park

Inwood’s Indian Life Reservation

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In the winter of 1926 Inwood historian and local archeologist Reginald Pelham Bolton began work on a curious and eclectic exercise, the creation of an Indian reservation in Inwood Hill Park.   Bolton’s vision was not to be a true reservation, but rather a recreation of what a Native American encampment might have looked like. “The [...]

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Fort George Amusement Park

Fort George Amusement Park in turn of the century Inwood, New York City

“Harlem’s Coney Island has one great advantage over Everybody’s Coney Island, and that is it costs only a nickel to get there. Every nickel means a glass of beer or a frankfurter, and every East Sider knows the value of a nickel. That is one great reason why Fort George is popular.” -The Sun, August [...]

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Inwood: The Other End of Manhattan Island

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“It cannot be many years before this primeval part of the city at the northern end of Manhattan Island will be submerged like the rest with the flood of tenement houses that has inundated the undulating fields of the Dyckman Valley.” -New York Free Press, August 7, 1910 Every year or so a major publication [...]

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Inwood Hill Park Concession Stand: A Reader Contribution

Inwood concession stand 1977

Recently, MyInwood.net reader Frank Yannaco wrote in to tell me about the concession stand his family once owned and operated inside the Isham Street entrance to Inwood Hill Park. We soon began a dialogue that included a promise of photos and descriptions of his life in Inwood.  True to his word, Frank soon emailed me [...]

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Hurricane Sandy Aftermath in Inwood

Compared to the devastation seen in other areas the damage in Inwood was, thankfully, minimal.  Throughout the neighborhood trees are down, but despite the howling winds we never lost electricity.  Below are some photos taken the morning after.  My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the communities that were not so fortunate.  

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Trapped in an Inwood Hill Cave

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Sometimes, as an adult,  I find myself lost in the nostalgia of childhood.  I imagine myself running a wooded trail, chased by my younger brothers, exploring the forests, creeks and sewers of 1970’s suburbia.  Every day in the forest was an adventure and anything seemed possible.  Still fresh are the memories of searching for an [...]

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Princess Naomi

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Author’s note: Published reports and records vary about the spelling of Kennedy’s first name. According to descendants her name was spelled Naomie. Since moving to Inwood  I’d heard stories of an almost mythical figure known only as Princess Naomie, who, in the 1930’s, took up residence near the old tulip tree in Inwood Hill Park. [...]

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An Amphitheatre in Inwood Hill?

Open Air Theater for Inwood Hill Park

Since the 1880’s various ideas have been floated for how best to use the space we now know as Inwood Hill Park.  From a World’s Fair that never took place to an ambitious plot to build a Coney Island style amusement park called Wonderland, developers, speculators and entertainment promoters long had their eye on the [...]

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