In the 1960s, I grew up on 171st between Broadway and St. Nicholas Ave (what area is that??), went to PS 173 for kindergarten, played in J. Hood Wright Park and it was all Washington Heights, not hipster Hudson Heights. OY
8
I guess everyone knows the story of Hudson View Gardens's "restricted" policy and the building of Castle Village, but here it goes:
Hudson View Gardens had a policy: No Jews allowed. It was that way at least through the late 1950s, when my parents and I were visiting my aunt who lived in Castle Village. While we were walking from our car past Hudson View Gardens, I noticed a sign on its sloping lawn that read "RESTRICTED." A toddler, who was learning my letters, I sounded it out and my father explained to me what it meant.
Hudson View Gardens was built first. When Castle Village came along and spoiled its Hudson River view, and when Jews moved in, there was a lesson in it.
When, some twenty or so years ago, I was looking for an apartment in Washington Heights, I saw one in Castle Village and it looked exactly as I remembered it. What a lovely place. Even then, I realized that I couldn't afford the apartment, which might have been my aunt's, but I had a good, nostalgic time looking.
10
You guys are losing your touch. You published almost the same article in 1998:
https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/08/realestate/if-you-re-thinking-living-...
And for those of us who actually live here, the term "Hudson Heights" causes nothing but eye-rolls. Washington Heights, please.
13
Was about to correct the article when I came across with your comment, which I second ..Hudson Heights.? please, from 155 Street all the way to Dyckman Street is Washington Heights -- Proudly a part of this community...lol
4
@Ben - Thanks for posting the link. Very interesting to read and to see the price differentials from 20 years ago till now. Washington Heights truly used to be an affordable place to live. Now, it's still better than other areas of the city but rentals and purchase prices are very high in relation to what they were 20 years ago.
1
Ah, time for another "Hudson Heights is getting hot" article. My wife and I lived there for several years and frankly, got tired of waiting for the neighborhood to be more than "up and coming"...
Pros: those gorgeous Hudson River views and relatively cheaper rents.
Favorite event: the annual neighborhood Halloween parade. Apartments are generally larger than in other neighborhoods. Also, Fort Tryon Park is stunning.
Cons: The A train. Even though we lived at 190th and could (usually) get a seat on the morning train, we could also wait while four uptown trains passed. It was a solid 30 minutes at least to 34th street. Coming home after rush hour we normally took a cab because the A train is so unreliable and crowded. Which meant standing in traffic on the west side highway. In Hudson Heights proper there are VERY few dining / drinking options.
7
The good news about Hudson Heights is that, after all the ice melts and most of NYC—including all of Brooklyn and Queens—slips beneath the waves, this small, high enclave will still be there.
14
I am now 74, and living in L.A., but grew up in what was then Washington Heights, on 174th St. at 200 Haven Ave. I attended PS 173, played in J. Hood Wright Park, and first tasted pizza from a stand on 181st St. Back then, the A train was great, the bakeries were marvelous, we had a movie theatre, but GW High was notoriously bad. Favorite book? The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Grey Bridge.
6
GW was not notoriously bad when you were a teenage. I attended around that time.
2
The pizzeria was george Pizza ans it is still in the neighborhood ..
1
This person obviously never rode the subway from this area. The A train takes 45 minutes to 1 hr sometimes to get to midtown. It wasn't always like this, but it's never been 20-25 in the 15 yrs we lived at Castle Village. Don't mislead people who want to move uptown. The A train has turned into an extremely unpredictable route.
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Hi Judy - I've been living in this neighborhood since 1997. Yes, in the last year or two, the trains have been less predictable due to all the track work, but I would say, overall, that a 25-minute trip from 181st to 59th or 42nd is accurate.
1
I love the neighborhood having lived here for over 10 years-it is part of the larger Washington Heights neighborhood hemmed in by Fort Tryon Park, Fort Washington Avenue and depending on your perspective w 181 st or the George Washington Bridge. However I find it odd that no local Real Estate people were interviewed for the article, they would know that the so-called townhouses on Cabrini Blvd. don't exist. The 2 major amenities the neighborhood is missing is a movie theater (the closest in Manhattan is on 125th street) and a branch of the NYPL as the existing branches in the neighborhood are all east of Broadway or in Inwood -non particularly accessible for families or senior citizens , a very long walk.
7
As a teenager, I lived near the Alpine on Bway and 200th st. Is it still there?
The last time I looked, the overwhelming majority of building supers, were Live In! Lots of these Real Estate articles in The Times are pathetic for the obvious, and read more like sales pitches for the clueless!!!
10
yeah...easy to see through this.
