Thursday, April 7th, 2011

Evenings and weekends are a slow time here at MyUpperWest. I’ve been thinking about ways to better utilize those quiet periods and have decided to experiment by opening up the site to guest bloggers, via a feature I’m tentatively calling “West Side Stories” (“My Upper West Side Stories” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue).

Don’t fret! If all you’re interested in are UWS discounts, openings & closings, celebrity sightings, and the occasional report of a psycho Columbia B-School student, rest assured that MyUpperWest will continue to be a place to find all that stuff.

That said, I think the occasional “West Side Story” post might help foster a sense of community that the current posts simply can’t provide. With all the people who visit this site on a daily basis, I have to believe there are countless talented writers among you who have unique and interesting stories to share about life on the Upper West Side.

I’m looking for personal stories that tie-in to the neighborhood. Were you proposed to or meet your significant other on the UWS? Do you have a favorite spot in Riverside Park that no one else knows about? Have you lived in the neighborhood for years and seen it change before your eyes? Is there a shopkeeper you know in the neighborhood that makes you long for the pre-retail chain days? Do you have a ridiculous, over-the-top story about a Saturday night out on the UWS, or a crazy neighbor? Really, anything is fair game as long as it pertains to the Upper West Side and your experiences living here. The only thing I ask is that the tone be mostly positive — I’m not seeking angry rants or diatribes (unless they’re funny, and then maybe we’ll talk…).

To be honest, I’m not 100% sure what I’m looking for. My hope is that one of you figures it out, sends it to me, and I can post it and say “THAT! That’s what I’m looking for!”

Like I said at the top, we’ll call this an experiment. If it works, great. And if you never see me write about it again, it means there was absolutely no interest.

If this sounds like something you’d like to be a part of, drop me a line at alerts [at] myupperwest [dot] com with what you’d like to write about. I figure about 400 to 500 words is a good size, give or take. Really, I’m looking for quality more than quantity. And if it’s a longer but good, so be it. If you write something and it does get posted, I’d be happy to link back to your personal blog if you have one.

OK, that’s it…back to your regularly scheduled programming with this week’s “Unattainable Apartment” going up around 4ish.

Filed under: Guest Posts, Upper West Side, Upper West Side Blog No Comments »
Tags: Guest Blogger, Upper West Side, west side stories