Welcome to Washington Heights & Inwood
Come and see Northern Manhattan with over 600 acres of parkland, majestic views of the Hudson and Palisades, museums of international fame, and a neighborhood rich in history and ethnic diversity.
No other community in New York City offers the splendid natural beauty and historical significance of the northern tip of Manhattan Island, known as WASHINGTON HEIGHTS-INWOOD. This is where Indian settlements…colonial farmhouses…Revolutionary War battles…romantic river-view estates…great cultural institutions…and a proud heritage of ethnic diversity merge to create a microcosm of America.
Once, only Indians inhabited this magnificent wilderness of hills and valleys on cliffs sloping down to two great rivers—the Hudson on the west and the Harlem on the east. In 1626, the Indians sold Manhattan Island to the colonists at an Indian settlement in Inwood Hill Park. Nearly half a century later, the colonists forced the Indians to leave, turning the rich soil into farms.
The most famous is Dyckman Farmhouse, built in 1748 by William Dyckman, a member of the Dutch Family who owned much of upper Manhattan. Located on the lowlands of Inwood on a 300-acre farm, the British burned the house during the revolution and rebuilt in 1783. With the influx of the British, the farmlands acquired an air of elegance. Colonel Roger Morris, a Tory, purchased a 100-acre farm in Harlem Heights, transforming it into a summer residence. Mount Morris, built between 1765 and 1768, contained a Georgian Colonial mansion, a formal garden, a barn, and a coach house.
Experience Old New York at Dyckman Farmhouse Museum
In the heart of Manhattan, amidst the ceaseless hum of city life, lies an oasis of tranquility and a portal to the past: the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum. This isn’t just…
Unlock the Secrets of The Cloisters: A Mystical Journey Awaits
Imagine stepping through a portal where time folds in on itself, where the hustle and bustle of modern life fades into a whisper, replaced by the echo of centuries-old footsteps…
Trinity Cemetery
Trinity Cemetery helped to shape the history of northern Manhattan to what it is today. Many of the persons whose remains are interred here shaped not only the history of…
John James Audubon
John James Audubon is best noted as a naturalist and an artist of life-size paintings of birds. Born in Haiti on April 26, 1785, Audubon had given several accounts of…
Mount Washington Presbyterian Church
One of the least known but also what was to become one of the historic churches in Inwood is the Mount Washington Presbyterian Church. Initially, it was named for a…
Film Studios of Northern Manhattan and Fort Lee
The film industry would not have developed into the enterprise that it is today if it were not for the fact that movie production companies were located in northern Manhattan…
Building the George Washington Bridge
For four generations a familiar sight has graced the Hudson River that has connected New York and New Jersey. The George Washington Bridge opened on October 25, 1931, is a…
Evacuation Day in NYC – November 25, 1783
After eight years of hostilities, the Treaty of Paris was initially agreed upon by British and American representatives on January 20, 1783. This treaty officially heralded the end of the…
Baker Field – Baker Athletics Complex
One of northern Manhattan’s most interesting landmarks is a strip of land bounded by 218th Street, the Spuyten Devil Creek, Broadway, and Inwood Hill Park. It is a sports complex…
Church of the Intercession
The Church of the Intercession, on 155th Street and Broadway, is the finest example of early 20th century Revival or Neo-Gothic architecture in New York City. The present site of…
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New York News and Resources
- In New York State Budget Talks, a Hold on School Spending
- Battle of the Billionaires on Term Limits – The New York Times
- Aide Investigated Over Donations – The New York Times
- NYC Travel Guide – Responsible New York
- Revisiting Our Predictions – Buffalo Rising
- Gotham Gazette – The Wonkster
- Golisano learns court schedule – NY Daily Record
- Free Tax Seminar Online – New York Daily Messenger
The Mission of Washington Heights Guide is to promote public awareness of the rich cultural, historical, and natural resources of Washington Heights and Inwood, and in doing this, we aim to encourage the attendance and use of these upper Manhattan treasured assets.
If life in our Manhattan neighborhood is about meeting new people and having fun, we seek to make living in the Heights more pleasant and safer by organizing neighbors to participate in hands-on projects and pursuing the city to deliver needed services.
NYC Tourists PSA: A trip to New York can be an unforgettable experience. However, a serious accident can turn this into a nightmare. If you were injured in an accident caused by another party’s negligence, you may be able to recover compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. NYC Personal Injury Attorneys say you do not have to be a New York resident or even a US citizen to file an accident claim.
Washington Heights Attractions
Northern Manhattan is an area rich in history and culture. Visit us to discover our cultural treasures and learn how our neighborhood contributed to the glories and tears of our great city’s and nation’s past.
The Cloisters. Located in Fort Tryon Park, the Cloisters houses most of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of medieval art. The core collection consists of medieval sculpture and architectural remains from Europe by the sculptor George Grey Barnard. The collection was assembled in its current location and opened in 1938 by John D. Rockefeller. The building now incorporates vaulted passageways, chapels, halls, courtyards, and many artifacts from French and Spanish monasteries.
Dyckman Farmhouse Museum. Built in 1783, the Dyckman Farmhouse is Manhattan’s last Dutch-colonial-style farmhouse. During the 19th century, the Dyckman family owned over 450 acres of land, on which they produced fruits and vegetables for the New York City market. The house has five-period rooms filled with 18th—and 19th-century American furniture and a porch overlooking a landscaped half-acre park. There is also a collection of Revolutionary War artifacts.
George Washington Bridge. One of the most beautiful bridges in the world, the GWB boasts gorgeous views of the Hudson River, the Palisades, and Manhattan. It was built starting in 1927 and was inaugurated in 1931. It has the 13th longest main suspension span in the world and carries approximately 300,000 vehicles per day, making the 14-lane span one of the busiest in the world. The GWB was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1981, on the occasion of the bridge’s 50th anniversary.
Morris-Jumel Mansion. Built in 1765, the Morris-Jumel Mansion is Manhattan’s oldest remaining colonial residence. This museum highlights more than 230 years of New York history, culture, and arts. Twelve-period rooms exhibit the life and times of Colonel Roger Morris, the original builder George Washington, who occupied the house as his headquarters in the autumn of 1776, and the merchant family of Stephen and Eliza Jumel. The rose and herb gardens, which date back to colonial times, look out over the Harlem River.
Uptown Arts Stroll. For the past 19 years, local artists and leaders have partnered to build a stronger community through the arts in Northern Manhattan. The Uptown Arts Stroll is an annual showcase for this effort, giving a voice to an arts community growing in the often overlooked and quickly gentrifying neighborhoods of West Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood. Many artists exhibit their work throughout Washington Heights, Inwood, and West Harlem during the Uptown Arts Stroll. Most of the venues are open during regular business hours unless otherwise noted. Please get in touch with the venues for the most current information.