By Saul Dennis

The benches just inside the entrance to Central Park at West 72 nd Street are surely sturdy. They have to be, to hold the history that gathers there each day, weather permitting, between 3 and 4 p.m.: five marriages, eight children, 11 grandchildren. The Great Depression and Second World War. Add it up and you’ve got 600-plus years of wisdom and experience in this group of a dozen or so Upper West Siders.

Most are octogenarians or nonagenarians. Three women are retired teachers. One husband had a long career in manufacturing, preceded by a stint in Air Force Intelligence during the Korean War. Another husband was an ophthalmologist in private practice. Another gentleman still plays the organ at a Park Avenue church. Most have called the UWS home for at least half a cen

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