Upper Manhattan

After $5M restoration, NYC’s historic Highbridge Water Tower reopens for public tours

Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

October 27, 2021

After $5M restoration, NYC’s historic Highbridge Water Tower reopens for public tours

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Described in 1967 by the Landmarks Preservation Commission as "one of Manhattan's most picturesque architectural monuments," the Highbridge Water Tower reopened on Wednesday following a restoration project. Located in Washington Heights, the octagonal tower opened in 1872 and served as part of the Croton Aqueduct system, helping increase water pressure throughout the borough. While it no longer is part of the city's water system, the 200-foot landmark is the only one of its kind that remains today. The Parks Department also announced free public tours of the inside of the tower led by the department's Urban Park Rangers will resume next month.
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On Washington Heights’ hidden Sylvan Terrace, a modernized wooden rowhouse asks $1.8M

Listing photos by Scott Wintrow/Gamut Photos

September 22, 2021

On Washington Heights’ hidden Sylvan Terrace, a modernized wooden rowhouse asks $1.8M

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New York City has a few hidden mews sprinkled throughout, one of which is Sylvan Terrace in Washington Heights. The one-block cobblestone stretch was originally the carriage drive for the adjacent Morris Jumel Mansion, and in the 1880s, 20 wooden rowhouses were constructed along it to serve as housing for working-class locals. A rare opportunity, the home at number 8 has just hit the market for $1,795,000. The current owner, who bought the property back in 1998 for just $135,000, is designer Tom Givone, who modernized the two-bedroom house to have a rustic-contemporary style that's even been featured in Dwell.
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18 coolest ice cream shops in New York City
July 16, 2021

18 coolest ice cream shops in New York City

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Summer is here! Whether you're soaking up the sun at a local beach, taking a dip in the city's pools, or staying inside with air conditioning on full blast, you deserve ice cream. With so many great places in the city, it's almost impossible to actually pick one. But we're here to help. Ahead, find some of our favorite scoop shops in New York City, from the iconic (The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, Big Gay Ice Cream) to the inventive (Malai, La Newyorkina).
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The 18 best places to visit in Washington Heights
June 21, 2021

The 18 best places to visit in Washington Heights

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A hilly neighborhood with stunning public parks, incredible food, and community pride, Washington Heights is special. Not only is this area full of natural beauty (it has the highest natural point in Manhattan and boasts incredible Hudson River views) and historically important (it served as a strategic defense point during the Revolutionary War), Washington Heights has long been an immigrant enclave. As development hit the largely rural neighborhood in the early 20th century, Irish, Jewish, African American, Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Dominican communities have all called Washington Heights home. Today, a strong Latin American and Caribbean presence remains, with Washington Heights and nearby Inwood considered the most populous Dominican neighborhoods in the U.S. With this month's release of the movie adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway musical In The Heights, we've put together a guide of must-visit places in Washington Heights, from Manhattan's oldest home to the city's only underground street, with stops for roasted chicken and chicharrón along the way.
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In Hudson Heights, this rare Castle Village cottage is asking $1.65M

Photo by Empire Optix

May 21, 2021

In Hudson Heights, this rare Castle Village cottage is asking $1.65M

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Castle Village is not exactly a castle anymore. It's so named because developer Charles V. Paterno built the five-building co-op complex in 1939 on the site of his former castle-like residence, on the highest bluff above the Hudson River. But there is one remnant of the original estate that remains--four townhouse-like cottages that were once the castle's outbuildings. It's very rare that one of these homes hits the market, but here we have number four asking $1,650,000. The charming home has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a finished basement, and a sunroom and patio that overlook the Hudson River and gardens below.
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Hamilton Heights brownstone from ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ can be booked on Airbnb for $20/night

All photos courtesy of Regina Fleming Photography

May 19, 2021

Hamilton Heights brownstone from ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ can be booked on Airbnb for $20/night

