We are taking you on a quick subway ride to the Upper West Side, one of New York's most
popular, high-end residential neighborhoods.
We'll take you up Broadway, starting from 72nd St. on walk on up to Zabar's, one of
the great food stores of the city, and then continue over to Amsterdam Avenue for a few
blocks, the two main streets of the Upper West Side.
Zabar's food store is a legend.
It's the most famous store on the Upper West Side, that's for sure.
It's been here in the same location for 80 years, a combination of New York Jewish deli
and expanded specialty food store.
We will bring you on an extensive tour inside Zabar's little bit later in the program.
The side streets up here are mostly residential, with very expensive apartments.
There is very good bus service up here.
For example, if you want to go all the way over to the East Side through Central Park
you take the M 86.
On West 72nd.
you can also catch a bus that will take you across Central Park to the Upper Eastside,
and you can get up here by subway lines 1, 2 and 3, go through the 72nd St. station.
It's a beautiful entry structure built in 2002 of steel and glass in the old style.
The entrance across the street is an original structure that was built in 1904.
Just to the north you'll find Verdi Square with a statue of that great Italian composer.
This stretch of Broadway we're showing you between 72nd and 80th streets is really a
lovely place to stroll.
It's the heart of the Upper West Side – shops, restaurants, cafes, lovely side streets, occasionally
a little bit noisy.
Stand on any corner long enough and you're going to hear the sirens going by.
Lots of people out, very safe place, characteristic of the high-level residential neighborhoods
of the city.
You're reminded this is mostly place for locals who are out shopping for groceries, among
other things.
There's not that many tourists up in this neighborhood – nothing like Times Square,
or say down in Greenwich Village.
This is a little bit more of the authentic slice of the city.
Did somebody say slice?
Oh yeah.
You can get pizza by the slice in a lot of these neighborhood eateries.
And now for the finest of all foods in the neighborhood we are bringing you back into
Zabar's, as promised earlier.
Along with the famous food store they also have a café that makes a great place for
a light meal – a place for a quick bite, breakfast on the go, maybe, or some grilled
panini's and homestyle soup with a cup of Zabar's famous coffee.
Sit down at the big communal table and you'll strike up a conversation with some New Yorkers,
no doubt.
You'll find fresh baked goods.
Of course the New York bagel, or how about a ham and cheese sandwich on a croissant?
At the back left corner an unmarked door leads to the public toilet.
We' re going to take a leisurely stroll now through the main food market – it's almost
like a Google Earth view as we walk along you'll see these shelves are just stocked
with great items, many of them with the Zabar's brand on the wrapping, so that makes some
convenient presents to bring home.
Some of their specialties are cheeses, olives, smoked fish and gourmet black peppercorns.
Their website describes the products and also their history, 80 years in business, 3 generations
operating it, and the family business is still going strong.
Among their principles they say "Never ever stint on quality, offer fair value, and last
but not least, keep searching for the new and wonderful.
For example, they have introduced to New York some very later famous product such as brie,
sun-dried tomatoes and gnocchi.
They were able to expand the store in the 1970s, stretching nearly the entire length
of the block, making Zabar's one of the largest supermarkets in Manhattan.
Of course Manhattan has several Whole Foods and we've shown you Eataly in our Lower Manhattan
episode, that's a large Italian chain, but Zabar's was the original.
Their deli counters have a good variety of prepared foods, dinner cooked already for
these busy New Yorkers who are on the run, heading from work back to the apartment late
in the day.
And of course for those who do cook all of the gourmet items are available right here.
Their cheese department is in a unique emporium, offering over 600 different types of cheese
from around the world, selling over 7 tons every week.
The other street of the Upper West Side you must visit is one block over, Amsterdam Avenue.
It seems to come more alive at night rather than daytime, when the locals are out taking
a stroll, looking for dinner in one of the many restaurants along Amsterdam, or perhaps
just a beer at the neighborhood pub.
There are not many hotels in this neighborhood, but it's a fine place to get a AirB&B or some
kind of vacation rental.
Then you can live like a local and easily get around with all of the public transit,
to its subway and bus, no problem, you can get all over Manhattan from here.
For example, going across Central Park to the upper Eastside from 86th St. on the public
bus.
We have other episodes about Central Park and the Upper Eastside, so take a look for
them in our collection.
For now you're getting a quick taste of that journey.
I like to finish with a look at the newest subway line, the 2nd Avenue, really quite
spectacular to see how beautiful the stations are, so modern and clean.
Escalators take you down to a concourse.
You can choose your direction, north or south, and continue on down to the tracks.
It took a tremendous amount of work.
Originally proposed in 1919 but construction only began in 1972, then it was halted, and
continued, and finally it was opened in 2017 at a cost of 5 billion, and the next phase
is planned to finish in 2030, extending to 125th St.
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