Pupper West Side: Charlie Thinks He’s the Dog Mayor of the Upper West Side

By A. Campbell

Name: Charlie

Age: 3 years old

Breed: My dog mom was a Golden Retriever, but we think there’s a little Basset Hound mixed into my genes and that’s where my short legs come from.

Profile/history: I’m a born and raised Upper West Sider! Notice my bow tie? I’m sort of a well-known personality around here. I like to think of myself as the mayor – dog mayor, that is – of the neighborhood. My dog mom was adopted by an Upper West Sider from the nonprofit Stray from the Heart. He was informed that she’d been spayed but it turned out that wasn’t exactly the case. When he came back from a trip to Spain, Mom was pregnant with me and nine other puppies. Whoops! Luckily, my human parents were looking around for a puppy at that time and they found me in the neighborhood. A few of my siblings ended up nearby as well. I have a brother, Alfie, who lives near the American Museum of Natural History, and we like to meet up and play. Often we get mistaken for each other because we look so much alike.

Daily routine: Dad is up very early for work during the week – around 4 a.m. – so we’ve developed a morning routine which includes breakfast and a pre-sunrise stroll. We like to head toward Riverside Park for some exercise and a game of fetch, or we’ll head over to Central Park during off-leash hours. My dog-walker stops by around 11:30 a.m. each day. Afterward it’s time for my midday nap. Mom, Dad, and I will enjoy dinner together. We are loyal to lots of local eateries including Osteria Cotta and Boat Basin Cafe. If we’re staying in for dinner, we might stop by Gotham Wines, one of my favorite pup-friendly neighborhood haunts, to pick up a nice bold red or crisp white.

Loves: I have many loves including snuggling, napping, and sticks. I also live to retrieve. You throw a ball, I shall find it and return it. I also enjoy meeting babies and children. I do really well with the seven- to ten-year-old girl set, if I do say so myself. I’m very gentle and easygoing with kids, and I think they like that I’m not too tall, so I don’t overwhelm them. At Halloween, I love joining the local kids for trick-or-treating. This past year I was a hot dog, and the year before that I went as a taco.

Does not love: Rain. Precipitation of any kind is unsettling. On rainy or very hot days, I’ll sometimes use the ol’ lay-down-in-the-middle-of-the-sidewalk-pretend-legs-don’t-work trick so that Mom has to take me home by cab.

Favorite store/business on UWS: Gotham Wines and Petco top the list. Mom and Dad joke that I’m always dragging them into all the wine stores on Broadway and making them look like lushes, but the reality is I’m an oenophile who loves catching up with all my wine enthusiast friends.

Favorite park spot: There’s a hilly area in Riverside Park near 91st Street where I like running around on the open grass. Also I love Central Park on the weekends. It really is such a wonderful place to see so many diverse pups and people.

Favorite treat: Chicken – baked, fried, roasted, grilled, boiled – it’s all delightful to me.

What’s the best wine bar on the Upper West Side? I think Osteria Cotta has one of the best happy hours on the Upper West Side and they allow pups to sit on the outside of the patio. I’m also a big fan of Amelie and Pizzeria Sirenetta. Ellington in the Park is a nice little park-based outpost from the main restaurant at 106th and Amsterdam. The three of us like to sit on the patio, take in lovely views of the Hudson River and socialize with other pups. Just thinking about it makes me excited for spring and summer! As a wine connoisseur, I’d say that I’m a Pinot Noir pup in the winter and a rosé -all-day pup when summer arrives.

Read all our Pupper West Side interviews here!

If West Side Rag readers are interested in becoming pet owners, we encourage you to consider adopting or volunteering to be a foster parent with one of the many shelters and nonprofits based in and around New York City. These include but aren’t limited to: Muddy Paws Rescue; Animal Lighthouse Rescue; NYC ASPCA; Humane Society of New York; Bideawee; Social Tees; and Animal Haven.