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Last week, the Hamilton Heights house made famous in Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums hit the rental market for $20,000 per month. This week, Airbnb announced the iconic mansion will be available to book this Memorial Day Weekend for just $20 per night. Bookings will open on May 26 at noon for one, two-night stay at the 1899 brownstone beginning May 29.
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Former NAACP headquarters in Greenwich Village is now a New York City landmark

Street View of 70 Fifth Avenue, Map data © 2020 Google; Photo of W.E.B. DuBois in 1918 from Library of Congress, via Wikimedia Commons

May 18, 2021

Former NAACP headquarters in Greenwich Village is now a New York City landmark

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A building in Greenwich Village that once served as the headquarters for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and housed W.E.B. DuBois' trailblazing magazine The Crisis, is now a New York City landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to designate 70 Fifth Avenue, a Neoclassical Beaux-Arts building designed by Charles A. Rich and built between 1912 and 1914. The commission on Tuesday also landmarked the Holyrood Episcopal Church-Iglesia Santa Cruz in Washington Heights.
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Preservationists, pols fight to save Washington Heights home with Underground Railroad ties

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. (1937). Riverside Drive, no. 857, at 159th Street, Manhattan, courtesy of the New York Public Library.

January 25, 2021

Preservationists, pols fight to save Washington Heights home with Underground Railroad ties

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Preservationists and local politicians are pushing the city to reverse their decision to not landmark a historic home with abolitionist history in Washington Heights. The two-story wood-frame home at 857 Riverside Drive in Upper Manhattan was owned by anti-slavery activist Dennis Harris who may have also been an Underground Railroad conductor. Despite a demolition permit filed by the current owner, the Landmarks Preservation Commission last November still rejected landmark status for the home because of the architectural alterations made to the original structure.
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Obama’s former Morningside Heights apartment lists for $1.45M

Listing photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

November 24, 2020

Obama’s former Morningside Heights apartment lists for $1.45M

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During his time attending Columbia in the early '80s, President Barack Obama lived first on West 109th Street and then on East 94th Street. After graduating, he moved back to Morningside Heights, to a three-bedroom apartment at 622 West 114th Street. This fourth-floor walkup is now listed for sale, asking $1,450,000.
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Washington Heights will become first COVID micro-cluster zone in Manhattan

Map courtesy of the Governor’s Office

November 23, 2020

Washington Heights will become first COVID micro-cluster zone in Manhattan

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Since last week, many New Yorkers have been anticipating an announcement that the entire city will become an orange zone. This has been avoided at least for another day, but Governor Cuomo did announce that Washington Heights will become a precautionary yellow zone, hitting a 3.30% positivity rate. This is the first micro-cluster zone in Manhattan and the fifth and final borough to join this map. The governor also announced a dire situation on Staten Island in which an emergency overflow facility for COVID patients will open at South Beach.
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Dyckman Farmhouse Museum opens new art exhibit exploring untold history of NYC’s Black communities

Photo Credit: Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance

October 19, 2020

Dyckman Farmhouse Museum opens new art exhibit exploring untold history of NYC’s Black communities

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The last remaining farmhouse in Manhattan will explore a new side of its over 200-year history with an art exhibit. Inwood's landmarked Dyckman Farmhouse Museum on Tuesday will open the exhibition Unspoken Voices: Honoring the Legacy of Black America, which will highlight the history of the enslaved and free Black residents that lived and worked at the farm. Unspoken Voices, which coincides with the museum's reopening, includes work by five local artists who hope to bring these previously untold stories to light.
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The best NYC apartments for sale under $500K
August 27, 2020

The best NYC apartments for sale under $500K

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Like New York City, the real estate market is slowly starting to recover, with hundreds of new apartment listings posted each day. With some industry experts calling it a buyer's market due to an increase in inventory citywide, we're taking a look at some of the best deals for apartments on the market that are listed for under $500,000. From a spacious two-bedroom with a balcony and an outdoor pool in Riverdale to a charming studio with unique architectural details in Prospect Heights, find out what $500,000 can get you in NYC right now.
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Inside the graffiti-covered 191st Street tunnel, NYC’s deepest subway and only underground ‘street’

