After weeks of rain, the sun broke though this morning. A happy day it was indeed.
Here’s a scene from the farmer’s market where one and all enjoyed the bounties of summer.

Artists, working in a variety of mediums, have long been attracted to Inwood.  From impressionist Ernest Lawson painting his ever changing views of the Spuyten Duyvil to sculptor George Grey Barnard who found quiet inspiration in his Fort Tryon studio, the area was and still is teeming with creative minds.

For the last seven years the Uptown Arts Stroll, now in full swing, has provided a public platform for these talented souls.

Among the many artists who participated in this years Uptown Arts Stroll is Canadian born Inwoodite Sky Pape.

Sky’s work is in the collection of the Guggenheim and other prestigious museum and private collections.

The textures, unique papers and inks make Sky’s works wonders to behold up close and in person.

MyInwood caught up with Sky recently in her Payson Avenue studio before she opened up her work space to to the public.  Sky Pape was one of many uptown artists who hosted “open studios” for the Arts Stroll.

Take a look:

I received a nice surprise this morning while riding the subway downtown to research an article on the old Inwood pottery studio. I’m flipping through a tabloid surveying all the doom and gloom when my web designer, Tim Hurley, hands me a copy of the Manhattan Times.

And there it was, MyInwood, staring back at me from the printed page.

I’m truly grateful for the unsolicited plug and other positive support I’ve received from the community.

Cole Thompson

MyInwood.net

With new restaurants moving into the neighborhood on a regular basis, the Inwood dining scene gets better every day.  Whether you are starting your day off with a fresh cup of coffee from the Indian Road Cafe or ending your night with a brick oven pizza from Grandpa’s,  Inwood has something for every taste and budget.  Below are just a few “tastes of Inwood.”  Below are a few of my favorites.  Happy dining.

Amy’s Restaurant ($)
Chinese takeout at affordable prices
586 West 207th Street
Between Vermilyea Ave & Broadway
Phone: 212-567-3175

Bleu Evolution ($$)
Pastas, seafood and other Italian and Mediterranean classics
808 West 187th Street
Phone: 212.928.6006
www.bleuevolutionnyc.com

Cachapas y Mas
I have a feeling this shrine the cachapas will soon become one of my neighborhood favorites. For the uninitiated, a cachapas is a traditional Venezuelan sandwich. Delicate pieces of pork, or just about any topping you like, are piled into an enormous corn pancake with a host of different ingredients. The result is a mouthwatering tower of food with a six dollar price tag. The friendly staff also cooks other traditional Venezuelan favorites including empanadas, tacuchos, patacones and arepas.
Location: 107 B Dyckman Street (near 10th Ave)
New York, NY 10034
Phone:212.304.2224
website

Cana y Cafe
Dominican Fusion- I can’t wait to see what this new kid on the block has to offer.
Location: 565 West 207th Street
Phone: 212-567-8322
website

Caridad- El Rey del Bistec
The name is in Spanish, but “The King of Steak” translates well in any language. A sports bar and restaurant, this local establishment does a booming delivery business. Ask about their family specials which include rotisserie chicken, rice & beans, plantains and soda at a price that’s almost too low to believe.
565 West 207th Street east of Broadway
Phone: 212-567-8322

Carrot Top ($)
Fresh pastries, coffee and sandwiches
5025 Broadway @ 214th Street
Phone:212-569-1532
www.carrottoppastries.com

Cumin ($)
This Indian restaurant is not even in Inwood, but they do deliver. I include it only because Inwood does not yet have its own Indian restaurant and this Riverdale establishment promises curry in a hurry.
3549 Johnson Avenue
Riverdale,New York
Phone: 718-432-2481
Free Delivery

Domino’s Pizza ($)
4797 Broadway
Phone: 212-567-8600
www.dominos.com

El Tina ($)
The fried fish plates and soups at this lunch counter style restaurant look tempting, but the real draw is the fish market attached to the restaurant. The fish and shrimp are fresh and inexpensive. It’s also just about only place in the neighborhood to buy fresh seafood.
500 West 207th Street (Between Post and 10th Avenue).
Phone: 212-567-5031

