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Things to Do

Spend a day in Yorkville on the Upper East Side

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  • Prior to the launch of the Second Avenue subway line, getting to Manhattan's Yorkville neighborhood required some work, including walking two avenue blocks. Now, the line is open and each Q train station (Lexington Avenue / 63rd Street, 72nd Street / Second Avenue, 86th Street / Second, 96th Street / Second) boasts artwork from renowned artists, including Chuck Close, above.
    Photo Credit: Shaye Weaver
  • Check out Yorkville's Mellow Yellow cafe on 90th Street and First Avenue. The eatery, which reflects the immigrant residents from Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Lebanon and Ireland who moved there in the last century, offers muffins and coffee but also has a menu featuring flavors form the East. One of those dishes is Shakshuka: an Israeli brunch dish with poached eggs, olives and Moroccan tomato sauce served in a skillet.
    Photo Credit: Shaye Weaver
  • Gracie Mansion is another Yorkville highlight. New York City mayors have started and ended their days here since 1942. Walking through Carl Shurz Park, you'll see a piece of architectural history that has been in the neighborhood since 1799. The yellow mansion with green shutters on East End Avenue and 88th Street is gated, but it's open for guided tours on Tuesdays. Admission is free but reservations are required.
    Photo Credit: Shaye Weaver
  • After strolling past Gracie Mansion, take a walk along the esplanade, which runs adjacent to Carl Schurz Park from East 90th to 83rd streets and is part of the Bobby Wagner Walk Course. You'll have views of Roosevelt Island and Queens.
    Photo Credit: Shaye Weaver
  • Yorkville's 80-year-old butcher shop Schaller & Weber on Second Avenue and 86th Street opened a sidewalk sausage bar two years ago that boasts German fare. The Stube offers wursts, $6 German beers on tap, soft pretzels, potato salad and fried chicken, among other menu options. Walk up to the window and order a Saigon Special, pictured, a spicy bauernwurst topped with daikon-carrot slaw, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro and Sriracha aioli for $10.
    Photo Credit: Shaye Weaver
  • Glaser's Bake Shop at Second Avenue and 87th Street offers traditional German food. The cash-only German bakery founded in 1902 still has the original white tile flooring and apothecary-style wood cabinets. The eatery offers treats including Bavarian almond cookies, brownies, eclairs and spiced German cookies like Lebkuchen and Pfefferneusse for the holidays. Herb Glaser, pictured, is a third-generation baker who runs the shop with his family.
    Photo Credit: Shaye Weaver
  • Logos Bookstore, on York Avenue and 84th Street, is a purveyor of Christian literature. The small shop, opened in 1975, offers a variety of titles, including many children's and spiritual books, and a resident cat, Boo Boo. Its owner, Harris Healy, regularly hosts book discussions, readings and studies.
    Photo Credit: Shaye Weaver
  • The Penrose bar, on Second Avenue and 82nd Street, offers dinner and plenty of drinks. Menu options -- ranging from $5 to about $14 -- include a PLT (pancetta, lettuce and tomato) and macaroni and cheese, which you can pair with an IPA or custom beverage. There's even a small late-night menu for dining after midnight.
    Photo Credit: Shaye Weaver
  • Ryan's Daughter, on East 85th Street and First Avenue, has been open since 1979, but the bar itself has around since around Prohibition. The wooden bar offers 13 beers on tap and free chips. The place is lively, with football and free wings on Sundays, trivia nights on Mondays and live jazz on Thursdays. Mick Mellamphy, pictured left, and Jim Gerding are the bar's co-owners.
    Photo Credit: Shaye Weaver

Nestled between East Harlem and East 79th Street, Yorkville is a neighborhood within the Upper East Side that boasts a rich history of immigration and still has bustling mom-and-pop shops.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, the neighborhood was largely populated by German immigrants, though it also drew significant numbers of people from Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Lebanon and Ireland.

Area shops and restaurants — such as Glaser’s Bake Shop and Schiller’s Stube — still reflect that history, and a number of longtime churches still grace its streets.

The area has remained largely separated because of its lack of subway access — until the Second Avenue subway debuted in early 2017. We’ve rounded up some of the must-do activities and good dining options in the neighborhood that’s never been easier to travel to.

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