West End Avenue is quieter than the next two easterly ones, Amsterdam and Broadway, where shopping and dining abound. For even more serenity there's the peaceful 22,000-sq. ft. park that adjoins the building and will soon connect to the Frederick Law Olmstead-designed Riverside Park, which offers a grand space for picnics, rollerblading or quiet strolls along the Hudson River esplanade and, of course, sunsets on the river. At home you'll have unobstructed views from virtually any floor. For most people, that's West End's greatest attraction.
That's just the beginning of the west side park story though. You're also just three blocks from another of Frederick Law Olmstead's great creations (with Calvert Vaux) and one of the most spacious, impressive and well-used parks in the world, Central Park. Go there to the zoo, to see Shakespeare in the Park, to jog, row a boat, ride a bike or do none of the above. Another relaxing neighborhood attraction is watching the sailboats bob along at the 79th Street Boat Basin.