Welcome to Carnegie Hill
The “Uptown Village”
I am from the Upper East Side, in the 70s and Park Avenue. As I grew up and had a family, I sought a neighborhood with quiet tree lined streets, top private schools, well preserved architecture, and fine dining. Happily, my wife and I made Carnegie Hill our home. We love this neighborhood. I would like to share with you why, and what makes living here so wonderful, we call it our “village.”
I moved to Greenwich Village after graduating Duke University and stayed until I had my first child. My wife and I loved living in our coop on 5th avenue and 10th street. Yet, once we had our first child, and started strolling her around the uneven blocks and into our favorite restaurants, our favorite hosts were no longer excited to see us! Ugh! They thought, another oversized stroller and crying baby! We realized we had to make a move. I looked at many homes all over the city, from Gramercy Park, to the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side and finally, almost every building on Park Avenue. We fell in love with Carnegie Hill. We carefully managed our board package. We spent two years organizing and implementing our renovation. Now that we have finished our work, had a second child, we love living in our new home.
On a typical morning, it is quiet outside our home. There is no traffic. With our windows open, we do not hear horns nor sirens, just the trees bristling against the wind, and feel the sunlight warming our home. Our children are excited to get the day going. Despite finishing breakfast at home, they insist that we run over to Eli’s before school opens. They love their hot cocoa and freshly made Nutella croissants.
It is sunny and the weather is crisp. As we walk down from the high point of Park Avenue, we enjoy our stunning view of midtown. We go across 91st Street towards Madison Avenue, pass Brick Church and then Dalton’s First Program. At 7:40 in the morning, Eli’s is full of life! It is a bustling hive of activity; prep school kids enjoying a precious moment of freedom in between home and school, and parents socializing over coffee, usually celebrating their grand feats of getting their kids up and out. We find our daughter’s best friend from school with her family. We join them.
Brich Church
The kids are excited for their day – it is a field trip to one of our local museums, The Cooper Hewitt, which was formerly the home of Andrew Carnegie. They will explore the interior of the mansion, and then study the building’s Georgian architecture from the expansive garden behind the museum. I love that garden; it is open to the public and often we make it our special place for picnics and small celebrations.
I leave Eli’s with my children, drop off my daughter and then take my son to preschool. Park Avenue on a weekday morning is a pedestrian superhighway of parents, children and strollers. We generally have our schedule and recognize many of the faces on our way. Some from growing up in the city, and some from the neighborhood. My son spots a school friend on our way, he gets excited and runs down the block to meet her! We walk the remaining blocks together. Once he is dropped off and I leave my village for the office, the day changes; it is less magical, but full of pursuit and focus.
After work, I am back in my village, and we have dinner plans nearby. A passionate chef owns Table d’Hote, our local 12-seater French Restaurant. The food is always fresh and delicious. The waiters know me, and pour my favorite red, the Saint Emillion from Bordeaux. After dinner, I take our friends to the speak easy behind Atelier’s coffee shop. It can be hard to find, but once inside, we are surrounded by luxury, lively locals and friendly staff. Some nights we will go to our favorite Omakase restaurant, Hiramasa where the chef makes the best chutoro I’ve had, or to Vicolina and have their sublime, yet off-menu cacio peppe. Fortunately, I am up for my big evening since I ran my laps around the reservoir the other night.
Our night is finished, but we have a weekend to look forward to in our village. As a “city-kid” I always wanted to live in the city, yet always wanted to leave for the weekends! I do not, however, feel rushed to leave when Saturday morning rolls around. As soon as our children get up from bed, our favorite bagels await us at Grabsteins. With our bagels in tow, usually we’ll walk over to the newly renovated playground on 96th Street and 5th Avenue. After the swing sets and jungle gyms, we will make our way through Central Park and head north to the water falls in the North Woods and then to Conservancy Gardens where my children can play around the fishponds surrounded by blooming flowers. This Saturday, however, the Guggenheim is having a family day; we go there instead, and maybe this time, they will let my kids run down the sloping rotunda at top speed!
The Guggenheim
Our day comes to an end, but gladly, continues to the next day and weekend. As you can see, life in Carnegie Hill is somewhere between the hustle and bustle of New York City and the serenity of the country. It is a cozy village full of life and friends. It is calm, peaceful, beautiful and clean. More than just a place to visit, it is home.