Isn’t that where rich people live?
Some. The Upper West Side is historically home to some of the most left people in the USA. Think of it as San Francisco’s ugly sister city. There are poor and middle class folks there, too, (mostly natives living in rent-controlled housing that’s been in their families for generations). It appeals to the artsy crowd that has migrated to NYC over the years (vs. the Wall Street types who tend to the East Side).