Washington Heights

Upper Manhattan will soon be home to the city’s first-ever institution dedicated to the vibrant arts and culture of the Dominican Republic. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday announced $12.5 million in funding to help establish the Dominican Center for the Arts and Culture at 375 West 207th Street. The center will include a museum and exhibition space featuring Dominican artists, a theater space, a children's library, and an oral history and archives project preserving the cultural history of Inwood/Washington Heights, the most populous Dominican neighborhood in the country.
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Policy

On ‘secret’ Sylvan Terrace in Washington Heights, a renovated wood frame townhouse asks $1.8M

Photos courtesy of Gloria Kilbourne | DD-Reps

May 29, 2024

On ‘secret’ Sylvan Terrace in Washington Heights, a renovated wood frame townhouse asks $1.8M

One of New York City's best "secret" streets, Sylvan Terrace is a cobblestone block between 160th and 162nd Streets in Washington Heights. Originally the carriage drive for the adjacent Morris Jumel Mansion, the street has two rows of 20 wooden homes that were constructed in the 1880s for working-class locals and later restored in the 1970s and 80s. The home at 11 Sylvan Terrace recently hit the market for $1,800,000, offering a rare opportunity to own a home on one of the city's most unique and historic streets.
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Distinctive Homes

January 22, 2024

MTA installs new subway platform barriers at 191st Street station

Commuters should now feel more secure waiting for the 1 train at the 191st Street subway station. This weekend, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority installed new barriers on the edge of the platform at the Washington Heights station, as part of a pilot program aimed at improving safety and preventing people from falling onto the tracks. The station is the first of four to get the barriers under the program.
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NYC looks to ‘beautify’ 191st Street tunnel again

Photo © James and Karla Murray

March 17, 2023

NYC looks to ‘beautify’ 191st Street tunnel again

Two months after painting the mural- and graffiti-covered 191st Street pedestrian tunnel white, New York City announced plans to "beautify" the underground path once again. The Department of Transportation on Thursday issued a request for proposals seeking artists to submit "bold, colorful designs" for the tunnel that reflect the "rich cultural identity of Washington Heights." The request comes after community members criticized the agency for "whitewashing" an iconic piece of the neighborhood, as Gothamist reported.
Details here

Events & Things To Do

Tony Awards will be held at historic United Palace theater in Washington Heights

All photos taken by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft

December 15, 2022

Tony Awards will be held at historic United Palace theater in Washington Heights

Next year's Tony Awards will be held outside of Manhattan's theater district for the first time in 75 years. The presenters of the Tony Awards on Tuesday announced that this year's ceremony will move uptown to Washington Heights. The event will be hosted at the historic United Palace theater on Sunday, June 11, 2023.
Details here

Events & Things To Do

Lego-like Radio Hotel and Tower opens in Washington Heights

All photos courtesy of Ossip van Duivenbode

September 30, 2022

Lego-like Radio Hotel and Tower opens in Washington Heights

Washington Heights' first-ever full-service boutique hotel is now open. Located at 2420 Amsterdam Avenue at the foot of the Washington Bridge, the colorful Radio Hotel and Tower was designed by Dutch firm MVRDV, with Stonehill Taylor as the architect of record, to "stand out at the entrance of Manhattan." The 23-story mixed-use building contains a 221-room hotel, ground-floor retail, office space, a Santo Domingo-inspired restaurant, and a rooftop lounge with 360-degree views.
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NYC’s iconic High Bridge will stay open later this summer

Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

June 20, 2022

NYC’s iconic High Bridge will stay open later this summer

New York City's oldest surviving bridge will be open for two additional hours this summer. A new pilot program will extend the hours of the High Bridge, which provides a pedestrian link between Manhattan and the Bronx, to 10 p.m. daily through the end of September. Announced by Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue last week, the new pilot moves the bridge's closing time from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., allowing New Yorkers to enjoy the scenic walkway over the Harlem River for longer during the hot summer months.
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City Living

For $495K, this bright Hudson View Gardens co-op comes with amenities and a river view

Photo courtesy of Tina Gallo for The Corcoran Group

April 22, 2022

For $495K, this bright Hudson View Gardens co-op comes with amenities and a river view

On the fifth floor of the historic Hudson View Gardens co-op at 116 Pinehurst Avenue in Washington Heights, this one-bedroom home reflects the pre-war charm of the 1924 Tudor Revival building. Asking $495,000, the unit has been stylishly renovated with bright white walls and lots of color and charm.
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Distinctive Homes

