Quite simply, we have to stay inside right now. That means that if you are living in one of the luxury no-fee residences at Sessanta, you are temporarily missing the rich and dynamic street life, the cultural attractions, and memorable dining experiences that help define the Upper West Side lifestyle. During this period of collective withdrawal from much of the physical reality of New York City, the city still looms large, though. And you can take some time to deepen your appreciation of your neighborhood by learning more about it and some of the other New Yorkers who have called it home.

You might begin in your Allmilmo kitchen, preparing food on your Caesarstone countertops, deploying the GE Profile stainless-steel appliances to create the meals (or maybe the desserts) you never had the time for before. Eater New York recently curated a list of cookbooks by New York restaurants and chefs, an excellent resource that will elevate your NYC cooking skills and may inspire you to hunt down recipes that can recreate your favorite meals at your favorite Upper West Side restaurants.

With the gorgeous cityscape views from Sessanta as your backdrop and a snack or two in hand, you can then settle down for a different kind of Upper West Side immersion. You could channel your childhood and read Madeleine L’Engle’s The Young Unicorns, which features the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, where L’Engle worked for many years, among other UWS highlights. Or you could take another route and Seize the Day with Saul Bellow’s Tommy Wilhelm as he navigates through his complicated life and the UWS. Bellow’s Mr. Sammler’s Planet also plants its main character firmly in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Mark Helprin’s time travel masterpiece, Winter’s Tale, gives a prominent place to the UWS. 

This may also be the opportunity to find out more about the history of your home base. Elizabeth Blackmar and Roy Rosenzweig’s The Park and the People: A History of Central Park illuminates some of the stories behind the nearby park, including the history of Seneca Village, a 19^th-century settlement of African Americans, Irish Americans, and German Americans that was demolished in order to clear the site. If you prefer to study espionage, you may be fascinated by the tidbits about the UWS in Spy Sites of New York City by H. Keith Melton and Robert Wallace.

As you wind down for the day, you could put on some Miles Davis, who lived in a brownstone at 312 West 77^th Street for more than two decades and soak in your bathtub, surrounded by Italian porcelain tile and Kohler fixtures. Or you could simply binge-watch Seinfeld and try to identify all its Upper West Side locations.Both inside and outside your home at Sessanta, the Upper West Side is an intriguing and exciting place to be. Stay safe and well.