I didn’t set out thinking New York would be a central character in The Futures, my debut novel, but it is such a romantic, overwhelming and daunting place that it came to the forefront. In a city this big, you have to find your own village, and for me it’s the Upper East Side – one of New York’s unsung neighbourhoods. Routine is important in carving out a home here: I go to the same coffee shop every morning. They know me by name, and to have someone recognise you in a city this sprawling is a great feeling.
People think the TV show Gossip Girl sums up the Upper East Side. And private school kids hanging out on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum is definitely part of life here, as is the wealth on Fifth, Madison and Park Avenues. But head further east to First and Second Avenue and there is a different side to the UES. It’s not often seen as hip or interesting but it’s a great place to live when you’re young and not making a ton of money. Some areas are cheaper than a lot of Brooklyn.
I love the blend the Upper East Side offers you. If you want the highest of the high-end, visit The Frick Collection or the Hermès store on Madison Avenue. You might go to the Carlyle Hotel and have a drink at Bemelmans bar – one of the coolest old-school New York spots – but if you want local and low-key try bars like Bondurants on East 85th Street or The Penrose on Second Avenue. Bondurants is a particular favourite and has interesting craft beers on tap plus an almost overwhelming amount of whiskies to try.
Building work on the Second Avenue subway kept rents low. For years the area was seen as this miserable, construction-zone hell, but bars were able to open up in cheap premises, and they’ve helped change the atmosphere of the place. The Second Avenue subway is finally open after almost 100 years (it was begun in 1919), so we’ll have to see what that does to property prices.
Few tourists seem to have discovered Carl Schurz park. Beautifully maintained and with lovely gardens, benches and walkways, it’s a great place to find some peace – and it’s by the East river. I love the view from the park too: you can see Roosevelt Island, over to Queens, the Triborough Bridge and planes taking off from LaGuardia.
The longest walk I’ve ever taken was in New York. My husband convinced me to walk the perimeter of Manhattan with him, in a day – starting at 5.30am. He’d read that it was a “thing” to do. It was a 32-mile thing that took us 14 hours – with a stop for lunch and a couple of other breaks. It was like watching a timelapse video: starting with sunrise on the East river amid people coming home from a night out and early-morning dog walkers, and finishing after the sun had set. We saw the whole city. It was fun – but I probably won’t do it again!
Even the fringes of the neighbourhood have good stuff opening up. I always recommend Earl’s Beer and Cheese. It’s on the part of Park Avenue that’s on the border between the UES and East Harlem. Earl’s is a tiny, hole-in-the-wall place but it has craft beer on tap and the food is excellent, with classics such as mac & Cheese, chicken pot pie, NY state cheddar grilled cheese and steak & eggs.
“This is my city; this is where I live.” That’s the feeling I get taking FDR Drive from Battery Park up to my home on the UES. It’s one of my favourite nighttime New York views: driving at 40mph (in a city!) along the East river and seeing the Pepsi-Cola sign over in Queens and the Queensboro Bridge all lit up.
• Anna Pitoniak’s The Futures is published by Michael Joseph, £12.99. To order a copy for £11.04, including UK p&p, visit the guardian bookshop
