As structures go modern everywhere else, the "West 80s" is still magical. According to The New York Times, the West 80s is described as a quiet neighborhood with older but splendid apartment buildings and townhouses. Bookstores and cultural instructions are still active. The area is vast and expands from West 80th up to West 90th Street, and from Central Park West to Riverside Park.
It is no wonder that prices in this side of New York has soared. According to Edward F. Joseph, an agent with Brown Harris Stevens, "There are not a lot of bargains." Based on data fetched by real estate brokerage, the average price for a studio skyrocketed to 39 percent, from $337,500 in 2011 to $470,000 in 2015. Concurrently, the average price of one bedroom rose by 16 percent from $617,000 to $718,000 and two-bedroom units rose up by 24 percent, from nearly $1.17 million to $1.45 million. Those with three or more bedrooms, went from nearly $2.59 million to $3.6 million over the same period. The cheapest studio for rent was $1,750 a month, according to StreetEasy.com while some three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath duplex in a townhouse could fetch around $12,500 per month.
Broadway is the most vivacious attraction being a commercial street that stretches from West 80th Street with Zabar's, the food shop that specializes in finest smoked fish, caviar, coffee, cheese, kitchen equipment and housewares. On the other hand, a bookstore called Westsider Rare and Used Books is located across the street and two blocks north, Barnes & Noble holds events that presents distinguished authors.
According to local New York City Council member Helen Rosenthal, the commercial area is comparatively quiet with respect to construction. In 2010, the Romanesque Revival West Park Presbyterian Church located on the 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue became a major attraction when considered a landmark. It can still be remembered how activists protested against the construction of a residential tower at the site. There's more iconic and magnificent attraction in the West 80s.
