By West Side Rag
2025 was another banner readership year for West Side Rag. Our coverage of the Upper West Side got more than 11.5 million page views over the past 12 months.
The list of the year’s most-viewed stories reflects the diversity of what interests readers in our neighborhood, from tales about real estate and food, to more newsy items about the closure of a 236-year-old school, the rat invasion at West 96th Street, and a baseball coach’s defiance when ICE showed up in Riverside Park.
Along with our most-read pieces, we covered dozens of other major neighborhood stories, including the dogs that attacked Penny the chihuahua and the subsequent legal fallout, the ongoing debate over the fate of West-Park Presbyterian Church, and what progress got made on the Metro Theater restoration. We covered scaffolding stories up and down the neighborhood, published a survey of UWS vacant storefronts, and brought you the first pictures of the two daredevils who climbed to the top of the El Dorado’s towers in March.
And throughout the year, we introduced you to a wide variety of people who live and work on the UWS, among them: the new commander of Police Precinct 24, the first candidate in the highly competitive race to replace longtime Rep. Jerry Nadler, a Central Park horse carriage driver whose livelihood is under threat, a group of octogenarians and nonagenarians who meet almost daily at a bench in Central Park, a Nutcracker soloist, and West Side Rag’s new comments moderator.
Thank you to all the readers who visited West Side Rag in 2025 and to the many of you who have supported us financially. We’ll continue to grow in 2026!
Here are the top 10 most-read stories from the year that was.
10. Upper West Side Italian Restaurant Named to Michelin Guide
Upper West Side Italian Restaurant Named to Michelin Guide
9. Rare Upper West Side Home For Sale on Hidden Old English-Styled Village Block
Rare Upper West Side Home For Sale on Hidden Old English-Styled Village Block
8. Ben Stiller Sells Parents’ UWS Apartment, Preserves Legacy in New Documentary
Ben Stiller Sells Parents’ UWS Apartment, Preserves Legacy in New Documentary
7. UWS Jacob’s Pickles Reopens Following Health Department Closure
UPDATE II: UWS Jacob’s Pickles Reopens Following Health Department Closure
6. 2 Housing Lotteries Launch on the Upper West Side: Apartment Offered for $61K
2 Housing Lotteries Launch on the Upper West Side: Apartment Offered for $61K
5. Monday Bulletin: Parents Seek to Transfer Children Out of NYC Private Schools After Mamdani Victory
Monday Bulletin: Parents Seek to Transfer Children Out of NYC Private Schools After Mamdani Victory; H&H Bagels Opens Florida Location — with NYC Water; Hedge Fund Manager (and Cuomo Supporter) Bill Ackman Offers Support to Mayor Elect; Vigil Held in Columbus Circle
4. A Baseball Coach Says He Fended Off ICE Agents Questioning Kids on the Upper West Side
A Baseball Coach Says He Fended Off ICE Agents Questioning Kids on the Upper West Side
3. Upper West Side School Set for June Closure After 236 Years
Upper West Side School Set for June Closure After 236 Years
2. The Rat Swarm of West 96th Street: ‘I’m Beyond Horrified’
UPDATE: The Rat Swarm of West 96th Street: ‘I’m Beyond Horrified’
1. The Last Holdout Tenant of an UWS Townhouse Prepares for Another Winter Without Heat or Hot Water
The Last Holdout Tenant of an UWS Townhouse Prepares for Another Winter Without Heat or Hot Water
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