Filter by our Side PicksIn the early twentieth century, 86th Street was the heart of the area known as “Germantown.” At one point, New York had the third largest German-speaking population in the world after Vienna and Berlin. By 1900, many of those immigrants had moved to the Upper East Side to settle in what is more commonly … read more
When people think of neighborhood hangouts, they probably think of cafes, bars, and perhaps barbershops. Denizens of 86th Street, however, have a friendly watering hole that also happens to be a pharmacy.
Inna Shafir and Yelena Yosse are both from St. Petersburg. They met at pharmaceutical school … read more
City Swiggers, which opened in 2011, is where casual and professional overlap. The atmosphere of the beer shop / tasting room is neighborly and homey, but each staff member is an encyclopedia of beer information and each bottle has been chosen with the utmost care. The eclectic space, which contains … read more
Everybody at Maz Mezcal, whether they work at the restaurant or dine there as a customer, is considered to be a member of the family. It is difficult not to break into a smile after entering the space and being greeted not only by the warm, bright colors of the decor, but also by the friendly staff, … read more
After surviving World War II, Helen and Joseph Laytner moved to New York from Eastern Europe in the 1960s and opened their own shop. They started with a classic candy store on the Upper West Side, which was twelve feet wide by forty feet deep. They sold cigarettes and cigars at the front and had a counter … read more
Papaya King has been in business since 1932. It began with a young Greek immigrant named Gus Poulos who made a living by first working in a deli and then owning it. After saving up enough money to go on vacation, he took a trip to Miami where he fell in love with papaya. Upon his return to New York, … read more
When Susan Weber, an American historian, came across the six-story townhouse at 18 West 86th, she knew that she had to do something extraordinary with it. Though Susan received an art history degree from Barnard College, in 1993, she chose to establish the Bard Graduate Center, where advanced students … read more
Annick and Emmanuel LeDouaron, originally from Brittany, France, opened La Mirabelle, named for a French plum, on the Upper West Side in 1984. It was initially located farther west on 86th Street, but it moved to its current location in 1998. Sadly, Annick LeDouaron passed away in 2015, but now her daughter, … read more
When I sat down in the minister’s office at West Park Presbyterian Church, the first thing I asked was his name. He responded, “I am going to give you the whole thing, and you decide how much you would like to include.” It is a name to be proud of – Reverend Doctor Robert Brashear. Though originally … read more
John Kelly, who hails from Dublin, opened the Parlour with two partners in 1997. By 2005, he had become the sole owner of the Irish pub. He had come to New York in 1988 for a three week vacation but did not return to Ireland for three and a half years. He crossed his fingers each day that he would win … read more
