Washington Heights (Manhattan)

The quarter was named after , built by the Continental Army during the War of Independence . On November 16, 1776, the fort was captured by British troops. Losses in the battle amounted to 130 and 320 people from the British and Hesse, respectively, and 53 killed, 250 wounded and from 2700 to 2818 captured from the Americans ^{[3] [4]} . One of the notable monuments of the War of Independence is the Morris-Jumel mansion built in 1765 in the Palladian style . ^[5] It housed the headquarters of George Washington. ^[6] The mansion is now the oldest building in Manhattan. ^[7]

In the XVIII century, there were many meager farm plots on the territory of the quarter. At that time, the area was called Harlem Heights . However, after prosperous New Yorkers liked the views from the local heights, rich estates began to be built up in large numbers in this area. Nevertheless, the active agricultural use of local lands continued until the beginning of the 20th century. ^[one]

In 1904-1906, a metro line was laid in Washington Heights. This served as a powerful impetus to the development of the quarter. Among other things, Yeshiva University and the buildings of museums and educational institutions of the complex have been erected, bearing the status of a historical place since 1980. In 1912, the large complex was built from three thousand-strong stadiums. In the quarter, the mass construction of affordable housing began, which attracted a significant number of residents of Irish , Jewish and Greek origin ^[8] . ^[one]

Thus, from 1920 to 1940, the Irish population of the quarter increased almost four times ^[9] . Before World War II, the population of German Jews in the north of Washington Heights grew so much that that part of the block was nicknamed Frankfurt-on-the-Hudson in those years ^[10] . In the quarter, the anti-Semitic group and numerous Irish gangs intensified. They vandalized local synagogues and launched attacks on Jews.

After World War II, the activity of criminal groups began to decline. At the same time, immigrants from Puerto Rico , Cuba , the Dominican Republic and Mexico began to settle in Washington Heights en masse. ^[1] By the early 1960s, the quarter was already predominantly Latin American. ^[8] By the 1980s, Washington Heights had become the original immigrant core of New York ^[8] . ^[1] As of 1990, the Dominican community of Washington Heights and Inwood was the largest in the United States. In 1991, one of the members of the city council for the first time became a Dominican by descent, ^[11] .

By the mid-1990s, a number of adverse sociocultural factors, such as poverty, overpopulation, drug trafficking , etc., often led to clashes between police and residents. So, after a local drug dealer was shot dead by police in the summer of 1992, a revolt did not subside in Washington Heights for several days. However, by the end of the 1990s, the crime rate began to decline. At the beginning of the XXI century, in the quarter that remains predominantly Latin American, there is a tendency for an influx of white population. ^[one]

According to 2010 data, the population of the quarter (together with the population of the Inwood quarter) was 205,414 residents ^[12] . The average population density was about 25,600 people / km², 2.5 times higher than the average New York population density. According to 2009 data, about ¾ of the population was represented by Hispanics in a racial ratio ^[13] . The median household income was $ 42,343 ^[12] .

After the end of World War II, this area of ​​New York turned out to be a place of compact settlement of Russian “second wave” emigrants ^[14] .

There are many parks in the quarter, including Bennett Park , which houses the island’s highest natural point, Fort Tryon Park , Highbridge Park , Riverside Park and others. There are Yeshiva University , ^[15] Borikua College and Columbia University campuses in Washington Heights. The quarter has a branch of the New York Public Library and a branch of the Cloisters Metropolitan Museum of Art .

There are several bridges in Washington Heights, including the George Washington Bridge, which is the busiest automobile bridge in the world, ^[16] , and .

The quarter is serviced by 155th Street , 163rd Street - Amsterdam Avenue , 168th Street , 175th Street , 181st Street , 190th Street , Dayman Street and Inwood - 207th Street of Eighth Avenue Line and 145th Street and 155th Street of the Concourse Line , as well as stations 157th Street , 181st Street , 191st Street , Dayman Street and 207th Street of Broadway and Seventh Avenue of New York Metro ^{[17 ]} .

As of September 2012, the bus routes Bx3, Bx11, Bx13, Bx35, Bx36, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M98, M100 and M101 operated in the district ^[18] .

Photo Gallery: Entrances at the Metro Station

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  Entrance to the station 175th Street (Eighth Avenue line)

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  Entrance to the station 181st Street (Eighth Avenue line)

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  Another entrance to the station is 181st Street (Eighth Avenue line)

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  Entrance to the station 190th Street (Eighth Avenue line)

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  Another entrance to the station is 190th Street (Eighth Avenue line)

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  Entrance to the station 191st Street (Broadway and Seventh Avenue line)

• Kenneth T. Jackson, Lisa Keller, Nancy Flood. The Encyclopedia of New York City / Lisa Keller. - 2. - Yale University Press, 2010 .-- 1584 p. - ISBN 0300182570 .