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9 Crazy Facts About the Upper West Side

The Upper West Side is known for Central Park and other locations made famous in films and on TV. But did you know that the neighborhood’s old Ansonia Hotel used to keep chickens on its rooftop farm? Learn more about NYC with these 9 crazy facts about the Upper West Side.

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  1. Central Park is larger than some countries.
    Central Park spans 3.5 square miles, making it larger than both Vatican City and Monaco.

     

  2. You can sleep at the American Museum of Natural History.
    The Night at the Museum family event is a hit. The museum also launched a version for adults only.

     

  3. There's an adorable Tudor village on 95th Street.
    Near West End Avenue on 95th Street, you can find a quaint Tudor-style village with 27 homes, street lamps, flower boxes, and British charm.

     

  4. The Upper West Side has hosted many of the greatest music stars.
    Performers such as Michael Jackson and the Rolling Stones have thrilled crowds at the Upper West Side's Beacon Theatre.

     

  5. Central Park is the most popular urban park in the United States.
    With around 35 million visitors per year, Central Park has everything, including sports fields, walking paths, a merry-go-round, restaurants, food vendors, and a world-renowned museum.

     

  6. Some of NYC's best movies are set on the Upper West Side.
    Major cinematic hits such as Ghostbusters, Black Swan, and Fatal Attraction were filmed on the Upper West Side.

     

  7. Now condos, the Ansonia was once a hotel with a farm on its roof.
    Complete with a cattle elevator, the farm housed 500 chickens, along with goats, ducks, and even a small bear.

     

  8. Columbia University was built on the site of the Bloomingdale Insane Asylum.
    The asylum operated between 1821 and 1892. Its practices were questionable and included cases of verbal and physical abuse.

     

  9. Upper West Side residents encounter a lot of fraudulent credit card activity.
    Data from 2012 revealed problems with fraudulent credit card charges in ZIP Codes 10024 and 10023, which saw the second- and third-highest numbers of complaints per ZIP Code in the US.

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