Bags to attest to that!
Bloomie’s is one of the department stores with an annual Christmas window display.
Bloomingdale’s is at Lexington Avenue between E. 59th to E. 60th Street.
10. See The Frick Collection
The Frick is not as widely known as other museums in New York City, perhaps because it is not a large museum though its collection is impressive.
The museum is housed in an elegant 18th-century mansion and its collection has some stunning artwork.
You’ll see excellent examples of European sculpture and decorative arts and paintings by the “Old Masters”.
Two highlights are Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait, Johannes Vermeer’s Officer and Laughing Girl, and Sir Thomas Moore by Hans Holbein.
While I love the artwork, I am fond of the clock collection with ornate table clocks, pendant watches and longcase clocks, dating back to the Sixteenth Century.
The Frick Collection is at E. 70th Street.
11. Relax At A Piano Bar
There’s something about the Upper East Side that attracts piano bars.
Spending a night at a sleek, dim-lit piano bar, sipping on classic cocktails is one of the very best things to do on the Upper East Side at night.
The most famous (and sophisticated) Upper East Side piano bar is Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel at 35 E. 76th Street.
Named for Ludwig Bemelmans, the creator of the Madeline children’s books, this cocktail lounge has a fine jazz trio, old-school vibes, and killer cocktails.
So, the drinks at Bemelmans are pretty darn expensive starting at $26 and up.
But you are paying for the atmosphere as well as your drinks. The Manhattan is an absolute wonder!
A less expensive alternative to Bemelmans is Brandy's Piano Bar at 235 E. 84th Street.
Brandy’s is one of the best-kept secrets on the Upper East Side.
This unpretentious lounge opened in the 1960s and has been a popular spot to grab a drink and listen to the staff belt out show tunes!
12. Visit Museum Mile
The stretch of Fifth Avenue between 82nd Street and 105th Street is known as Museum Mile.
These are all included in Museum Mile:
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Guggenheim Museum
- Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum
- Neue Galerie
- El Museo del Barrio
- Museum of the City of New York
- Jewish Museum
- The Africa Center
One night in June every year, these museums are free to enter between 6 pm and 9 pm as part of the Museum Mile Festival.
Check our post on things to do in NYC in June to see when the next Museum Mile Festival will be held.
I've already mentioned some of these museums above. Here are a few others I really like.
The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum is housed in a spectacular mansion built by Andrew Carnegie.
This unique museum’s collection has over 210,000 designed objects from over three centuries!
The Jewish Museum has an excellent collection of Judaica, with more than 28,000 works of art, objects and artifacts.
The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) is for those who want to dig deep into the city’s history.
The museum puts on fantastic small-scale exhibitions and its permanent collection is impressive. The MCNY is one of many free museums in NYC.
13. Take The Roosevelt Island Tram
Riding the Roosevelt Island Tram may well be the best five-minute commute of your life!
The tram ride from Manhattan to this small island goes over the East River and provides an incredible 360-degree view of New York City.
See my fellow tour guide Katie take you on a ride then read our post on how to take the tram.
TIP: I think that Roosevelt Island is a pretty cool place to visit, so I suggest you get off the tram and explore the island for 30 minutes. You can use our self-guided tour of Roosevelt Island.
Then, hop on the NYC Ferry Astoria route and ride it down to Wall Street for awesome views.
14. Indulge in Some Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
First sold in a street cart in SoHo in 2008, Van Leeuwen became an ice cream cult classic with its unusual flavors of both dairy and vegan scoops.
Van Leeuwen is now in eight states, with more than 25 locations in NYC.
What makes it so darn good is the high-quality ingredients from local and international artisan producers and farmers.
Van Leeuwen’s knock-out flavors include the likes of Praline Butter Cake, Sicilian Pistachio, Marionberry Cheesecake, Earl Grey Tea, and Buttermilk Berry Cornbread.
A few of Van Leeuwen’s vegan flavors are Cookies and Cream Caramel Swirl, Cookie Crumble Strawberry Jam and Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb.
TIP: Take it from me. You don't need to be a vegan to go crazy for these vegan flavors.
Van Leeuwen is at 1625 2nd Avenue between E. 84th and E. 85th Streets
What Reddit Has To Say
You’ve heard what I have to say about the Upper East Side, but in a city of over 8 million New Yorkers, there are countless opinions about the neighborhood.
Reddit is a good source of insight from locals and visitors.
Since I've covered quite a bit about the best activities and places to go, I want to offer up some more food recommendations.
Here is a small handful of comments from Reddit users.
Here is a Reddit user, bikeroo, new to the UES and looking for recommendations for all sorts of things, and in particular food spots like the best pizza slice and best bagel shops.
Everyone has a favorite bagel shop, and here Zoomer3989 tells bikeroo to try Bagelworks.
I haven't been to Bagelworks, but maybe I should get there asap!
For our bagel preferences on the Upper East Side, take a look at our post on Best Bagels Near Central Park, which includes bagels on all sides of the park.
As for pizza, wow, there are so many recommendations on Reddit, that I couldn't possibly have eaten at them all. But here's one suggested by Schmeeo01 that I have eaten at many times, the famous Patsy's.
There are a lot of upvotes for Patsy's and with good reason. You can read why my fellow tour guides and I love Patsy's from our post, The Best Pizza in New York City Organized by Neighborhood.
As for sweet things on the UES, maveric29 other reply suggests that bikeroo go to Orwasher's Bakery for doughnuts and pastries.
Orwasher's is fine to go to. The bread loaves are excellent. But its motto is "New York City's Original Artisan Bakery since 1916".
Call me a traditionalist. I'm going to stick with my recommendation of William Greenberg for a simple, non-artisanal black-and-white-cookie. Maybe you could try them both?
Enough about food!
Here's an activity I didn't mention since many visitors to NYC want to enjoy some of the city's well-known nightlife activities rather than see a movie.
But as a movie lover, I have to agree with redixandra that the Paris theater next to the Plaza Hotel will satisfy any cinephile.
The other suggestions are also pretty good.
If you do love movies, try to make it to NYC in October, when you can catch the NY Film Festival at Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side.
TIP: You can combine a visit to the Upper East Side with a visit to the Upper West Side by crossing Central Park, which is a pretty nice thing to do on its own.