Garden Cafe ($$)
Pastas, sandwiches, wine and beer with outdoor patio seating
4961 Broadway
Between 207th & Isham
Phone: 212-544-9480
website

Grandpa’s Brick Oven Pizza ($)
Pizza and other Italian favorites
4973 Broadway @ 211th St
Phone: 212-304-1185

Guadalupe ($$$)
Latin American/Mexican dishes with an incredible tequila selection
597 West 207th Street
Between Broadway & Vermilyea Avenue
Phone: 212-304-1083
www.guadaluperestaurant.com

Hashi Sushi ($$$)
While slightly more expensive than most of the neighborhood fare, one taste of their sushis, ceviches and other artfully presented dishes explains everything. This fusion of traditional Asian and Caribbean flavors is bold and delicious. The restaurant, with its couches and screamingly strong Scotland Yard cocktails, has an East Village vibe.
5009 Broadway (at 214th Street)
646-837-6891

Il Sole ($$$)
Pastas and other traditional Italian favorites
233 Dyckman Street @ Seaman Ave
Phone: 212-544-0406
www.ilsolenyc.com

Indian Road Cafe ($$)
Bistro, coffee and wine bar
600 W 218th Street between Indian Road & Seaman Avenue
Phone: 212-942-7451
www.indianroadcafe.com

International Food House
Restaurant and buffet featuring mofongos, Cuban sandwiches, arroz con pollo and other hearty international fare.
217 Dyckman Street & Broadway
Phone: 212-942-5656
Open 24 hours a day
website

La Estufa ($$)
Healthy mix of steaks, chicken, pastas, salads  and other simple Italian fare
5035 Broadway
Between 214th & 215th St
Phone: 212-567-6640
www.laestufarestaurant.com

La Nueva Espana ($$)
Top notch rotisserie chicken at this no nonsense Latin American eatery
606 West 207th Street
Between Broadway & Vermilyea Ave
Phone: 212-567-0500

Mamajuana Cafe ($$$)
Latin American fusion and cocktail lounge.
247 Dyckman Street
Between Payson & Seaman Ave
Phone: 212-304-1217
www.mamajuana-cafe.com

Mama Sushi ($$)
Mamajuana’s sushi cousin. This new Inwood haunt features traditional sushi alongside such fusion specialty rolls as “El Campesino and the “Boca Chica.”
237 Dyckman
Phone: 212-544-0003
Delivery from 12:00pm-10:00pm
website

Noemi Juice and Salad Bar ($)
A mostly healthy alternative, Noemi offers sandwiches, empanadas, make your own salads and special “juice remedies” for whatever whatever your body needs.
225 Dyckman Street just west of Broadway
Phone: 212-567-3560
Free delivery

Palace Pizza ($)
Thanks to a review in the Manhattan Times this 60 year old pie palace is now my favorite pizza joint in the neighborhood. The slices are huge, cheesy and satisfying. They don’t deliver, but its worth the walk because these guys know pizza.
121 Dyckman near Post Avenue
Phone: 212-576-9588

Papa John’s ($)
Late night? Need a pizza? Need it fast? Papa John’s delivers until midnight on weekdays and one a.m. on weekends.
4927 Broadway (a bit South of 207th Street)
Phone: 212-942-7272
Free Delivery

Papasito Mexican Grill & Agave Bar
Chips and salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, sangria, tequila, shrimp, steak, tacos, more tequila. It’s a fiesta every night at Papasito’s.
223 Dyckman St (between Broadway & Riverside Drive)
(212) 544-0001
Website

Park View Cafe ($)
Killer omelets, entrees and delicious meal sized salads. With fresh food and reasonable prices the Park View is a great way to start or end any day.
219 Dyckman Street
Phone: 212-544-9024
Delivery from 9:00am-10:00pm
219 Dyckman Street

Piper’s Kilt ($)
Simple pub style food in a bar environment. Great burgers
Broadway @ 207th Street

Pizza Haven ($)
Your basic pizzeria.
4942 Broadway @ 207th Street
Phone: 212-569-3720
www.mypizzahaven.com

Yummy Thai ($$)
4959 Broadway (at 207th Street)
917-529-0811
Website
A new and welcome addition to the neighborhood. Standard Thai fare like you’d expect to find in Midtown. Yummy Thai is clean, friendly and reasonably priced.

