UWS Weekend: Great Things To Do in (and Near) the Neighborhood

Are you having a hard time accepting that the unofficial end of summer is arriving, as I am? If you’re in town and up for making the most of it, Let’s Weekend!

August 30th – September 1st, 2024

By Tracy Zwick

Watch World-Class Tennis at The US Open: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens

Defending champions Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic are in action this weekend, as are World Number 1s Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner. There’s also a local, Upper West Sider Aleksandar Kovacevic, who the Rag’s been covering. He’s ranked #76 in the world & has advanced to the second round in mixed doubles. If you’re at the Open today, catch him practicing from 12:00 to 1:30 on Court 14. You can watch him in the Round of 16 tomorrow, live or on tv, along with his mixed doubles partner, 16-year-old American Tyra Grant, taking on fellow Americans Jackson Withrow and Alycia Parks.  The time and court location for the match weren’t available at the time of this column’s publication, but you will be able to find that information HERE once it’s announced. 

I’ll be at the Open this weekend, covering Aleks and enjoying a Honey Deuce with friends and family. I’m eager to see more of stylish Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who faces an unseeded but dangerous American, Brandon Nakashima, later today. I’ll also be dialed-in to big-serving American Ben Shelton in his marquee rematch with fellow American Francis Tiafoe, also later today. On the women’s side, my eyes are on Coco as she kicks off the day today on Arthur Ashe Stadium against Elina Svitolina. Food-wise, I can vouch for the tuna spinach salad at Nourish Spot, the chicken tenders and waffle fries at Franks & Fries, the tuna bowl at Poke Yachty and Korilla BBQ’s sweet chicken rice bowl. For more U.S. Open recommendations, including how to get there, what to eat and things to bring (and not bring), check out the Rag’s 2024 UWS Guide to the U.S. Open. 

It’s not every day that one of the world’s blockbuster sporting events arrives a subway ride away from the UWS. Go! The Open’s not misleading in its marketing: Spectacular Awaits. 

Try Sottocasa Pizzeria, 227 Malcolm X Blvd., between West 121st and 122nd Streets

This may be UWS-adjacent in Harlem, but it’s worth trekking a couple of extra blocks for.

I shared the Burrata Pizze Bianchi and a couple of crisp, fresh salads with a friend earlier this week, and I’m excited to go back and try more at this locally owned Neapolitan pizza spot.

Sottocasa’s located on the ground floor of an inviting brownstone. It’s spacious with a bar up front in an airy room filled with well-separated wooden tables. There’s a fiery pizza oven that you can walk past to sit in the small, quiet back dining room, which is where I was. Perfect for a date night or family pizza outing, the food came out strikingly fast at Sottocasa, but we didn’t feel the least bit rushed by the charming staff.

A pal recommended that next time I’m there, I also hit up Le Petit Parisien, which has a branch nearby at 151 Malcolm X Blvd. It’s known for authentic French sandwiches and pastries, including pain au raisin, tarts, and eclairs. I’d never tried the UWS iteration of Le Petit Parisien near Lincoln Center, which closed earlier this month.

 Go Fall Book Shopping: Shakespeare & Co. 2736 Broadway at 105th Street

Whether you’re getting students ready for the fall term or getting yourself mentally prepared for a new season, it’s fun to browse and buy books, and Labor Day always heralds some of the most hotly anticipated new literary releases. I love to shop at my go-to local bookshop Book Culture on West 112th Street between Amsterdam and Broadway, but I was also delighted to welcome Shakespeare & Co. to the neighborhood when it opened its newest UWS location a few months ago. It’s across the street from Silver Moon Bakery, so you can grab a muffin or croissant and sit on Silver Moon’s 105th Street bench or Broadway-facing tables and dig right in to your pastry and your reading.

Please send your ideas for future UWS Weekend columns to info@westsiderag.com

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