3
Take the suggested commute times, and triple them. I suspect that the NYT was in bed with the MTA while writing this article. The A train is completely unreliable, filthy, and crowded to the point of being dangerous(I’m looking at YOU, breakdancers). I have many terrific neighbors and a lovely apartment and view, but that will not be enough to keep us here when we retire.
19
Hudson Heights is the halfway point for families who were priced out of Park Slope and are gearing up to move to Montclair. The gentrification has made the neighborhood safer and cleaner, but also more chillier-feeling than it was 10 years ago.
Anyone hoping for a lively scene will be disappointed—restaurants and bars are few—but for those who like to come home and stay home, it's great.
The commute is a nightmare, however. It is not at all uncommon to get on the uptown A only to be held at 168 Street for 20 minutes, then told to exit the train and wait for the next to get to 181st Street. (The blocks are long and somewhat hilly, so walking from 168 to 181 takes time.) On many weekends, you must take a shuttle bus from 181 to the 1 train at 168 Street.
I give myself an hour and a half to get to work in midtown.
24
"The gentrification has made the neighborhood safer and cleaner, but also more chillier-feeling than it was 10 years ago."
I don't even know what this means. When I was a child, Washington Heights was "gentrified," if by that you mean clean, quiet, and safe.
1
"fast subway rides to Midtown"? Hahaha! Hey, why don't you pull the other leg while you're at it?
I have several friends who've moved up there (and they love the area) - but the ONE thing they will all tell you is that it takes FOREVER to get to midtown (or farther downtown), and LONGER than forever to get to the East side above 60th Street.
27
There is the GW bridge port authority bus station at 181st. Some must go express.
The same article could have been written 30 years ago. It's not a bad place, if you don't mind living in the semi-suburbs.
3
I grew up in that area. Never has it been called "Hudson Heights". It's called Inwood and for those at little farther south- Washington Heights. Give me a break NY Times.
25
I thought Hudson Heights, a name devised by brokers no doubt, was bounded by Ft. Washington Ave. (not Broadway) on the east and 181st Street (not 173rd St.) on the south. Bennet Avenue and Broadway are at least 11 flights of stairs below Ft. Washington Ave. - hardly the "heights" in anybody's book. The article didn't mention that in Bennett Park (hardly an oasis of green) is a US Geological Survey marker marking the hightest natural point in Manhattan. Now THAT's the heights.
I've lived within the smaller borders of Hudson Heights for over 15 years, but have always proudly called Washington Heights home.
5
Um, from the article: "Set on a bluff somewhat apart from the rest of the city, . . . Other green spots are J. Hood Wright Park, which includes a recreation center, and Bennett Park, which occupies the highest point of land in Manhattan, 265 feet above sea level. "
1
I'm not sure what you're describing as "Heights", but if you walk towards the Hudson River from J Hood Wright Park, you would see that you are pretty far above sea level. I don't think you have to be at the highest point to be considered in the neighborhood.
I spent my high school years here a lifetime ago; first job, first boyfriend, loved it. Hope the prices hold so I can retire to this area.
2
1395$ for a studio was the LEAST expensive. Gentrification has planted its feet firmly in WASHINGTON HEIGHTS. For these prices you should be able to avoid the god awful A train and have far more shopping options. Great place to retire but not for anyone under 50.
13
I have lived in Hudson Heights for 8 years. It is delightful and lovely. It lacks a few things that more mid town locations have, but it makes up for it in beauty and charm. The down side is how dependent you are on the A train, which has been a nightmare more often than I care to say. It's an hour to the financial district during rush hour, 45 mins to mid town. Also, you have few grocery options to choose from. If you can handle that, it's great.
18
Also no movie theater or library branch.
5
I must say that with each addition to the Living In column, the New York Times confirms my suspicions of pioneerism and a lack of representation that appear to be common in these pieces. This one featuring "Hudson Heights" is no exception.
For one, it should be noted that the neighborhood name alone is contentious. Life-long New Yorkers (like myself) have known this to be a part of Washington Heights and it seems it wasn't until recently that the area has become increasingly separate from Washington Heights. This may be the case with good reason being that it is in the areas west of Broadway in Upper Manhattan, such as this one, that the demographics are different. That's not to say that Hudson Heights may be mostly white, while the area east of Broadway is largely Dominican, but certainly there are more white people on this half of Broadway.
Additionally, even in a neighborhood with a strong multi-cultural presence and identity, it seems the Times can only feature residents who just recently moved to the area and who are, seemingly, white, thereby omitting the locals who are most familiar with the neighborhood, having lived in them for years. The same can be said about the local business that are featured.
This has been the case with so many neighborhoods that have been featured on this column, each having been not fully or genuinely represented.
86
Brennan -- agree on all points. The man who "started walking around the area and was shocked to find a beautiful neighborhood" acts like he's Columbus discovering the New World. The long-time residents have always known it to be beautiful.
