UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Though the turbulence of 2020 seemed to be in the rearview mirror, 2021 offered no shortage of surprises for New York City — and for the Upper West Side.
From the early days of the vaccine rollout to a drop and subsequent rise in COVID-19 cases in the neighborhood, to local businesses struggling to rebound from the pandemic, the coronavirus lingered in the neighborhood's headlines this year.
But not all noteworthy stories were related to the ongoing crisis. As 2022 approaches, Upper West Side Patch is looking back at some of the most read and notable stories of the past year.
The roundup includes phone booths, politics, The Lucerne, weather events, new restaurants, and more. (We couldn't include everything!)
Superman's chances of finding a changing room have been narrowed to only one New York City neighborhood – the only phone booths still standing in the city are all found on the Upper West Side.
The Donald J. Trump highway beautification sign on an Upper West Side section of the West Side Highway is coming down.
The sign sits on the stretch of road just before the 79th Street Boat Basin exit.
On Monday, the Department of Transportation sent a letter to Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, who has led the push to remove the sign, saying that the contract between the DOT and the Trump Organization expired on Nov. 7.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida bombarded New York City Wednesday night, with a single hour seeing the most rainfall ever recorded in Central Park by the National Weather Service since it started keeping records.
A total of 3.15 inches fell between 8:51 and 9:51 p.m., shattering the record for the most rain to drench the famous Manhattan park in an hour.
One by one, the majority of the remaining men still living at The Lucerne temporary homeless shelter on the Upper West Side made their way out of the hotel's big wooden doors on Monday morning and onto a white bus that would take them back into the congregate shelter system.
The men walked alone out of the Upper West Side hotel with bags draped over their shoulders into a crowd of locals, activists, and media that had formed to watch the final moments of The Lucerne saga in the 9 a.m. heat that had already passed 85 degrees.
The New York Police Department released Friday the footage of an officer-worn camera and CCTV clips of a terrifying scene on Dec. 13 when a lone gunman fired multiple shots from the steps of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on the Upper West Side after an outdoor Christmas concert.
The shooting unfolded after the gunman, later identified as 52-year-old Luis Vasquez, walked out of a line to get inside the cathedral at 112th Street and Amsterdam Avenue and onto the top steps.
A developer who built 20 stories of a 52-story tower without permission on the Upper West Side has been told they don't have to cut the building in half after a months-long court battle.
The controversial tower at 200 Amsterdam can now be completed to its original planned height.
Score one for the Upper West Side restaurant scene. The New York Post recently named Dagon, a new Israeli eatery in the neighborhood, as the city's best new restaurant.
Dagon, located on 2454 Broadway at West 91st Street, opened its doors in February after it planned to first welcome customers in March 2020 — before the coronavirus pandemic pushed back plans.
Jerry Seinfeld's Upper West Side apartment in "Seinfeld" has never come under the same scrutiny as Monica and Rachel's apartment in "Friends." However, an earth-shattering discovery on Reddit might make "Seinfield" lovers lose a little sleep this week.
It turns out that Seinfeld's television apartment at 129 W. 81st St. isn't just fictional, but it literally couldn't exist by the governing laws of science.
A couple in love, a pregnant woman pretending to give birth, the New York City Fire Department, Five Guys burgers and a Broadway backdrop all made for an unforgettable proposal.
Upper West Sider Mike Matthews knew he wanted to do something special for his proposal to his girlfriend Amy.
This article originally appeared on the Upper West Side Patch
Jessica Biel is feeling thankful this Christmas. The actress shared two rare family photos on Instagram in honor of Christmas with her husband Justin Timberlake walking outside with their two sons. “Thankful for my guys…Merry Christmas everybody!! 🎁🎄,” she captioned the photo which showed them walking from behind outside on a country trail.
Nearly four decades after the mysterious drowning death of the Hollywood star, Los Angeles County Sheriff's investigators disclose new clues, new witnesses and a person of interest in the case to "48 Hours."
"We aren't jealous of you, like, at all."View Entire Post ›
When Kanye West is struck by inspiration, he tends to quickly follow through with action. Last month, while donating Thanksgiving meals to the L.A. Mission, West got on the horn for a surprise announcement to the local crowd — saying he planned to “get his family back together” and rekindle a relationship with estranged wife […]
It’s funny: legendary singer Dolly Parton isn’t afraid to post a stunning selfie or two, but we rarely get photos of her husband. This time, she showed another member of the family that we rarely see ― her darling pup Billy the Kid. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dolly Parton (@dollyparton) […]
The actress paired her sequined dress with an ankle brace and a "Taken" star.
Nick Cannon celebrated the holiday season with photos that captured sweet moments of him with his kids, including a heartwarming pic of him with his late 5-month-old son, Zen.
Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris Jackson is all grown up ― and isn’t afraid to show it all off. And while we’ve been shocked with her series of all-nude snapshots, these cheeky mirror selfies are the definition of “enchanting.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝚙𝚔 (@parisjackson) On Dec 23, Jackson posted a […]
Luis Ruelas proposed to Teresa Giudice in October while they were vacationing in Porto Heli, Greece
A 24-year-old UPS driver had no idea that the kind 20-second message he left for a new mother on her video doorbell would result in […]
The lawman and occasional criminal became a Fort Worth legend for his skill with a gun.
The comedian opened up about trying the cosmetic procedure, noting, "I used to be really judgmental about people getting work done."
A man who called into the North American Air Defense (NORAD) Command's annual Santa tracking center and told President Biden "let's go Brandon" said he meant it in "jest." Jared Schmeck, 35, a former police officer who works for an electric company, called the NORAD line and had a brief conversation with Biden on Christmas Eve.After a brief chat with the president where they talked about what his children wanted for Christmas, Schmeck used a...
Kristin Chenoweth and Josh Bryant announced their engagement in late October
The "House of Gucci" actor is posing shirtless as he hits the big 5-0.
Has anyone ever seen Tommy Rees and Paul McCartney in the same place at the same time?
In a selfie posted on Christmas Eve with his dog, the actor wrote, "Sending some love from us ❤️☃️💚"
Dwayne Johnson got help from daughters Jasmine, 6, and Tiana Gia, 3, to deliver the special gift to his mother for the holiday
"Feliz Navidad mi amor," Sofía Vergara captioned a photo of herself cuddled up in husband Joe Manganiello's lap during their glam Christmas Eve dinner party
Jennifer Lopez and her friends enjoyed a glamorous Christmas. Lopez's longtime hair stylist Chris Appleton shared photos of the feast on Instagram.