Hotel Drinker, Barnes & Noble, Pickleball: Top UES Stories Of 2023

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — It's been a busy 2023 for the Upper East Side, and Patch was there to write about it.

From an underaged drinker sued for defaming a top luxury hotel to pickleball drama to the opening of the much anticipated Barnes & Noble and the East Midtown Greenway, here are the top Upper East Side Patch stories of 2023 — ranked by the number of minutes people spent reading them.

1. Pickleball Brawl: Players Hash Out Gripes, Antisemitism On UES Courts

A couple of "sour pickles" are causing tensions to rise in an otherwise playful and tight-knit community in Carl Schurz Park.

2. Underage Drinker Pays Protesters To Bully Lux UES Hotel: Worker, Suit

The would-be imbiber has been seen smirking in a Cadillac outside The Mark, watching protesters he pays to defame by the hour, staff said.

3. UES Barnes & Noble Opens To 'Unprecedented' Neighborhood Welcome

Massive crowds shocked both shoppers and workers, with an estimated 800 people entering just an hour after opening.

4. East Midtown Greenway Opens To Huge Crowd And Rave Reviews

"We all love it," one person shouted on the opening day of Manhattan's newest parkspace.

5. Boozy UES Teens Kept Swanky Hotel Afloat, Says Accused Hotel Bully

Theodore Weindtraub now claims that he's an underaged whistleblower — and that The Mark Hotel is trying to silence him.

6. 'Bedpan Alley': Lenox Hill Hospital Expansion Pooh-Poohed By Locals

Critics rallied against Northwell's plans for a "Hudson Yards building" at Lenox Hill Hospital in a packed Wednesday night meeting.

7. Longtime UES Diner Neil's Evicted Months After Owner Dies

The 84-year-old diner owed their landlord around a million dollars and failed to pay up via numerous payment plans, court records show.

8. Chick-Fil-A To Replace Longtime UES Department Store

Residents worry that the problems of the East 86th Street location will follow.

9. Upper East Sider Searches All Over Town For Lost Dog

Shira Meged was out of town when her beloved pup Rosie got away from the sitter on Saturday. "I'm inconsolable," she said.

10. UES Finally Gets Migrant Family Shelter At Lenox Hill Bentley Hotel

As of March, the city's densest neighborhood housed the fewest homeless residents in Manhattan — with only 42 people.

Thanks for reading Patch this year — stay tuned for lots more neighborhood news in 2024!