Upper West Side Neighborhood Artisan Bakery Trail: 17 Blocks

An Upper West Side neighborhood artisan bakery trail covers about seventeen blocks of Broadway and its side streets, from Breads Bakery at 1890 Broadway near Lincoln Center to Zabar's at West 80th Street. In between sits Levain Bakery's original shop on West 74th Street, the place that made the giant chocolate chip walnut cookie famous. The 1 train stops at 66th, 72nd and 79th Streets along the way, so you can start, stop or shorten the walk at any point.

Breads Bakery opened its Upper West Side shop on Broadway between West 62nd and 63rd Streets in 2016, as the second location after Union Square. Its chocolate babka, a twisted loaf with dark chocolate and a buttery crumb, is the item that put the bakery on the map, and the challah and almond croissant have their own fans. The shop sits a short walk from Lincoln Center's plaza.

This is the stop to buy something that travels. A babka slice or a small loaf holds up for the rest of the walk, while flaky pastries tend to shatter in a bag. If you are hungry, eat a croissant here and save the babka for the park. Morning commuters and Lincoln Center staff make up much of the early crowd, which moves fast.

From Breads, walk north on Broadway or take a parallel route along Columbus Avenue, which is quieter and has more trees. Around West 72nd Street, Verdi Square and the ornate subway entrance at the 72nd Street station mark one of the neighborhood's busiest intersections, with the Ansonia's tall Beaux-Arts facade rising just north on Broadway.

This section is mostly about the walk itself: pre-war apartment buildings, small grocers and the brisk pace of Upper West Siders running errands. Do not stop for every café, because the next stop is the heaviest of the trail and you will want room for it.

If you choose Columbus Avenue, you pass blocks of brownstone side streets between West 68th and West 74th Streets, lined with stoops, iron railings and small front gardens. Those streets are the quietest part of the route and a good place to slow down between bakeries. They also put you right at the corner of West 74th Street, so you reach the next stop without doubling back.

Levain Bakery's original shop is a small, below-street-level space on West 74th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. Founded in 1995 by Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes, it became famous for its six-ounce cookies, thick and craggy with a soft center. The chocolate chip walnut is the classic; dark chocolate peanut butter chip and oatmeal raisin have strong followings too.

The honest advice: one cookie is plenty for two people. They are rich, dense and best eaten warm, so split one on the spot rather than buying a bag for later. Weekend lines can stretch up the stairs and along the sidewalk, mostly tourists; on weekday mornings the wait is usually short. If the line is long, skip it and return another day, since Levain also has other locations.

Continue up to Broadway and West 80th Street, where Zabar's has been feeding the neighborhood since 1934. It is mainly a gourmet food store, famous for smoked fish, coffee, cheese and cookware, but its bread counters stock rye, pumpernickel, bagels, rugelach and babka. The adjoining Zabar's café at the corner serves quick coffee and pastries.

This is the stop for take-home bread. A loaf of rye or a bag of bagels from here is the kind of souvenir locals actually buy. The aisles get crowded and narrow, especially on weekends and before holidays, so go in with a short list, grab what you need and exit before the crowd swallows you.

Zabar's is also the trail's best people-watching. Longtime neighbors debate the merits of different smoked salmons at the fish counter, staff call out numbers, and shoppers juggle baskets in aisles built for a smaller city. Even if you buy nothing, ten minutes inside explains a lot about how the Upper West Side eats.

From Zabar's, you have two choices. Walk west to Riverside Park, about three blocks, for benches overlooking the Hudson River and a quieter, more local feel. Or walk east to Central Park, roughly ten minutes away, passing the American Museum of Natural History on the way, for a bigger, busier park experience.

Riverside Park is the better pick for a calm picnic. Look for benches along the promenade near West 79th Street, where you can watch boats, joggers and dog walkers. Central Park is better if you want to combine the trail with more sightseeing, such as Strawberry Fields or the lake.

The full route takes about two hours with stops. Weekday mornings from 8 to 10 am are the most relaxed. On weekends, start earlier or reverse the route, beginning at Zabar's and ending with Breads near Lincoln Center, which tends to be calmer in the afternoon.

In bad weather, use the 1 train to hop between stops instead of walking all seventeen blocks. Zabar's café gives you a quick indoor stop, and the American Museum of Natural History can turn a rainy trail into a full day if you plan ahead.

Ask the Karpo APP for an Upper West Side bakery walk that fits your time and appetite, such as a ninety-minute version that ends at a riverside bench. Karpo can suggest a stop order, nearby alternatives and museum or park add-ons. It does not monitor lines or reserve anything, so treat its plan as a starting point you adjust as you go.

Ride the 1 train to 66th St–Lincoln Center for the start or 79th Street for the end; the B and C trains on Central Park West also work. Bring a sturdy tote, since Zabar's bread and Levain cookies add weight. Napkins are essential for babka and cookies. Riverside Park has fewer crowds than Central Park, which makes it the easier place to find a free bench.