» Upper West Sider: Tracey Goldstein, Event Planner

Upper West Sider: Tracey Goldstein, Event Planner

Monday, March 29th, 2010

tracey-goldstein Periodically, My Upper West interviews an Upper West Side resident who helps make our neighborhood the diverse and interesting place we love. Today, we talk to Tracey Goldstein, Event Planner, west 70’s.

So, what do you do all day?
I am an event planner and founder of Polka Dot Events, an event planning and design company in NYC. Prices vary but are reasonable. I can be contacted at Tracey@pdotevents.com.

How long have you lived on the UWS?
Three years.

What made you decide to move to the UWS?
My business is really a New York City company but I chose to live in the Upper West Side because it’s definitely the best neighborhood in New York and I knew I’d be using my apartment as a dual work/live space. It has all the convenience you need but still a homey feel and rarely has any traffic.

What is your favorite thing about the neighborhood?
The classic ambiance. All the commercial space is very well-maintained due to strict neighborhood board regulations, and the architecture is the greatest in New York; the buildings all seem to fit very well with each other. I love that I live only two blocks from the most famous museum in the world (American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th) and how beautiful the grounds’ landscaping is. I also like the availability of kosher restaurants and supermarkets because they are not easy to find in 99% of the rest of the world! Oh, and all the cupcake bakeries!

Riverside Park or Central Park?
Definitely Central Park. Riverside is too far west for me!

Describe your best celebrity sighting on the UWS.
See the last question… I was also a babysitter for kids who attended PS87, and many of the children had celebrity parents (Cynthia Nixon, Richard Kind, Judy Gold, Adam Goldberg). Oh, and Jenna Fischer from The Office!

What is your favorite meal on the UWS? Favorite place for a cocktail?
I love Darna, a Moroccan restaurant on 89th and Columbus, and Hummus Place on Amsterdam and 75th is great when you can’t figure out what else to eat. Plus Shake Shack (Columbus at 77th) for its black and white shake! For a beer, I’ll go to one of the dive bars on Amsterdam Avenue, and cocktails are perfect on the rooftop of the Empire Hotel (63rd between Broadway and Columbus) on a quiet summer night when everyone else is in the Hamptons.

If you could change one thing about the UWS, what would it be?
The M7 and M11 buses are way too crowded around 3:00 pm when the kids get out of school. Send more!

What would you like to see filling the empty storefronts in the UWS, or what would you like to see more of in the UWS?
I’d like to see more affordable boutique clothing stores… I often go window shopping but the merchandise is very expensive and I end up going downtown to purchase items.

Horse and carriage rides in Central Park: romantic, too touristy, or cruel?
It’s just not for me. I would be too paranoid that the driver was listening to my conversation. I feel terrible for the horses, too… Manhattan is not the environment for a giant animal. Think King Kong and Godzilla.

What are you looking forward to most: completion of Lincoln Center’s renovations, Trader Joe’s on 72nd and Broadway, the shops at Columbus Square, or completion of the 96th Street subway station?
Definitely the 96th Street subway stop completion. I lived on 98th and Broadway for a year before moving to the west 70′s, and after two years, there is actually starting to be something to look at! It looks like a big mess and I can’t wait to see clean lines. I hope everyone keeps it nice!

What is your favorite thing to do in the ‘hood on a nice UWS day?
Like most people, I love to go over to Central Park, sit on the rocks, and listen to the bands play for some spare change. I do a lot of walking around the neighborhood to window shop and see what’s going on around my apartment.

Who is your favorite UWS resident, past or present?
Samantha Bee and Jason Jones. Both are hilarious on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and happen to be married. I’ve seen them walking around the UWS together on several occasions with their baby carriage, and it makes me excited to see the people from my favorite TV show living in my neighborhood.