The sub-section of the Upper West Side, facing the Hudson River between 59th St.  and 61st St., used to be nothing but train tracks, and then for a long time it was a much-delayed development site. Now, the Riverside Center mega development has approved permits for over 1,000 new residential units, making the Lincoln Square neighborhood surrounding it the fastest-growing in Manhattan.
In total, the five-building project that will be built over several years is slated to include 2,500 residential units, 140,000 square feet of retail space, an elementary school, a 250-room hotel and a public plaza.