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Neighborhood0
New York City

Upper West Side

#19 in Best Neighborhoods to Live in New York City
  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • 149 reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    B
  2. Crime & Safety
    B-
  3. Housing
    C-
  4. Nightlife
    A+
  5. Good for Families
    A
  6. Diversity
    A
  7. Jobs
    C+
  8. Weather
    B-
  9. Cost of Living
    C-
  10. Health & Fitness
    A+
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A+
  12. Commute
    A
View Full Report Card
Upper West Side is a neighborhood in New York City, New York with a population of 212,019. Upper West Side is in New York County and is one of the best places to live in New York. Living in Upper West Side offers residents a dense urban feel and most residents rent their homes. In Upper West Side there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals and retirees live in Upper West Side and residents tend to be liberal. The public schools in Upper West Side are above average.
About Upper West Side...
Population
212,019

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$875,143
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$1,857
National
$949
Area Feel
Dense Urban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    65%
  • Own
    35%
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Upper West Side Rankings

Niche ranks thousands of neighborhoods based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.

Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety
B-
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Assault
    356.7
    282.7
  • Murder
    0.5
    6.1
  • Rape
    —
    40.7
  • Robbery
    86.6
    135.5
Property Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Burglary
    89.9
    500.1
  • Theft
    1,712.1
    2,042.8
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
    26
    284

Residents

Diversity
A
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Median Household Income
$112,564
National
$55,322
Families with Children
18%
Education Levels
National
  • Master's degree or higher
    43%
    12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    31%
    19%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    11%
    29%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    8%
    28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    7%
    13%
  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
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Upper West Side Reviews

149 reviews
All Categories
This is the most beautiful and the safest part of NYC. Nowhere in NYC is going to be pretty or safe if the current leadership doesn't clean up their act and clean up the streets. It's been so sad to watch the neighborhood decline with the rise in drug use and crime (which is happening, despite what the "official" reports say--the only reason those show record lows is because the city has stopped acting on certain offenses at the orders of the esteemed idiot).
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Manhattan Valley - Morningside is a neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. According to the 2000 census 48,983 people live in the community. Of the population, 44% are of Hispanic origin, 32% are African Americans, and 24% are Asians, whites, and other races. Crime & Safety Report states the area as the second-safest place in Manhattan.

President Obama once lived two blocks away. Seinfeld fans may appreciate visiting Tom's 24 hour coffee shop (where the show was taped.) The 106th cross street was once home to the renowned jazz musician Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington. There are many restaurants named in his honor.
Living in Upper West Side (Columbia University community) overall is great. However, if you want to go outside especially in the evening, you should take extra care of yourself.