18
I've been living here a year, and while it is a nice enough (and by no means underrated or underpriced for what it is) neighborhood, the commute times listed in the article are "optimistic." For the average officer worker with a 9-5 job and a rush hour commute, the commute to midtown is more like 40 minutes and downtown can be an hour or more. And the packed trains are a nightmare.
37
One aspect of the subway ride downtown from this neighborhood not mentioned is that you are close enough to the 207 St. end of the A train that you typically have plenty of seating available as you board a downtown A train @ the 190th or 181st St. Stations. Yes they get crowded once one heads south, especially by 145th or 125th Sts, but you are seated. already. Yes, uptown A trains can be crowded and don't really begin to empty until 125th or 145th Sts.
13
@Annie K. - I agree with you. I lived in "Hudson Heights" aka Washington Heights for 6 years before moving to Sacramento in 2015. There is no way Mr. Chambers' door to door commute is 25 minutes to Chelsea. I liked living in the neighborhood but anytime I have to go anywhere, it was at least a half and hour, usually closer to an hour. I found a large part of my day was spent on the subway and if I went to the UES via public transportation, forget it.
At first the commute didn't bother me but over time, it wore me out, especially when the A train wasn't working or was delayed, which was frequently. It's a beautiful neighborhood but I didn't find it convenient to the rest of the city. It's a great neighborhood to live in if you never have to go below 125th street. Even going to the UWS could take 45 minutes depending on the timing of the subway.
28
Thanks for this article. Those of us who live here know all about the "gem" quality of our area. It's a vibrant, flower-filled, neighborly place for families with a wonderful sense of diversity and history. And there are many, many families here. Years ago, Cabrini Boulevard was site to the last of the Hudson Valley "castles", built by a developer named Charles Paterno just prior to the start of the GW Bridge project. He subsequently built Hudson View Gardens and then knocked down his castle to build Castle Village. The two complexes were sold as complete lifestyle communities--something that had appeal in NYC of yore. Nowadays, it hosts many NYC subcultures sharing the same spaces, not to mention some really good ramen and pizza. Unfortunately, those "four-story townhouses on Cabrini Boulevard, each listed at $3.85 million" are fake news--they do not actually exist. Follow up on the listing and it takes you to the empty lot facing 200 Cabrini. Check out the Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon Park in early October--it's the biggest day of the year up here and a great introduction to the area.
20
In the 1920s, Paterno promised his original Hudson View Gardens buyers (this was the first co-op in northern Manhattan) that not only would their view of the Hudson (get it, "Hudson View") be protected by his castle, but the restrictive covenants in his contracts would protect them from having to view such annoyances as blacks and Jews as neighbors. So there was more than a bit of schadenfreude in the then predominantly Jewish neighborhood when the three-storey Castle came down and the 12-storey Village went up. We lived across the street in 125 Cabrini at the time and when my parents returned from a look at a model apartment, my mother's verdict was that 1) the rooms were too small and 2) no one would pay $100 a month for a three-bedroom apartment. She was right on room size; wrong on rent size.
6
NYTimes: why don't you let people discover--or not discover--these places on their own? When you tout a neighborhood for its affordable rents and small town charm it's a red carpet invitation for greedy developers to swoop down and affordable rents and charm disappear. Your never-ending stories about hipster heaven and love on the L train, etc., etc, ad nauseam helped turn a pleasant, multi-everything neighborhood into the crass, overcrowded, unaffordable Williamsburg of today where the 90% of people who were NOT hipsters were forced out of their neighborhood and the hippsters were in their turn shoved out by the yuppies. I hope it doesn't happen to this part of Washington Heights but I don't have much hope.
58
Such articles as these don't create the trend; they report on it. And I really don't think developers have to wait until the Times reports on a neighborhood before they become interested in it.
18
@HKGuy: Ah, but maybe the Times is doing a favor for those developers (who may be advertising in the Times) by publicizing the neighborhood as "trendy" - when perhaps otherwise the neighborhood would not get that much notice on its own.
4
Washington Heights...not WaHi, not Hudson Heights.. Washington Heights is one of the loveliest neighborhoods in NYC and it doesn't need a developer to do anything to it, it doesn't need attention it would not otherwise get...I lived in Washington heights for about 15 years and what made it so special was the continuity of families and neighbors who grew up together and could always recall the good times, the family picnics, the social clubs, the 'incidents' between friends and families. Today, the family set finds it desirable because they an have two or three kids and get a reasonably priced three bedroom apartment. But only the very well to do can afford kids in NYC and the family set are driving up the prices and driving those whose families have spent generations there, those with less money out, along with small business with affordable goods and services...replaced by (yawn) another fancy coffee boutique and another mediocre (overpriced) trendy restaurant..and there goes the neighborhood..
