The Marble Hill community in the Bronx is the only part of Manhattan connected to the mainland, due to a little-known quirk of geography. Originally, this 42-acre enclave was the northernmost section of the borough of Manhattan and was surrounded
Broadway Bridge
Washington Heights, Inwood, and Marble Hill share a common bond. In 1895, the Spuyten Duyvil Creek had been rerouted from 230th Street to 225th Street for improved navigability. A bridge that had connected Inwood and Marble Hill has never been
Blue Bell Tavern
One of the earliest taverns in Washington Heights was the Blue Bell Tavern. It was built between 1725 and 1730 on what is now the northwest corner of 181st Street and Broadway. Taverns like the Blue Bell had many uses.
RKO Coliseum Theater
On the northwest corner of 181st Street and Broadway, the RKO Coliseum boasted to be the third largest theater in the United States, with 3,500 seats, when it opened in 1920. B.S. Moss was involved with the launching of the
Loew’s 175th Theater
In 1930, the Loew’s 175th at 4140 Broadway opened its doors to the public. This theater culminated the RKO Coliseum’s (located at 181st Street and Broadway) brag of being the third largest in America with an added 100 seats with
Audubon Ballroom
The Audubon Ballroom and Theater, located at 3940 Broadway between 165th and 166th Streets, was opened in 1912 by William Fox. The Audubon was one of the first theaters in the Fox theater group for vaudeville and movies to come
Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center
The only major hospital in the Washington Heights and Inwood communities is the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. The center is bounded by 165th Street, 168th Street, Broadway and Riverside Drive. This hospital was originally known as the Presbyterian Hospital and was
Coogan’s Bluff and the Polo Grounds
At the southernmost end of Highbridge Park is a part of Washington Heights that has been neglected and disused because of the lack of pride that was once a part of baseball history. Coogan’s Bluff played an important role in
Harlem River Drive
The Harlem River Drive takes its name from the river it follows. Known as Muscoota to the American Indians, the Harlem River runs roughly eight miles from the Hudson River to Long Island Sound. In 1895, the Army Corps of
Trolleys of Washington Heights and Inwood
One of the most frequently used transit systems that has not been seen in over half a century were the trolley cars of New York City. These trolleys connected Washington Heights and Inwood with lower Manhattan, the Bronx and parts