Whether or not you consider Morningside Heights part of the Upper West Side, you can’t deny its inviting charm. Both a college area and a real neighborhood, Morningside has denizens of all ages and nationalities and long-favorite cafes and nooks, like the Hungarian Pastry Shop. The area manages to combine relative quiet with the inspiring energy of Columbia University, both past and present.
Walking down 116th and Amsterdam I am overcome in awe. I feel myself living in another time, a time when future presidents were but students, when literary movements were forged.
I walk on past an apartment building on 118th where Jack Kerouac first met Allan Ginsburg and William Burroughs. I can picture them walking to the West End Bar (now Havana Central at the West End) to discuss literature, politics and listen to live Jazz.
I wonder, am I walking in the same steps as Teddy Roosevelt and Emilia Earhart? Did Madeline Albright sit on this bench when she lived here?
Yes, Morningside has seen an abundance of powerful minds and has become rightfully called “The Acropolis of New York”, but that’s not all it’s about. On any given day you can see tomorrow’s leaders slacking off at Riverside Park, enjoying happy hour at The Heights or contemplating life at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. There is just so much to do and see.
Discover for yourself who is in Grant’s Tomb, get a slice of pie from Koronet Pizzeria, listen to live music at the Miller Theater or grab a cup of Java at Oren’s Daily Roast. The possibilities are endless.
What are you waiting for? Get out and discover what Morningside Heights has to offer you. Who knows, you might possibly decide to stay and make it your neighborhood!
