The Central Park West forms the western edge of Central Park and the eastern boundary of the Upper West Side, in Manhattan. Originally part of the Eighth Avenue, one of the original avenues of the Commissioners' Plan of 1811. Central Park West stretches along the entire west side of Central Park, from West 59th Street at Columbus Circle, to West 110th Street, at Frederick Douglass Circle, created in 1950.
The Central Park West was named in the late 19th century, about 1889, when it appeared in Robinson's Real Estate Atlas of the City of New York, copyrighted that year. The District map of the Archdeaconry of New York, dated 1888, still gave the name "Eighth Avenue" for that section of the avenue. However, the name appeared in some newspapers before that, sometimes with a comma as "Central Park, West".
The gates into Central Park along the CPW are:
Merchants Gate
at 59th Street, Women's Gate at 72nd, Naturalists Gate at 77th, Hunters Gate at
81st, Mariners Gate at 85th, Gate of All Saints at 96th, Boys Gate at 100th, and
Strangers Gate at 106th.
The buildings along the west side of the street are mostly residential condominiums and hotels. Of particular note is the Dakota Apartments, historic NYC landmark completed in 1884, former residence of John Lennon. The 27-story San Remo, a cooperative apartment building at 145 and 146 Central Park West, between 74th and 75th streets, was completed in 1930 and is also o NYC landmark. The Eldorado is another landmarked cooperative apartment building at 300 Central Park West, between 90th and 91st streets. The Majestic Apartments at 115 Central Park West, between 71st and 72nd streets, replaced the Old Majestic built in 1894. The Trump International Hotel & Tower opened in 1996 on the beginning of CPW at 15 Columbus Circle.
The Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at 51 Central Park West and 3 West 65th St. (formerly at 21st Street) was built beginning in 1902 and consecrated on May 15, 1904. The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Manhattan was built in 1903 building on Central Park West at 96th Street.
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), today at 200 Central Park West, was established in 1869 and it was originally housed in the Central Park's Arsenal on the eastern side of Central Park, where it opened on May 22, 1871. A permanent structure was built at Manhattan Square, bounded by Eighth Avenue, 81st Street, Ninth Avenue/Columbus Avenue, and 77th Street. The museum reopened on the new venue on December 22, 1877.
The New York Cancer Hospital was founded in 1884 and the landmarked building at 455 Central Park West, between West 105th and 106th streets, was completed in 1886.