With car services, dry cleaners and top notch wine outlets, Inwood has all the conveniences and luxuries of downtown.  We’re also a ten minute walk from the new Target on 225th Street.

Please do try to support neighborhood businesses whenever possible…It’s their Inwood as well.

Taxi and car services

First Class
Phone: 212-304-1111

Seaman Car Service
(Dog Friendly)
Phone: 212-304-1515

Broad-Dyckman Car Service
(Also pet friendly)
Phone: 212-304-8080

Beer, Wine & Liquor

Beer Wholesale
Flair Beverages, Inc.
Massive selection of beer and soda at wholesale prices
9th Avenue Between 206th & 207th Streets
212-569-8713

PJ’s Liquor Warehouse
Broadway Between 204th Street & 207th Streets
Huge selection. Fantastic prices.
http://www.pjwine.com/

Grocery Stores

Bravo
181st & Broadway
C-Town
Broadway between 204th Street & 207th Streets

Fine Fare
4776 Broadway @ Dyckman
212.304.1858

Garden Gourmet Market
5665 Broadway, Bronx, NY
Phone: 718-796-4209

Key Food
187th & Broadway

Pathmark
9th Ave @ 207th Street

Stop and Shop
Broadway @ 235th Street

Real Estate

New Heights Realty
Serving Inwood since 1992.
634 West 207th Street (Half a block west of Broadway)
website
This is where I work. Please feel free to call me directly
at 646-425-0093 or shoot me an email at cole@newheightsrealty.com. -Cole

Computer repair and services

Urban Tektonic
Don’t run out and buy a new computer. Let a trusted certified neighborhood specialist fix you up.
Phone: 917-720-7210
website

Movies

Creative Entertainment Coliseum Quad
703 West 181st Street

Gyms

Planet Fitness (Also has a new branch on Dyckman east of Broadway)
82 W 225th St
Bronx, NY
(718) 933-9300
www.planetfitness.com

Yoga
Bread and Yoga
4951 Broadway (207th Street)
2nd floor
Phone: 212-569-4112
Wesbite

Banks

Apple Bank
4950 Broadway
212-567-4070

Citibank
4949 Broadway @ 207th Street
212-942-0250

Other Services:

Staples
Broadway @ 233rd Street

Radio Shack
Corner of 207th Street & Vermilyea

McGivney Locksmith
207th Street Between Broadway and Vermilyea
Phone: 212-567-4409

UPS Store
Your one stop shop for shipping and mailing needs
4768 Broadway (Just off Dyckman Street)
Phone: 212-304-0282
website

Dry Cleaners:

Richie’s
4915 Broadway
Phone: 212-304-0289
http://www.servenet.com/inwood/richie.htm

Pharmacies:

Dichter’s Pharmacy
4943 Broadway near 207th Street
Phone: 212-569-1230

Rite Aid
Broadway between 204th Street & 207th Streets
212-567-2512

Hair and Beauty

Ray’s Barber Shop
634 West 207th Street between Broadway and Cooper Street
Phone: 212-569-4090
http://www.inwoodbarbershop.com/

Pet needs

Inwood Animal Clinic
Veterinarian
4846 Broadway
Phone: 212-304-8387
www.inwoodanimalclinic.com

Pet Ark
Toys, food etc…
3450 Broadway
(212) 544-2300

Petland Discounts
Toys, food, etc…
5550 Broadway in Riverdale
Phone: 718-543-5932
http://www.petlanddiscounts.com

Cigars
Portes Cigars
If smoking stogies is your thing, then you’ll love this Inwood gem. The cigars are hand-rolled, right in front of you, with tobacco grown in the Dominican Republic exclusively for this Inwood smoke shop. You don’t get any more local than that.
5009 Broadway near 215th Street
Phone: 212-544-9623

