The Curbed Cup, our annual award to the New York City neighborhood of the year, for the past three years has been determined by reader vote. This year, we're upping the ante with a 16-neighborhood elimination tournament spanning the month of December. The first round concludes today with two more faceoffs, the winners of which will meet in round two, which begins tomorrow.
Our final first-round matchup pits #6 seed Upper West Side against the #11 seed, Coney Island. Certainly a lively year in both neighborhoods. Out in Coney, Astroland mourned its final summer—until it was granted a reprieve for another year, then maybe forever. What's ahead here is anyone's guess. Meantime, on the UWS, there was development a'plenty, a big construction screw-up at the expansive 808 Columbus, and news that Magnolia Bakery is moving into the neighborhood. Sweetness. Et alors?
Upper West Side
2007 Notables:
· The massive construction at 808 Columbus destabilized the neighbors...
· But in time, the grassy zig-zag will make it all worthwhile
· Robert A.M. Stern's tony 15 Central Park West welcomed... Best Buy?!
· Work began on a mind-boggling new building at 72nd and Broadway
· Magnolia Bakery prepped for an early '08 opening at 202 Columbus
Coney Island
2007 Notables:
· Astroland celebrated its final day before development did it in...
· ... until developer Joe Sitt granted Astroland a one-year stay of execution...
· ... until the city waded into battle with its own roller-coaster designs
· Hey! A queer femme swimsuit calendar!
Other notables we forgot? Do let us know. Neighborhood smack-talk encouraged in the comments, too, natch.
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