West Side Rag

West Side Rag

Welcome to The Rag! We're glad you're here and hope you take some time to explore all that we have to share. The Rag is an online newspaper and blog dedicated to the Upper West Side of Manhattan, featuring insights and stories from locals who call this vibrant neighborhood home. Our coverage includes topics such as real estate, crime, new and closing businesses, parks, and much more, along with engaging columns about community life. Geographically, the Upper West Side spans from 59th to 110th Streets and is bordered by Central Park and the Hudson River. However, we’re open to covering events beyond those limits. If there’s something happening at St. John the Divine on 112th Street, we’ll report on it. And if Keanu Reeves were to dance in his underwear at 58th Street and 10th Avenue, you can bet we’d share that story too! Since its launch in 2011, The Rag has quickly gained recognition, winning accolades as one of the top neighborhood blogs in the city by the Village Voice in its first year. Life & Style Weekly praised us as “The best insider source about Manhattan’s Upper West Side,” while BrickUnderground described The Rag as “wry, addictive, and up-to-the-minute.”

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Articles

  • 1 week ago | westsiderag.com | Tracy Zwick

    By Tracy ZwickLet’s Weekend!May 30th to June 1st, 2025Celebrate 150 Years of The Art Students League: 215 West 57th St.; weekdays 10 AM to 9PM, Saturdays 10 AM to 4 PM; Closed Sundays; Free Just steps inside the landmark building on West 57th Street that houses The Art Students League, you’ll find paintings, lithographs and drawings by the likes of Georgia O’Keefe, Winslow Homer and Norman Rockwell.

  • 1 week ago | westsiderag.com | Gus Saltonstall

    By Gus SaltonstallUpper West Siders will know State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal as one of the neighborhood’s elected officials, but he is also running to be the next Manhattan Borough President. The primary elections will take place on June 24 this year, with early voting starting on June 14, and the race for Manhattan Borough President will be on the ballots of Upper West Siders.

  • 1 week ago | westsiderag.com | Bobby Panza

    By Bobby PanzaSponsored ContentWith one hand, Charles Chessler angles a bounce board to catch the sunlight in Verdi Square as I pose for a rare picture. Mike, aka Maestro, plays the piano in his usual spot on the rounded marble seating at the park’s north end this early Saturday afternoon. The two clearly know each other—they exchange greetings while I move timidly through the midday hustle and bustle. Then suddenly, everything feels right. In Chessler’s other hand is a camera.

  • 1 week ago | westsiderag.com | Gus Saltonstall

    By Gus SaltonstallElection season is almost upon us in New York City. The primary elections will take place on June 24 this year, with early voting starting on June 14. Among the races on Upper West Side ballots next month will be the Manhattan Borough President position. Among the candidates in that race is Councilmember Keith Powers, who represents a neighborhood West Side Rag generally avoids any mention of: the Upper East Side.

  • 1 week ago | westsiderag.com | Scott Etkin |Lisa Kava

    By Scott Etkin and Lisa KavaMorningside Cafe, a seasonal kiosk on the southwest edge of Morningside Park (281 Morningside Ave. near West 113th Street), opened on May 24th. While the structure is new, the concessionaire has a long history in the area. Michael Summerville was a seafood vendor, known as “Crab Man Mike,” on 125th Street for 30 years.