Hardwood Floor Specialist
Whether you are moving into a new apartment or your floors just need some tender loving care, Gerhsham Sands has my seal of approval. I’ve used Gersham to refinish the floors in two different apartments. He did a beautiful job at a reasonable price.
Office phone: 718-561-7213
Cell: 347-739-4347
Website
Email: gersham@qualityhflooringinc.com

[[Show as slideshow]]
Every Saturday morning residents of Inwood flock to the Farmer’s Market for fresh produce, hot cider, still warm baked bread and conversation. The Greenmarket isn’t just a place to buy farm fresh veggies, it’s also a place to meet up and simply  hang out.

Among the dozen or so vendors there’s the turkey stand from DiPaola’s Turkey Farm in Hamilton Township, NJ.

Their turkey Italian sausage is not only a neighborhood favorite, but also a canine delight.

DiPaola’s sets a special plate of grilled turkey aside for  hungry pooches who look forward to the market with enthusiasm which sometimes rivals their owners.

Then there are the folks from Hawthorne Valley Farm, who in addition to providing some of the best bread and produce around, truly know the meaning of paying it forward. The farm, located about 35 miles southeast of Albany, started a program in 1972 that gives inner city kids hands on experience on a working farm to teach them what it means to be stewards of the land.

Other culinary experiences include fresh apples and pies from the Breezy Hill Orchard, quiche and foccacia from Bread Alone, artisanal cheeses, fish and even seasonal items like leeks and mushrooms.

The market is open year round every Saturday from 8:00am-3:00pm. (Rain or shine)

See you there.

Built by William Dyckman in approximately 1784, this farmhouse was once the center of a thriving farm more than 250 acres in size. Dyckman Farmhouse, along with the smokehouse and reconstructed “Hessian Hut,” has been a public museum since 1916. Jan Dyckman arrived in New Amsterdam in the 1660s and began acquiring land in northern Manhattan.

At the time of the American Revolution, Jan’s grandson William had inherited the Dyckman estate and the family homestead stood near present-day 210th Street and the Harlem River.

During the British occupation of Manhattan (1776-83), William Dyckman and his wife Mary fled their home and sought refuge in upstate New York.
When the war ended, William returned to find his family’s home destroyed. It is believed that he immediately began building this new farmhouse, choosing a location further inland and on the newly re-routed Kingsbridge Road (now Broadway).

The small, two-story Dutch Colonial style home that William built served three generations of the Dyckman family.

William’s son Jacobus took over in the 1790s, re-established the farm, and saw it prosper. After his death, Jacobus’ two bachelor sons Isaac and Michael inherited the farmhouse.

By the 1850s, Isaac, Michael and their nephew Isaac Michael Dyckman moved away, marking the end of Dyckman family residency here.

Following Isaac’s death in 1868, Isaac Michael inherited much of the property. The farmhouse left family ownership by the 1870s and served primarily as rental housing for the next several decades.

By the early 20th century, the farmhouse was in disrepair and the rural character of the neighborhood was changing.
To ensure the farmhouse’s preservation, photographed above in 1895, Mary Alice Dyckman Dean and Fannie Fredericka Dyckman Welch, daughters of Isaac Michael, bought the property in 1915. With their husbands, curator Bashford Dean and architect Alexander McMillan Welch, they undertook a major restoration project to bring the farmhouse back to what they believed was its earliest appearance. They furnished the interiors and landscaped the property.  Also, a reproduction smokehouse and reconstructed “Hessian Hut” were added to the site.

The Dyckman Farmhouse, seen here in a 1934 photograph,  is owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and is a member of the Historic House Trust of New York City.

Visiting hours for the farmhouse museum are as follows:

4881 Broadway at 204th Street
Museum & grounds open to the public:
Wednesday-Saturday 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Sunday 12:00p.m.-4:00p.m.
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
-Source: NYC Parks Department

Part of Isham Park, this garden honors the memory of Bruce Reynolds (1960-2001), a Port Authority Police Officer, who on the morning of September 11, 2001, rushed from his post at the George Washington Bridge into the inferno of the World Trade Center, sacrificing his life to save others.

