Primarily a residential neighborhood, the Upper West Side can serve as a great home base for visitors to New York City and is certainly worth exploring if you have time. Hotels on the Upper West Side often offer a better value than in many other areas and also provide visitors an escape from the chaos of Midtown and other tourist-heavy areas. The Upper West Side is a sprawling artistic neighborhood with easy access to greenspace. The tree-lined streets of the Upper West Side are peaceful, with high stoops leading up to beautiful brownstones. On the Upper West Side, many blocks feel like quiet, small-town neighborhoods. Residents love the low-key, but culturally aware atmosphere. If you’ve ever seen a leafy, residential Manhattan neighborhood depicted on TV or in the movies, there’s a decent chance it was the Upper West Side.