By Robin Cohn
When my flight from Ft. Lauderdale arrived at LaGuardia Airport, I was met with a brass band with a “Welcome Home!” sign. Then, when I got to the car services, all the drivers begged, “pick me, pick me to take you to the Upper West Side.”
Okay, that didn’t happen, but I’ve been grinning since I arrived. No need for bells and whistles.
Don’t get me wrong. There’s much to be said about spending winters in Florida, weather being the obvious one. And, if you love outdoor sports, it’s the place to be. But not if you’re a city girl.
Most living on the Upper West Side love it. But you have to be away to realize why. The air is sprayed with energy. The music, the fashion, the food, great conversations standing in line, dogs with NY attitudes. The weather…never mind.
Talking about all the Upper West Side wonderfulness would wind up being the size of War and Peace, so right now, I’m focusing on my heart being blessed with the sound of music. I don’t mean Julie Andrews twirling in the Alps. Stop and listen; there’s music everywhere, not just indoors in concert halls, but on the streets year-round.
Where else do you see instrument-carrying students heading back and forth to Juilliard, wanting to practice? They play on street corners and subways earning more now thanks to Venmo than cash tips. Last Christmas, I watched a young woman in a Santa hat and coat playing the violin while hula-hooping. As they say, you don’t get that back home.
It’s not only students. Performing musicians are everywhere, playing and singing. And West Siders happily listen and applaud. There’s the famous story of no one recognizing the world-famous young violinist Joshua Bell (who looked like a bar-mitzvah boy) playing in the DC Metro. Ha! Subway platforms would have been jammed if he had played here. I’ve been a Jon Baptiste fan way back when he was in the Juilliard Jazz Band. You could watch him play whenever he spotted a piano. You have to wonder how many musicians we’ve enjoyed before they became famous.
Don’t forget all the theater, dance, and jazz musicians who grace our sidewalks. Right now, from my window, I’m hearing a mean saxophone somewhere around West 67th Street. Or, there’s my favorite classical guitar player Carlos at Bethesda Fountain. And you can hear Tony Danza sometimes singing outside at Manny’s Bistro on Columbus Avenue.
Then, there are the little ones. The other night, I watched kids playing violins and cellos outside Alice Tully Hall. One little girl played the violin with her Dad.
And of course, there are free concerts all summer long. The Naumburg Concert series began its 120th season playing at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City features all sorts of musical entertainment. And there are so many others. (Please add your favorites in the comments section.)
Music is part of the Upper West Side’s DNA. You don’t realize it until you go elsewhere when the only music you hear outside is from car radios. I know, I know. That might be a bit snarky. But I’m really talking about the abundance of music here. I haven’t mentioned the theater and dance that abound. The tenor and basso waiters singing Happy Birthday. The actor servers trying out accents when giving dinner specials. The ballet dancers walking in first position down the sidewalks. Well…that’s a story for another time.
Take it from me, the Upper West Side is a gift that keeps giving.
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Not all West Siders “happily listen and applaud” when buskers are doing their act in a park or subway. Their act is a form of appropriation of public space. Who can hear bird songs when someone is blasting a sax or on a speaker?
Signed, neighbor785 = grouchy old man
Agree totally. when i am sitting in my living room listening to music I choose on my stereo or other sources., I don’t want to hear some street musician playing on my corner–usually badly.
Nice piece. Brava!
There are many free Juilliard recitals in July
https://www.juilliard.edu/stage-beyond/performance/calendar
Try living around Lincoln Square or Verdi Square. Saxophones blaring for 10-12 hours a day. Electric guitars, electric pianos etc. Not possible to take a nap of you are feeling unwell nor open your window to enjoy a summer breeze. Half of these “musicians” can’t even play decently or they play the same 4 tunes over and over and over. It is torture! one should be able to exist inside their home without having to wear headphones.
I hate loud musicians in Central Park. The guy who plays at the base of Bow Bridge needs to stop.
…at least the steel drummers seem to have disappeared from public spaces. That was absolute NYC hell having one of them in a subway car with you!
I’ve always felt life would be so much better with a soundtrack. Living on the UWS is the second best thing to a soundtrack. We even have a gentleman riding his bicycle playing Parisian songs!
We are spoiled and take so much granted. Further uptown it’s mainly ambulances and street noise.
Last summer the sounds of a classical guitar player on the sidewalk outside The Leopard at des Artistes wafted into my kitchen on Saturdays and Sundays. Delightful!