Bruce Reynolds was the son of J.A. and Geri Reynolds; the family moved from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Inwood when Bruce was only five years old. As one of the first African American families in what at the time was a predominately white, Irish-American neighborhood, the Reynolds’s (both social workers) reached out to their neighbors. For their first Christmas in New York they held an open house party, and Bruce grew close to his Irish community.

According to his parents, Bruce Reynolds wanted to be a policeman from the age of 12; it was also at that time that gangs wreaked havoc on Isham Park. J.A. Reynolds formed the Park Terrace West Gang, which, with funding from the New York Department of Youth Services, brought neighborhood youth together to restore the park, and especially this garden. Bruce worked here for hours learning about horticulture.

In May of 1980, after attending the Fashion Institute of Technology, Bruce joined the Department of Parks & Recreation as an Urban Park Ranger, where he brought his knowledge of science and his gregarious nature to the teaching of children.

Bruce left Parks in 1986 and joined the Port Authority Police. In 1990 he met Marian McBride of County Donegal, Ireland. They married a year later and bought a house in New Jersey; Bruce joined the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Bruce visited Ireland every summer, and spent time with the McBrides, walking in County Donegal’s bogs and singing in its pubs. Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds had their first child in 1997 and their second in 2000.

When last seen on September 11, Bruce was helping a woman who had been seriously burned by jet fuel. On May 18, 2002, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, who served with Bruce in the Urban Park Rangers, formally dedicated this garden to the man who as a teen gave of his time so that his neighbors might enjoy this garden, and as a police officer gave his life so that his neighbors might live.
-Source: NYC Parks Dept.

]]> http://myinwood.net/bruce-reynolds-garden/feed/ 0 http://myinwood.net/isham-park/ http://myinwood.net/isham-park/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:06:17 +0000 Cole Thompson http://myinwood.net/?p=345

Broadway, Isham St, Inwood Pk
Manhattan
Acres: 20.09
In 1864 William B. Isham, a wealthy leather merchant, purchased twenty-four acres along the Kingsbridge Road, now known as Broadway, from 211th Street to 214th Street, and northwest to Spuyten Duyvil Creek. The park named in his honor is bordered on the north by the Harlem River Ship Canal, on the west by Inwood Hill Park, on the south by Isham Street, and on the east by Broadway. Isham Park functions as a sort of town common as well as a gateway to its larger neighbor, Inwood Hill Park. The park’s hills and abundant trees, shrubs, and lawn give it a pastoral quality.
The park originally included the old Isham mansion, stables, and green house, with the mansion located at the summit of the hill. These structures were demolished in the 1940s because of prohibitive maintenance costs. Only a stone terrace on the east edge of the park, lined with beautifully crafted stone benches overlooking the Harlem River, indicates that a stately mansion once stood on the site. Early photographs depict a worn brownstone milemarker on the original carriage road. The park’s design included several ballfields and playgrounds.

Julia Isham Taylor donated a six-acre parcel of her estate to the city in remembrance of her father in 1912. She wanted the estate’s views of the Hudson and Harlem Rivers, the Harlem River Ship Canal, and Spuyten Duyvil to be preserved for future generations to enjoy. Julia’s daughter, Flora, donated her portion of the estate to the city in 1916. With Parks Department purchases in 1925 and 1927, the land for Isham Park was assembled. These acquisitions explain the unusual shape of the park which juts into Inwood Hill Park so that the two share a boundary in the middle of a field.

Like other parks in northern Manhattan, the site of Isham Park played a crucial role in the battle of Fort Washington during the American Revolution. The site served as a landing point for Hessian troops coming up the Harlem River to drive the American forces to Westchester and New Jersey. Within the park lies a lovely, worn outcropping of Inwood marble, and a large ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) tree. Today the Urban Park Rangers work with school children on a variety of restoration projects to stabilize the slope and improve the health and appearance of the park by planting native shrubs and trees.
Source: NYC Parks Dept.