April 8, 2022

10 fun things to do near Yankee Stadium

With the baseball season officially here, it's time to start planning a visit to the House that Ruth Built. But as New Yorkers know, the Bronx is more than just baseball. It's a borough full of art, culture, historic spots, green space, and diverse cuisine, all of which can be found around Yankee Stadium. Ahead of the home opener for the Bronx Bombers, 6sqft put together a list of places to visit near the ballpark, on game day or during the offseason, from the city's oldest surviving bridge and the site of the former Polo Grounds to Arthur Avenue's Italian restaurants and the legendary sports bars on River Avenue.
Before you play ball

Events & Things To Do

Explore hidden gems and lesser-known artists at the Hispanic Society Museum & Library’s new exhibit

All images courtesy of Alfonso Lozano

March 7, 2022

Explore hidden gems and lesser-known artists at the Hispanic Society Museum & Library’s new exhibit

The Hispanic Society Museum & Library has opened a new exhibition that brings attention to the wide variety of art, literature, and history from the Iberian Peninsula and South America. Curated by art historian Dr. Madeleine Haddon, Nuestra Casa: Rediscovering the Treasures of The Hispanic Society Museum & Library features select "hidden gems" from the museum's expansive collection of more than 750,000 pieces, including artworks by El Greco and Goya to masterpieces by lesser-known Latin American artists. The exhibition is open at the Washington Heights museum now through April 17.
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Hochul says 190 homes at Inwood Tower will remain affordable for next 30 years

Image courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

February 25, 2022

Hochul says 190 homes at Inwood Tower will remain affordable for next 30 years

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced an agreement with New York State Homes and Community Renewal (NYHCR) to preserve affordability for 30 years for 190 households at Inwood Tower, a Mitchell-Lama cooperative development in Washington Heights. By terms of the agreement, NYHCR will grant the co-op a $7.6 million subsidy loan that the development will use for essential repairs. With this grant, the state has ensured that more than 22,000 Mitchell-Lama apartments remain affordable for low and moderate-income New Yorkers as part of its five-year housing plan.
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Affordable Housing

New Morris-Jumel Mansion photo exhibit preserves the faces of historic Washington Heights

“Children on 162nd Street.” Gliclée print on archival fiber paper, 1901 (re-print 2021), Courtesy of the descendants of the Ettlinger Family.

February 7, 2022

New Morris-Jumel Mansion photo exhibit preserves the faces of historic Washington Heights

One of New York City's most historically significant neighborhoods is getting the attention it deserves in a new museum exhibition. The landmarked museum Morris-Jumel Mansion last month opened History Now, a collection of photographs by local artist Rose Deler that features large-format, black and white film portraits depicting the residents and architecture from the Jumel Terrace Historic District in Washington Heights. The exhibition will be open Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 3.
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Events & Things To Do

Photo courtesy of Douglas Elliman

January 21, 2022

$699K Hudson Heights co-op updates 1930s Deco details for 21st-century life

This two-bedroom co-op at 420 Bennett Avenue in Hudson Heights, asking $699,000, has 1930s Deco details like a sunken living room and arched doorways. A complete renovation has updated that pre-war perfection for 21st-century living. The building's location at the edge of Fort Tryon Park, which sits at one of the highest points in Manhattan, feels a lot like some of the best stretches of the Upper West Side.
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Distinctive Homes

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

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

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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June 21, 2021

The 18 best places to visit in Washington Heights

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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Events & Things To Do

May 18, 2021

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

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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Policy

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

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

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

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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Policy

$800K Washington Heights two-bedroom has beautiful George Washington Bridge views

Image Credit: Warburg Realty

September 23, 2020

$800K Washington Heights two-bedroom has beautiful George Washington Bridge views

Not only does this Washington Heights apartment have a unique view of the George Washington Bridge, but the two-bedroom/two-bathroom home is priced at a very buyer-friendly $799,000. Located at 825 West 179th Street, the completely renovated unit is part of a beautiful pre-war co-op just a block from the Hudson River.
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Distinctive Homes

August 17, 2020

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

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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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

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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Transit

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

July 24, 2019

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

By Nicole Mondrus

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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Events & Things To Do

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

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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Architecture And Design

Target’s latest NYC store will open in Washington Heights

Google Street View of 600 West 181st Street

May 7, 2019

Target’s latest NYC store will open in Washington Heights

New Yorkers love to emphasize their non-suburban tendencies, but something about big-box retailer Target must be working because they've just announced plans to open yet another store in NYC. First reported by The Real Deal, Target will open a Washington Heights outpost at 181st Street and St. Nicholas Avenue in 2020.
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Uncategorized

April 1, 2019

This two-bedroom Washington Heights co-op has space and good looks for a budget-friendly $400K