7 Hidden Gems in Upper West Side NYC You Need to Visit

TLDR: The Upper West Side hides free art museums, a garden with 13,000 tulips, preserved Banksy street art, and Tudor architecture most visitors never find. All seven spots are free to visit and reward curious explorers.

The Upper West Side gets plenty of attention for the American Museum of Natural History and Lincoln Center. But after spending time exploring these streets, I've discovered that the neighborhood's real character lives in places that don't make the guidebooks. 

These seven spots represent what makes this area special: unexpected discoveries, free admission to remarkable art, and layers of history that most visitors walk right past.

1. Nicholas Roerich Museum

This small museum on 107th Street near Riverside Park houses approximately 150 paintings by Russian artist Nicholas Roerich. His Himalayan landscapes glow with otherworldly blues and purples. Roerich led an extraordinary life as an artist, philosopher, and peace advocate who designed sets for Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring."

Admission is free with donations welcome. Open Tuesday through Sunday, you'll likely have the galleries to yourself.

Did You Know? Roerich was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for creating an international treaty protecting cultural sites during wartime, signed at the White House in 1935. 

2. The American Folk Art Museum

Yes, admission is always free. Steps from Lincoln Center, this museum showcases self-taught artists and folk traditions spanning four centuries. The collection includes over 7,500 objects: quilts, carved figures, and works that defy categorization. Newsweek readers voted it the #1 Art Museum in their 2025 readers' choice awards.

Open Wednesday through Sunday from 11:30 AM to 6 PM. Check what's currently on display since the rotating exhibitions shape each visit.

Did You Know? The museum houses works by Henry Darger, the Chicago janitor whose 15,000-page illustrated fantasy novel was discovered only after his death. 

3. The West Side Community Garden Tulip Festival

The annual Tulip Festival runs throughout April, with special Information Days on weekends when volunteers provide tours. This privately owned garden between 89th and 90th Streets transforms into a sea of color when over 13,000 tulips bloom. Founded in 1976 on a trash-strewn lot, it's maintained entirely by volunteers.

Free and open daily from dawn to dusk. Even outside tulip season, it's a peaceful escape with summer concerts. The interactive map in StoryHunt's Personal Tour Guide makes it easy for you to create a customized audio walk, so you can experience it all. 

Did You Know? It's the only privately owned community garden of its kind in NYC, with an estimated three-year waitlist for vegetable plots.  

4. The Joan of Arc Statue in NYC

At 93rd Street and Riverside Drive stands the first statue in New York City dedicated to a real woman. Sculpted by Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington and unveiled in 1915, the bronze figure shows Joan holding her sword skyward. The granite base includes actual stones from Joan's prison cell at Rouen. 

The recently restored memorial offers Hudson River views and a quiet place to sit above Riverside Park.

Did You Know? Huntington became the first female artist to receive a public art commission in New York City, and France awarded her the Legion of Honor.

5. A Banksy in Upper West Side

Yes, on 79th Street just east of Broadway, "Hammer Boy" from Banksy's 2013 NYC residency survives under protective plexiglass. The piece depicts a child swinging a sledgehammer toward a fire standpipe, incorporating the building's infrastructure into the art. The Zabar family covered it with plexiglass hours after it appeared.

It's one of the few remaining Banksy works in Manhattan. Stop by Zabar's around the corner while you're there.

Did You Know? Bystanders stopped someone from defacing the piece shortly after it appeared, protecting it until the plexiglass was installed.

6. The 79th Street Rotunda

This Robert Moses-designed 1937 structure at the foot of 79th Street in Riverside Park is architectural engineering hidden in plain sight. The multi-level rotunda supports a traffic circle above while creating an elegant arcade with Guastavino tile ceilings below. It once housed the popular Boat Basin Cafe. 

Walk down the sweeping staircases to appreciate the scale and Hudson River views. The space has an almost European plaza feeling, and you can get the full story with The Personal Tour Guide from StoryHunt.

Did You Know? The rotunda's garage contained forgotten Robert Moses documents that journalist Robert Caro used for his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, "The Power Broker." 

7. Pomander Walk

You can view it through the gates, but it's private property. Between 94th and 95th Streets off West End Avenue, this Tudor-style street feels transported from an English village. Built in 1921, Pomander Walk features 27 buildings with half-timbered facades and flower boxes along a narrow pedestrian lane.

Even from outside, the gas-lamp-style lighting creates a scene completely disconnected from Manhattan. Humphrey Bogart lived here in the 1920s. 

Did You Know? Units rarely come on the market, and the co-op board is notoriously selective, making it one of NYC's most exclusive addresses.

What else should you see on the Upper West Side?

These hidden gems pair well with the neighborhood's other attractions:

• Riverside Park's waterfront promenade and 700 cherry trees
• Zabar's for gourmet food shopping
• Cathedral of St. John the Divine for architecture
• Levain Bakery for famous oversized cookies

How to explore Upper West Side the best way?

The Upper West Side rewards those who look beyond the obvious attractions. These seven hidden gems represent just a fraction of what's waiting in a neighborhood that balances cultural institutions with genuine character. All are free to visit and offer experiences you won't find in typical tourist guides.

Ready to create your perfect Upper West Side adventure? StoryHunt's Personal Tour Guide lets you design custom audio walks based on your interests. 

Whether you're drawn to architecture, art, or local history, the interactive map guides you with stories that bring each location to life.