All photos and video © James and Karla Murray

August 17, 2020

Inside the graffiti-covered 191st Street tunnel, NYC’s deepest subway and only underground ‘street’

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The deepest subway station in New York City lies 173 feet below ground (18 stories!) at the 191st Street stop of the 1 train. This stop is also known for the 1,000-foot-long tunnel that connects its station at St. Nicholas Avenue to an entrance on Broadway. Called "Tunnel Street," this is technically the only underground street in the city. For years, however, it was a dark and dingy passageway that troubled locals, so about six years ago, the city commissioned six artists to paint the tunnel with colorful murals. Ahead, photographers James and Karla Murray give us a video tour of the tunnel, along with the insanely deep subway station.
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Inwood rezoning plan can move forward, appeals court rules

Photo of Inwood Hill Park by Dana on Flickr

July 24, 2020

Inwood rezoning plan can move forward, appeals court rules

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The plan to rezone Inwood can move forward, a state appeals court ruled on Thursday. The decision comes after a judge in December overturned the land-use changes approved by the City Council in 2018 to rezone 59 blocks of the northern Manhattan neighborhood. But in their decision, the appellate court said the City Council "acted properly and consistently" with review procedures.
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For just under $2M, this Hamilton Heights penthouse has a roof deck as large as the apartment

Photo credit: Heidi Solander, courtesy The Corcoran Group

June 9, 2020

For just under $2M, this Hamilton Heights penthouse has a roof deck as large as the apartment

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It's not uncommon to find apartments with outdoor space, but it is uncommon to find one with a roof deck as large as the interior. This two-bedroom condo in Hamilton Heights is 1,779 square feet inside and has a private roof deck that's an additional 1,619s square feet. Located at 458 West 146th Street, the penthouse unit's outdoor space boasts cherry trees, climbing ivy, evergreens, and plenty of space for outdoor lounging and dining. The interiors are bright, open, and classical yet modern.
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Before + After: A Hudson Heights co-op goes from drab to a modern, family-friendly home

“After” photos by Kate Glicksberg for Sweeten

April 7, 2020

Before + After: A Hudson Heights co-op goes from drab to a modern, family-friendly home

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When Erin and Chris first started their family, they bought a one-bedroom in Hudson Heights and fell in love with the neighborhood. But three kids and nine years later, Chris' job took them to the California Bay Area. After two years, they had the chance to come back to NYC and jumped at the chance to return to Hudson Heights. They found a three-bedroom in its "original, fifties-era condition," but knew the space and layout were perfect. Ahead, see how they came to Sweeten to find a contractor and took the co-op from drab to a contemporary and comfortable family home.
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Thurgood Marshall’s former Hamilton Heights co-op hits the market for $550K

Photo credit: Rise Media, Courtesy of Compass

February 27, 2020

Thurgood Marshall’s former Hamilton Heights co-op hits the market for $550K

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Thurgood Marshall, the Supreme Court's first African-American justice, lived in Harlem as a young adult, even serving as a vestryman at St. Philip's Protestant Episcopal Church at 134th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. His home was a bit farther north in Hamilton Heights, at 409 Edgecombe Avenue near 154th Street. Notably, the building was also home to prominent African American figures such as W. E. B. Du Bois, painter Aaron Douglas, civil rights activist Roy Wilkins, and artist Elizabeth Catlett. Justice Marshall's former co-op, a spacious two-bedroom, is now owned by actress Erica Ash, known for her work on MadTV and The Big Gay Sketch Show. She's just put it on the market for $550,000.
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Affordable housing waitlist reopens for Hamilton Heights’ PS 186, starting at $526/month