3
Northern Manhattan has a thriving and diverse cultural community and it's great to not have to go downtown for events. Plus there is downtown talent performing but ticket prices are affordable. Take a look at www.heightsites.com for all that is happening in Washington Heights & Inwood.
14
We are missing in Hudson Heights a movie theater and an easily walkable branch of the NYPL. The Coliseum movie theater on 181 and Broadway closed down in 2011 and it should be renovated and reopened, like the Nighthawk people are doing in Park Slope or by someone else. In terms of the library the closest branch is in Inwood near Dyckman Street or over by Amsterdam avenue.
4
When I lived on Bennett Avenue in 2000-2005, The Coliseum was the saddest theater I'd ever been. If they open it up again, they got to do some major renovating.
2
I love this neighborhood, it has some of the most interesting prewar architecture to suit every taste: Tudor (Hudson View Gardens), Art Deco, neo-Georgian (Castle Village). It really feels like a leafy, tranquil urban village - a nice respite from the rest of the city. There are relatively few chain stores; the independent businesses here offer a feel of authenticity rather than a generic neighborhood. Best of all tourism - despite the Cloisters, Ft. Tryon Park and architectural tours - is much less intrusive than found in other parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
7
Hudson Heights = Upstate Manhattan.
I live here. I love it. It's a suburb in the city. Yes, shopping is a bit limited, but for what I paid for my apartment, to have a Hudson River view from my bedroom, why complain. It's also very quiet at night.
23
I can sleep with my window open at night. I have never been able to do that before in NYC. I just wish my downstairs neighbors were as quiet as the streets outside.
17
I live in Greenpoint Bklyn at the northern tip. It is much easier to get to western parts of Queens than most of Bklyn.
Hudson Heights is nice with the views and closeness to the Cloisters. However whenever I visited it I felt like I was in the Bronx and not Manhattan since it is so much closer to the Bronx then most of Manhattan.
7
I live in New Jersey, which includes Trenton, but I feel closer to NYC. Does this help?
17
And I live in Trenton and can get to that swell train station, Penn Station. i.e. Dolanville, in just over an hour. I own a duplex the initial cost was well under $100K. A two bedroom in a newly renovated industrial bldg. is c.$1,500. Oh, yes, I can get to 30th Street Station in Philly in 50 minutes.
2
Thank you for your reply Matthew. Yes, many times because of the dominance of someplace, even though you technically don't live in the area, you feel part of it.
Nothing wrong with living outside the dominant area.
6
Isn’t the lighthouse in Washington Heights? I live near there, and I thought Hudson Heights was a lot lower.
5
“Hudson Heights” is a recently invented name, presumably made up by the real estate industry. When I lived there in the ‘80s & 90’s, first at 161 & Fort Washington Ave, later at 184th & Ft Wash, everything above 157th was Washington Heights until you went downhill again to Inwood. It still is Washington Heights to those who’ve been there all along.
42
Technically, perhaps. I consider Hudson Heights to begin at 181st St, the point at which most cross streets no longer connect the major avenues, so IMO, you're correct. However, I think real estate agents probably consider it to begin at the GWB. In any case, the Lighthouse is an easy walk from the Heights.
Also, I think if you asked people who live here, they would not include Broadway as part of the area. The vibe is completely different from Ft. Washington or Cabrini Blvds.
12
They are both in Washington Heights. Hudson Heights is in the northwest corner of Washington Heights.
9
Aileen Jacobson's piece on Hudson Heights does bring me back memories of my visits to friends who lived on Hudson Heights and of my visits to the Cloisters via my walks through Fort Tryon, which is one of my favorite parks in NYC. 181st Street was, and remains, a lively and diverse street. One main question: Where do young people go to high school? Jacobson mentions a couple of grammar schools that serve Hudson Heights, but no high school is indicated. This district was zoned for George Washington High School, a school that had a terrible reputation. Would I want to spend over $700K for a home that didn't include access to a decent public high school? I think not.
7
There are the Exam schools open to all in NYC to take exams for admission. Otherwise this is NYC and for NYC this area is reasonably priced. Private school is also an option.
7
In NYC, there are no "neighborhood" high schools anymore. Students can apply to any high school citywide. Local property values are undoubtedly affected by school quality for lower grades (since young children overwhelmingly attend neighborhood schools), but high school admissions are citywide.
23
MOther Cabrini was a girls high school closed in 2014. I had friends that went there.. Riverdale has John F Kennedy HS, public, Fieldston, Horace Mann and plenty of religious high schools. The elite public and private schools provide own bus transportation to the schools.
1