West 72nd Street
By Claudie Benjamin When The Dakota Bar first opened in the early 2000s, it gave off an aura of posh. Now with service only outside due to Covid restrictions, you can still savor an expensive cab. Parminder Singh and his family opened The Dakota Bar in 2014...
West 72nd Street
By Claudie Benjamin Noon on a Wednesday, Citi Bank’s spacious entry floor is nearly empty: no lines, just one interaction occurring between a customer and bank teller. Upstairs on the 2nd floor where complex business matters are conducted, Branch...
West 72nd Street
By Claudie Benjamin More often than not, the second floor businesses on West 72nd Street are marked discreetly. Most have signs or window lettering that nod to the type of business conducted within, but with little razzmatazz. The Harold Melvin Salon at 137 W. 72nd...
UWS, West 72nd Street
By Claudie Benjamin When Jonah [72nd Street] Phillips, owner with his father Alan of Pastrami Queen at 138 W. 72nd, starts talking about traditional Jewish Kosher Deli foods, he turns theatrical, using the inflection of immigrants who spoke Yiddish and settled in the...
West 72nd Street
By Claudie Benjamin Really too good, it’s like a stage set. Lights up: a 19th Century building, located right in the very heart of West 72nd Street, is entirely draped in dark, protective safety screening. Looking at the building from the curb, there are few...
West 72nd Street
By Claudie Benjamin For at least ten years before the Covid period, the trend in paint colors for many apartments of the Upper West Side leaned toward variations in a palette of whites and grays. Over the last months, the mood has changed and customers are definitely...