The Upper West Side is a neighborhood of classics: There's Central Park, there are legendary local establishments like Zabar's and Barney Greengrass and, of course, there are plenty of "classic six" apartments (meaning two-bedroom prewar pads with formal dining rooms and maid's quarters).

The neighborhood's most famous building, The Dakota (1 W. 72nd St.) -- home to John and Yoko, as well as "Rosemary's Baby" -- has long been one of its toniest addresses, along with the numerous stately prewar co-ops along Central Park West.

But upstart condos may be taking the prize. Most notably, Robert A.M. Stern's 15 Central Park West, a luxury limestone building designed to blend with its prewar neighbors, has been the city's hottest new development. Both Sting and Denzel Washington bought homes at the super-luxe building -- with amenities like a lap pool and a private chef -- where average prices hover around $9.5 million.

Elsewhere in the neighborhood, brownstones line the streets, while large brick co-ops can be found on the avenues. By contrast, modern new condo developments -- with many concentrated in the southwestern reaches of the nabe, near the Time Warner Center -- include Element Condominiums (555 W. 59th St., with prices starting in the mid-700s) and The Rushmore (80 Riverside Blvd.).

The image of the Upper West Side mom navigating Broadway with her Bugaboo may be a cliche, but it rings true: The neighborhood is considered among the most family-friendly in Manhattan.

UPPER WEST SIDE

$5.995 MILLION

August 21, 2008 -

The best prewar details are those that have been meticulously restored postwar, such as what you'll find in this corner co-op on West End Avenue. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom spread (plus a...more >

UPPER WEST SIDE

$715,000

August 14, 2008 -

Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 1 Square feet: 825 Maintenance: $1,004 This first-floor co-op on West 79th Street features prewar details like picture moldings, as well as high ceilings and a windowed...more >

UPPER WEST SIDE

$1.275 MILLION

August 07, 2008 -

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Square feet: 1,200 Maintenance: $1,154 -- This "generously proportioned" prewar co-op in a doorman building on West End Avenue features high ceilings, "...more >

UPPER WEST SIDE

$3.995 MILLION

July 24, 2008 -

OK, so the description of the "enormous" deck on this four-bedroom, three-bath condo might be a bit much - "the only thing missing is Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet with their...more >

UPPER WEST SIDE

$6 MILLION

July 17, 2008 -

Here we have another one of those two-for-the-price-of-one deals - that is, two decently sized adjoining apartments for the price of one pretty spectacular apartment. Altogether, the listing price...more >

DREAM HOLMES

July 10, 2008 -

The search for a high-end Manhattan rental continues for Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Wife-bot/actress Holmes recently showed up at Trump Park Avenue, where she spent over a half-hour perusing the...more >

DISH ON TISCH

June 26, 2008 -

Newly married hotel executive Jonathan Tisch and his wife, Lizzie, have found a new starter home. Sources say the Loews Hotel chairman and CEO, who is also a co-owner of the New York Giants, has...more >

TONY DIGS

ACTING COUPLE SETTLE INTO NEW UWS HOME

June 26, 2008 -

It's not easy to get into actors Laura Benanti and Steve Pasquale's Upper West Side apartment. The main entrance to their building isn't quite finished. So you have to make your way...more >

UPPER WEST SIDE

$769,000

June 12, 2008 -

Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 1 Square feet: 700 Common charges: $624 A condo loft for well under a million dollars is a rare find. And this one, in a full-service building on West 86th Street...more >

UPPER WEST SIDE

$1.65 MILLION

June 05, 2008 -

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Square feet: 1,300 -- Maintenance: $2,003 The listing info for this corner prewar co-op on Riverside Drive urges you to enjoy your views of the Hudson while...more >

$90M FLIP OUT

May 29, 2008 -

The first mega-flip of an apartment at the much-ballyhooed 15 Central Park West could happen, now that one of its pricey condos has officially gone back on the market for $90 million. That...more >

UPPER WEST SIDE

$6.995 MILLION

May 15, 2008 -

If you're really serious about both openness and privacy, this is the place for you. Take the private keyed elevator, which leads to the spacious 3,212- square-foot, four-bedroom...more >

UPPER WEST SIDE

$5.995 MILLION

May 08, 2008 -

The historic Prasada, on Central Park West, was built in 1907, but this 2,700-square-foot corner co-op is distinctly modern in feel. There are great original details but also an open layout that...more >

JUST SAY NOBU

May 08, 2008 -

Here is a first look at the planned Nobu Hotel and Residences in the Financial District, which will rise in a 62-story glass tower at 45 Broad St. Kent Swig of Swig Equities has announced that the...more >

UPTOWN VS. DOWNTOWN

IF PRICE WERE NO ISSUE, WHERE WOULD YOU LIVE?

May 01, 2008 -

Time was if you had a huge chunk of change to spend on a home, you lived uptown. All the most luxurious digs had a habit of rising around Central Park. Go figure. "Twenty-five years ago...more >

UPPER WEST SIDE

$1.395 MILLION

April 24, 2008 -

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Square feet: 1,325 Common charges: $1,137 In a "coveted" West End Avenue building, you'll find this "spacious, charming" home that offers...more >

ABRACADABRA

LINGERIE MOGUL'S GETTING READY TO BUST OUT

April 24, 2008 -

Some homeowners display dictionaries or Bibles on book pedestals. But Michael Rabinowitz showcases a 54-pound, signed Helmut Newton book filled with glossy pictures of naked, or nearly naked...more >

IMMACULATE CONNECTION

April 24, 2008 -

Madonna has just plunked down millions more to live in our boring city. But it required a Manhattan court to clear the way for her to purchase an apartment adjacent to her spacious duplex co-op in...more >

PLAYERS' CLUB

MUSICAL COUPLE KEEPS THEIR PAD BUZZING

April 17, 2008 -

'The party's always at our house," says actress and singer Jessica Molaskey. That "house" is a 1,600-square-foot apartment on the Upper East Side that manages to squeeze...more >

SUPERSIZE ME

HUGE CONDOS PROVE THAT BIGGER IS BETTER

April 10, 2008 -

Late last year, Wendy Maitland, managing director for Brown Harris Stevens' ID Marketing Group, met with a British interior designer who was looking to buy a New York apartment. Maitland's...more >