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Washington slept here. At least, we believe he did since it’s documented that George directed revolutionary forces and defended Manhattan against the British from his perch here, high above the Hudson. Today, it’s hard to go anywhere in the neighborhood without seeing our founding father’s name on something. Stretching from 190th Street to the North, the Harlem River to the East, 155th Street to the South and the Hudson River to the West, Washington Heights is home to the George Washington Bridge, Fort Washington Park and the George Washington Bus Terminal.
Fantastic views of the Hudson and Northern New Jersey prompted the wealthy to develop estates and hunting grounds here until the completion of the city subway drew middle class types to Washington Heights at the turn of the twentieth century. Instead of selling his land, railroad magnate Archer Milton Huntington created a complex dedicated to cultural learning and education and named it after his cousin John James Audubon, the famous naturalist. Centered on Audubon’s former estate Huntington built The American Academy of Arts and Letters whose members include Mark Twain, Edward hopper and Aaron Copeland, the Hispanic Society of America with its collection of Goyas and Valazquez and the American Numismatic Society, a museum of coins and metals. The Museum of the American Indian was also here until it was moved to its current location at the Customs house near Wall Street.
Unfortunately few people know of Huntington’s gift to the city and fewer still will venture here to see it. Drawn by appealing parks, views and an easy commute downtown the dynamics of the neighborhood changed as the area became over populated. Immigrants and the poor appeared filling up housing and overwhelming civic systems. Discontent surged amongst the masses and despite demands for equal rights and better social services, little has improved. Frustration leads to violence. As a result Washington Heights is one of the most crime ridden areas in Manhattan, Malcolm X being one of the neighborhood’s numerous casualties.
Population problems unsolved, the 1900 census shows Washington Heights as the largest immigrant neighborhood in New York City and host to the biggest Dominican community in the United States. Grappling with all of the issues that come with its numbers, problems still remain. Schools are overcrowded, unemployment is high and drug related issues abound. Housing is also scarce, with the majority consisting of old tenements, brownstones and low income housing – much of it in disrepair. In efforts to change all of this, district lines have been redrawn and new efforts launched hoping encourages residents to vote in elections.
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Metropolis Real Estate of Manhattan | 167 Lexington Avenue Suite 100 | New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212.696.1900, Fax: 212.696.0220 | Email: info@metropolisre.com
Our Connecticut Branch:
1200 Summer Street, Suite 105, Stamford, CT 06905
Tel: 203.653.1406, Fax:203.653.7219
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