Street View of PS 186 in 2018, Map data © 2020 Google

February 24, 2020

Affordable housing waitlist reopens for Hamilton Heights’ PS 186, starting at $526/month

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Back in 2016, Dattner Architects completed the restoration of a former early 20th-century school building in Hamilton Heights to a mixed-income affordable rental building that also serves as a new home for the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem. The Residences at PS 186 launched their first affordable housing lottery back then, and they've now opened up spots on a re-rental waiting list. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, 130, or 165 percent of the area median income are eligible to apply for units ranging from $526/month studios to $3,142/month two-bedrooms.
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168th Street and Astoria Boulevard subway stations finally reopen

MTA New York City Transit President Andy Byford at the 168 St Station on Monday, December 23, 2019, along with Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Assemblymember Al Taylor. Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit

December 23, 2019

168th Street and Astoria Boulevard subway stations finally reopen

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After a year, the 168th Street 1 train station has finally reopened, marking the first complete elevator replacement at this stop in more than 100 years. In addition, last week, the MTA announced that the Astoria Boulevard N, W station has reopened after nine months and the completion of the first phase of its station modernization.
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Judge overturns city’s plan to rezone Inwood

Photo by kathryn on Flickr

December 20, 2019

Judge overturns city’s plan to rezone Inwood

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A state Supreme Court judge on Thursday overturned land-use changes approved by the City Council in 2018 to rezone the neighborhood of Inwood. A group of local residents and preservationists filed a lawsuit against the rezoning last December, claiming the plan did nothing to protect the community from displacement, as well as other effects of gentrification. In the decision, Judge Verna Saunders said the city "failed to take a hard look at the relevant areas of concern identified by the public" and did not comply with a state environmental quality review.
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City seeks nonprofit to run NYC’s first cultural institution dedicated to immigrants

Inwood Hill Park, courtesy of Dana on Flickr

September 6, 2019

City seeks nonprofit to run NYC’s first cultural institution dedicated to immigrants

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The city is seeking proposals from nonprofits interested in running a new immigrant research center and performing arts center in Inwood. The city's Economic Development Corporation and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) released a request for expressions of interest on Wednesday for a nonprofit organization to "design, construct, and operate" the Northern Manhattan Immigrant Research and Performing Arts Center (IRPAC). The neighborhood boasts a diverse community, with 49 percent foreign-born as well as the city's highest concentration of residents of Dominican descent.
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Washington Heights’ Little Red Lighthouse will open for a rare public tour this weekend

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

July 24, 2019

Washington Heights’ Little Red Lighthouse will open for a rare public tour this weekend

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New Yorkers looking to learn a little more about the city’s history are in luck. This weekend, the NYC Parks Department is offering a tour of Washington Heights' Little Red Lighthouse. The lighthouse is rarely open to the public, but those interested can join the free tour with the Urban Park Rangers this Saturday, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
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Columbia Medical’s Washington Heights campus will get a new public plaza

Rendering Credit: FXCollaborative and Quennell Rothschild & Partners​.

May 13, 2019

Columbia Medical’s Washington Heights campus will get a new public plaza

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On May 28, work is scheduled to begin on Haven Plaza, a pedestrian plaza that will transform Haven Avenue between 169th Street and Fort Washington Avenue into an actual haven for faculty, staff, patients, students and the public at large. Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation, is creating 60,000 square feet of open green space complete with planters, benches, café tables, and chairs.
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City files plans for 174 affordable apartments at Inwood library site

Renderings courtesy of Fogarty Finger Architecture and Andrew Berman Architect

April 2, 2019

City files plans for 174 affordable apartments at Inwood library site

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The city this week filed plans with the Department of Buildings for the redevelopment of Inwood's New York Public Library branch, as first reported by Patch. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development revealed last March plans to transform the current site into a new 14-story residential building with a three-level library at its base. Above the new state-of-the-art library, there will be 174 permanently affordable apartments, designated for households with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income.
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