When you first turn onto West 95th Street from Broadway, it seems like pretty much any Upper West Side block: a few apartment buildings, some fire escapes, a tree or two…Nothing in particular to catch the eye.

In fact, I’m not even sure how many trips down the street it took before I finally noticed the gate.

At first glance, you might think it to be the service entrance to the adjacent apartment building, or maybe the trash storage. But as you get closer, something very quickly comes into focus: a staircase…

…leading to what has to be the most unexpected byway on the Upper West Side:

>>>Continue reading “A Secret World on the Upper West Side: A Trip Down Pomander Walk”