Check out this week's top news stories for the Upper West Side.
Starchitect Switcheroo! Will the Upper West Side Get Any Pritzker-Worthy Buildings at Riverside Center?
Has the Upper West Side fallen for an eight-acre bait and switch? At least one and possibly all five towers at the massive Riverside Center development will not be the work of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Christian de Portzamparc. The French designer helped Extell Development and the Carlyle Group sell their swank plans‘ to the community and the City Planning Commission. The latter was so taken with the crystalline designs of Mr. de Portzamparc, who also designed the LVMH headquarters and Extell’s One57 tower, that restrictive zoning covenants were set to ensure the buildings would look as promised. Read More
M60 Bus Layover Spot Moves to Quiet West End Ave
The M60 bus to LaGuardia Airport is temporarily moving its layover position from Broadway to residential West End Avenue to accommodate a fleet of new extended buses. The MTA has added a fleet of "articulated," or accordion-style buses, to the M60 route to cope with the rising ridership on "one of our more successful bus routes," said MTA representative Buckley Young — but the larger buses can't fit at the current layover position at the end of the route at Broadway and 106th Street. Read More
Vandals strike at Upper West Side Deli
Lansky's, a longtime Upper West Side deli, was thoroughly trashed during a burglary Tuesday night. The chairs and tables were chopped and slashed, the toilets in the restroom were smashed, the computers and refrigerators were broken, and obviously the cash was taken from the register. This happened Tuesday night, at the end of the Jewish holiday. Read More
Spanish Tapas Restaurant Casa Pomona Opens on the UWS
Tapas are universal. That's Marion Maur's philosophy and part of the inspiration behind her new Spanish restaurant, Casa Pomona, co-owned with longtime New York restaurateur Sid Gupta, at 507 Columbus Ave between 84th and 85th Streets, opening Oct. 1. In Spain, explained Maur, "it doesn't matter who you are or where you came from, everyone has tapas." It's a tradition that spans across demographics in which you spend an hour "having a glass of sherry and bringing in the evening," she said. Read More
Thousands of Bees Swarm Upper West Side Garbage Can
Thousands of bees swarmed a trash can at the southwest corner of West End Avenue and 107th Street on Friday, causing quite a buzz among confused passersby. No stings have been reported. NYPD bee expert Antony "Tony Bees" Planakis said that three active hive frames were discovered in the garbage can — located in front of The Underground Lounge — but he does not think that somebody simply dumped live bee hives. Read More