Phone Booths, Seinfeld, The Lucerne Upper West Side 2021 Review
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!)
Upper West Side Is Home To NYC's Last 4 Phone Booths
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.
Trump Sign To Be Removed From UWS Stretch Of West Side Highway
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.
Central Park Again Records Wettest Hour In NYC History
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.
Lucerne Residents Begin Final Move Out Of Upper West Side Shelter
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.
NYPD Releases Body Cam Footage Of UWS Cathedral Shooting: See It
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.
UWS Tower Topped By 20 Floors Without Permission Can Stay: Court
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.
NY Post Names UWS Eatery 'Best New NYC Restaurant' Of Pandemic
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 UWS Apartment Couldn't Exist: A Reddit Discovery
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.
Beau Sets Up Mock Baby Delivery On UWS To Propose To Nurse
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
