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Discover: Washington Heights
Washington Heights, the narrow strip of high ground between the Harlem and Hudson Rivers, is named for the Revolutionary War Fort Washington.
Fortifications aside, the area was rural, rocky, and sparsely populated until latter half of the 19th century; the extension of rapid transit to Upper Manhattan century helped spur development. Today, Washington Heights is a diverse, densely populated enclave including the massive Columbia University medical campus, historic sites like the Morris-Jumel mansion, and panoramic views of the Bronx, Lower Manhattan, and the New Jersey Palisades.
99 Fort Washington Avenue
Spot the GWB peeking through the trees on the grounds of the New York Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb.
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910-918 St. Nicholas Avenue
This vacant corner is now home to the distinctive — and divisive — David Adjaye-designed Sugar Hill Development.
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511 West 166th Street
This tiny service garage survived to become a storefront church!
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510 West 165th Street
The Church of St. Rose of Lima, across McKenna Square.
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502 West 157th Street
Congregation Ahavath Israel, completed in 1922.
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461 West 166th Street
Norwegian Free Lutheran Brethren Church, pictured in 1934.
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Little Red Lighthouse
The "Little Red Lighthouse" at Jeffrey's Hook started its life at Sandy Hook, New Jersey before moving uptown in 1921.
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613 West 158th Street
Riverside Drive viaduct at 158th Street, with the Palisades in the background.
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3837 Broadway
Cab stand outside the Rio Theatre at West 160th and Broadway.
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280 Wadsworth Avenue
A few of these wood-frame row houses are still standing (beneath layers of stucco).
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Yeshiva University
Yeshiva College was established at this location in 1928, with 31 students.
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Highbridge Recreation Center
The Highbridge Recreation Center is one of several mid-1930s public pool facilities constructed under the auspices of the WPA.
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2184 Amsterdam Avenue
"Fancy groceries" on Amsterdam.
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2121 Amsterdam Avenue
Wood-frame houses on Amsterdam Avenue. The building at right is still standing, while the center lot's current state echoes this 1932 photo.
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2086 Amsterdam Avenue
Advertisements along West 163rd Street, west of Amsterdam Avenue.
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2039 Amsterdam Avenue
Meyer Square, including the western end of Sylvan Terrace.
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173 Fort Washington Avenue
This hillside Hudson view has since been obscured by development, including the Columbia University medical campus.
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