Riverside Drive (2003)
by Bond No. 9

Riverside's opening is remarkable. I love basil and I never would have imagined it being such an amazing perfume note. But the opening is a minty blast of it, but oh so smooth and slightly sweet and spicy. It's so interesting that I went to a bunch of the Bond stores in NYC and got their free samples, atomized them myself and did my testing. I really do wish that opening persisted longer and stayed with the rest of the fragrance - wait - that doesnt mean I don't like the rest of it. Okay, so the mid notes give you a brilliant sandalwood with some fruit - it remains so nice and spicy - lots of warmth and depth there. Great. I was ready to click "purchase" on ebay, when uh oh! That pesky base moves to the front and dominates the evolution like a cockroach - okay, so not that nasty, but the base honestly ruined it for me. I closed my browser window and thanked jesus I didnt buy an entire bottle. Many people love the base - I think it's just too powdery and metallic. It is very 80's, yes. So maybe it is just me, but I cannot stand that metal and powder combo which is, yes, you all know it, CREEDY. And I cannot stand creed - the good ones are too old manish and the bad ones are a giant waste of money. That being noted, I think if you are a Creed fan, forget that crap and get Riverside because for what it is, as Sir Slarty pointed out, it is amazing. Personal preferences aside, this is one of the greatest men's scents out there.

I come to this site to see what some of these experts have to say. I just love to wear different colognes to match my mood and plans for the day. I agree with others that this is inoffensive, well put together, can be worn at office or dating. I plan on wearing this to my wedding this week, and will wear it as more of a weekend type of frag. This is my favorite bond, I also have wall street, chez, and coney island. This is not a vote against coney island, because CI is so unique( I love coney island for what it is, and that’s FUN). A big thumbs up for riverside my new signature frag.

The fruit is kicked into touch by the basil and the violet is weak, it then turns green and woody with just a scintilla of florals in the background. So in the end what you have left is a pretty run of the mill masculine fragrance where references to others in the genre are too numerous to mention. I mean it's not horrible or anything -- just tedious, unexciting, safe and square. Fine for corporate events though.

I agree with Words--WHY ARE PEOPLE COMPARING THIS TO CREED? Is it because both scents are from expensive, niche companies in which each scent has a similar bottle? SHEESH! haha.

Anyway, I tried this stuff yesterday, and I love it. This is a fresh, green scent with a little bit of fruity and spicy added in. I love Violet and I love Sandalwood, and everything just blended so nicely on this--in fact, the notes kinda "pop" out at you as with Armani Eau Pour Homme, although this scent smells nothing like that one. My only gipe is that this should be cheaper. This smells very nice, and lasts a while, however, I don't believe it's special enough to go for $150.00 + bucks. Anyway, try this if you can. Big thumbs up.

Unique style melonish? scent. Longer lasting than most fresh scents. Unique. One of Bond's best. Though not a priority with me but the opposite sex seem to like it too.

Riverside Drive occupies the penthouse in the same building where Cartier Santos Concetree and Rochas Lui also live, managing to be at once more ostentatious and more refined than it's neighbors. The rose and lily make Riverside Drive's silage every bit as powerful as the Cartier and Rochas, but while the latter two frags seem to be all about wood on my skin, Riverside drive's sweet fruit and flowers keep it squarely on the pretty side of masculine. My go-to for dressy social occasions.