Things To Do In Uptown NYC

           Do you go to school in uptown NYC? Well, I do and sometimes, I feel like it’s not fair because all the fun seems to be going on in Midtown and Downtown Manhattan areas with all the places to shop on Fifth Avenue, restaurants to try out a variety of cuisines, concert halls including Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden, ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center, theaters to watch musicals, and the list goes on and on. Because I thought that some of you whose schools are also in the upper areas of Manhattan may feel this way, I’ve come up with five places that you can visit to spend time with your friends on the weekends or during any leisure time you have.

The first place on our list is Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. It is a design museum where you get to see unique designs of diverse objects such as tech gadgets, furniture, clothes, pottery, and more. You even get to hear, see, and play with sound (yes, sound!) in the museum’s Process Lab, where visitors can design their own sound effects. Also in the museum’s Immersion Room, visitors can sketch their own art design and project them onto the walls. The museum is open from 10-6p.m. on Mon-Fri&Sun and 10-9p.m. on Saturdays.

Location: 2 E 91st St, New York, NY 10128

The second place on our list is Central Park. If there is Bryant Park in Midtown, there is Central Park in Uptown, which is much bigger in scale. Not only is Central Park a good place for a simple walk in the nature or a quick jog with your dog (or just by yourself), but it also has a lot of activities to do including the boat ride at Loeb Boathouse (one hour for $15)–a popular activity among couples, cart rides and magic performances at Victorian Gardens ($8-9), and the carousel, which always has a long line of children and their parents. Also, if you’re a student taking summer classes, definitely check out Shakespeare in the Park! It is a free-event that happens annually at Central Park, where the Public Theater offers performs Shakespeare plays for free to the public. This year, they will be performing Othello by Shakespeare. I’m definitely going to be attending for that because it was one of my favorite Shakespeare plays that I’ve read in high school.

Location: 81 Central Park West, New York, NY 10023

If you appreciate theatrical productions and musical performances as much as I do, I definitely recommend checking out Beacon Theater. The theater was built in the early 20th century and since then, they’ve been hosting a variety of bands and performers on tours. Some of the well-known bands that have played at the Beacon Theater include the Rolling Stones, Coldplay, and the Allman Brothers Band. This year, many artists will be performing once again including the Punch Brothers and James Bay.

Location: 2124 Broadway @ 74th Street

The fourth place on our list is the American Museum of Natural History. I know some people may say that this place is for kids. But in all honesty, every time I go here, I get fascinated by their new collection of diamonds, fossils, and dinosaur skeletons! The museum first opened almost 150 years ago and since then, it has displayed for its visitors creatures underwater, cultures across the seas, and the stars beyond our galaxy. You might have to take two trips just to see everything that the museum contains. My favorite hall in the museum is the one with all the sparkling gems and diamonds. All the vibrant colors and the glow that emanate from the room attract all the visitors there! The museum is open daily from 10 am-5:45 except on major holidays.

Location: Central Park West & 79th St, New York, NY 10024

Last but not least, I want to introduce you guys to one of my favorite places to eat in Upper East Side–Uva. Uva is an Italian restaurant and ever since I went there for the first time about two years ago, I continue to go here whenever my friends want to have a Girls’ Night Out on the weekends or when it is one of my friends’ birthdays. Some of my favorite menu here are: the Pizza Speck (pizza with sliced tomatoes and smoked prosciutto) , Penne Gratinate (penne baked with tomatoes and porcini mushrooms), Cavatelli Fior Di Pesto (pasta with creamy pesto sauce, topped with ricotta cheese), and Parma Cotto (marinated ham). The food is a bit on the pricier side so I go here to reward myself-usually after my midterms of finals. Going here becomes my motivation to study harder sometimes (LOL). Their desserts are amazing too! The almond torte with vanilla ice cream on top is a killer (salivating as I’m writing this…).

Location: 1486 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10075

Written by Grace Song