|
Stein-Perry Real Estate
is proud of the community which it serves and supports. No other
community in Manhattan offers a greater amount of natural beauty,
cultural diversity, and historical significant than the Washington
Heights-Inwood area. From Indian settlements and Revolutionary War
battles to prestigious cultural institutions and a rich immigrant
history, this uptown community is a truly important part of New
York City's past and future. Please read on to learn about this
fantastic place to live and work!
Ft. Washington Collegiate Church |
History:
Originally a vast wilderness inhabited by the Algonquin
Indians, the area was first colonized after the purchase of Manhattan
Island in 1626 at what is now Inwood Hill Park. Soon farms displaced
both the wilderness and its native people and the area acquired
a colonial, and very British, feel.
In 1776, during the Revolutionary War, the area took
center stage in the Battle of Fort Washington. The fort was surrendered
to the British on November 16, 1776 and did not fly the American
flag again for seven years. The fort was located at what is now
183rd and Ft. Washington Ave.
After the Revolution, New York City became very prosperous,
and wealthy merchants built estates in the style of the best of
Europe. This peaceful period continued for over 100 years and led
writers such as James Fenimore Cooper and Washington Irving to cast
a romantic aura on the area by comparing the Hudson to the noblest
of European rivers - the Rhine.
The beginning of the 20th century witnessed the formation
of many of the great cultural institutions in the Washington Heights-Inwood
community. In 1904, philanthropist Archer Milton Huntington established
the Hispanic Society of America and its Museum, leading to the construction
on Broadway of the American Numismatic Society, the American Academy
and Institute of Arts and Letters, and the Museum of the American
Indian.
Urbanization came to the area alongside the IRT subway,
which was extended to Inwood in 1906. During the first two decades
of the century, residential construction reached a peak, transforming
the area from large estates to urban sprawl.
The Great Depression created extreme hardship for
the immigrant community, but programs such as the Works Progress
Administration helped to keep the area alive. During the Depression,
workers built the 8th Avenue Subway (the "A" train), the
George Washington Bridge, and the Fort Tryon and Cloisters parks. 
Jacob K. Javits Playground |
Parks:
It is the parks that bring together all of the diverse
elements of the area to form the Washington Heights-Inwood community.
Most famous is Fort Tryon Park, which boasts 66 beautiful
acres with extraordinary views of the Palisades, the Hudson River,
the Bronx, and all of Manhattan. Within the park sits the Cloisters,
a medieval museum built with pieces of French and Spanish monasteries.
Directly north of Ft. Tryon is the Inwood Hill Park,
a more rustic and expansive park, measuring 196 acres. It features
trees, wildflowers, Algonquin caves, and glacial configurations
etched in rock.
Stein Perry
Commitment:
Stein-Perry Real Estate is proud to consider itself
a part of the cultural and business landscape of the area, supporting
the community and its people through generous sponsorships and ethical
business practices. We hope that you will join us 'Uptown' and become
part of our rich and diverse community! |