Dyckman Street, Hudson River, Harlem River Ship Canal
Manhattan
Acres: 196.40
There’s old New York, and then there’s old New York. Inwood Hill Park is a living piece of old New York. Evidence of its prehistoric roots exists as dramatic caves, valleys, and ridges left as the result of shifting glaciers. Evidence of its uninhabited state afterward remains as its forest and salt marsh (the last natural one in Manhattan), and evidence of its use by Native Americans in the 17th century continues to be discovered. Much has occurred on the land that now composes Inwood Hill Park since the arrival of European colonists in the 17th and 18th centuries, but luckily, most of the park was largely untouched by the wars and development that took place.

The park continues to honor and cultivate its environment. In 2002, the Urban Park Rangers launched a five-year bald eagle release project in the park, in hopes of re-introducing the bird species to New York City. In the summer of 2007, the park’s Dyckman Marina was added to New York State’s Hudson River Greenway Water Trail, a project aimed at reacquainting city dwellers with natural bodies of water and encouraging citizen stewardship.  Similarly, a hiking trail and the Hudson River Bike Trail offer visitors chances to appreciate large stretches of the park’s natural beauty in an environmentally friendly manner.
Also importantly, the park manages to present modern conveniences like athletic fields, playgrounds, dog runs, and a barbecue area, in harmony with its natural assets. The Park stands as a functional, beautiful space, waiting to be appreciated and used.

Inwood Hill Park contains the last natural forest and salt marsh in Manhattan. It is unclear how the park received its present name.  Before becoming parkland in 1916, it was known during the Colonial and post-Revolutionary War period as Cock or Cox Hill. The name could be a variant of the Native American name for the area, Shorakapok, meaning either “the wading place,” “the edge of the river,” or “the place between the ridges.”

Human activity has been present in Inwood Hill Park from prehistoric times. Through the 17th century, Native Americans known as the Lenape (Delawares) inhabited the area. There is evidence of a main encampment along the eastern edge of the park. The Lenape relied on both the Hudson and Harlem Rivers as sources for food. Artifacts and the remains of old campfires were found in Inwood’s rock shelters, suggesting their use for shelter and temporary living quarters.

In 1954 the Peter Minuit Post of the American Legion dedicated a plaque at the southwest corner of the ball field (at 214th Street) to mark the location of a historic tree and a legendary real estate transaction. A living link with the local Indians who resided in the area, a magnificent tulip tree stood and grew on that site for 280 years until its death in 1938. The marker also honors Peter Minuit’s reputed purchase of Manhattan from the Lenape in 1626. The celebrated sale has also been linked to sites in Lower Manhattan.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, colonists from Europe settled and farmed here. During the Revolutionary War, American forces built a five-sided earthwork fort (known as Fort Cock or Fort Cox) in the northwestern corner of the park. It fell to British and Hessian troops in November 1776 and was held until the war ended in 1783. After the Revolutionary War, families returned to the area to resume farming.

Inwood Hill House in 1932

In the 1800s much of present-day Inwood Hill Park contained country homes and philanthropic institutions. There was a charity house for women, and a free public library (later the Dyckman Institute) was formed. The Straus family (who owned Macy’s) enjoyed a country estate in Inwood; its foundation is still present.  Isidor and Ida Straus lost their lives on the S.S. Titanic’s maiden voyage. When the Department of Parks bought land for the park in 1916, the salt marsh was saved and landscaped; a portion of the marsh was later landfilled. The buildings on the property were demolished. During the Depression the City employed WPA workers to build many of the roads and trails of Inwood Hill Park.

In 1992 Council Member Stanley E. Michels introduced legislation, which was enacted, to name the natural areas of Inwood Hill Park “Shorakapok” in honor of the Lenape who once resided here. In 1995 the Inwood Hill Park Urban Ecology Center was opened. It provides information to the public about the natural and cultural history of this beautiful park. Today the Urban Park Rangers work with school children on restoration projects to improve the health and appearance of the park. Complementing the work of the Rangers is that of dozens of Inwood “Vols” (Volunteers), who assist with park restoration and beautification.
-Source: NYC Parks Dept.

Inwood Hill trail map from 1970