Interstate 95 runs from Jersey to the Bronx, but in between it briefly rushes (or, more frequently, crawls) through the northern end of Manhattan. If you’re coming from the west, once you’ve escaped the perpetual traffic jam that is the George Washington Bridge—the most heavily-trafficked bridge in the United States, with 102 million vehicles annually—you might be tempted to just keep driving. But if you take an off-ramp, there’s plenty to see.
You’ll find yourself in Washington Heights, a far-from-typical tourist destination, but a great place to visit nonetheless. This part in particular (the neighborhood west of Broadway) is known as Hudson Heights, distinguished by its greater affluence and smaller concentration of Dominican immigrants. No matter what you call it, the entire Heights area is pretty residential, but it’s a fine place for an afternoon or evening’s visit.
At both ends of the island you’ll find a spacious and beautiful park. On the west side it’s Fort Washington Park, which contains the only lighthouse in Manhattan. It’s little and red and an amazing backdrop for a family picture. The 160-acre park features a wide range of terrain, from meadows to woods, as well as courts for all varieties of outdoor sports. On the east it’s Highbridge Park, home to two impressive landmarks—the High Bridge, the oldest in Manhattan (currently under restoration and due to reopen in 2015), and the Highbridge Tower. It’s an imposing edifice that looks like it was torn from Cinderella’s castle and jammed into the top of the walkway-studded cliffs overlooking the Harlem River. The rec center has a pool and there are numerous sports fields here, as well.
A south-east view from the apartments over the highway.
There’s two good reasons to take a walking tour from one side of the island to the other, both due to the unique character of the neighborhoods along the interstate. In Hudson Heights it’s all about the architecture. Art Deco and Old World timber-frame buildings stand side by side—the most interesting among the former being the five X-shaped apartment complexes known as Castle Towers overlooking the Hudson. Further east the buildings become more typical brownstones (with the exception of four 32-storey apartments that actually straddle the highway), but now the daytripping draw is the culture. It’s the Neo Dominican Republic. You’ll hear almost nothing but Spanish on the streets, and street vendors are everywhere. Whether you’re shopping for vegetables, clothes, jewelry, or bootleg DVDs, you can get them on 181st Street or Saint Nicholas Avenue for next to nothing.
And it’s not just about the sights, either. There’s a good handful of establishments that are worth stepping inside, all within a block of the highway:
181 Cabrini
854 West 181st Street
This restaurant is only a couple blocks from George Washington Bridge, and it’s an amazing place for a weekend brunch. The walls are festooned with the work of a local artist in a style that feels like a crossover between Pablo Picasso and Ralph Steadman, and the bench seats are cozy. Word is that as a dinner spot or bar you may be better off elsewhere, but the $13.95 prix fixe brunch menu has a number of delicious options, as well as coffee and your choice of bloody mary or mimosa.
Scoop Café
659 West 181st Street
A place so new it’s not even on Google Maps, Scoop is kind of a coffee shop and mostly a pizza place. The atmosphere seems incongruously classy for a street dominated by phone salesmen and housewives selling vegetables, and the food is delicious. Alongside generous slices of brick oven pizza there’s breakfast, Middle Eastern fare and grinders—try the “Godfather.”
Reynold’s
4241 Broadway
It’s the last bastion of Irish culture in Washington Heights—an old-man bar in a world of young Latinos. Far more deserving of the name than any “dive” south of Central Park, Reynold’s has nothing at all on tap and takes only cash, has no music unless someone puts a dollar in the jukebox, and there’s almost always between eight and twelve people inside whether it’s 6pm or 3 in the morning. But whiskey on the rocks is just $4.50, a bottle of beer is cheaper than anywhere else in Manhattan, and the fourth drink is always on the house.
Saggio
829 West 181st Street
And then there’s Saggio, frequently touted as one of the best Italian dining spots in Manhattan. It’s easy to miss from the street, but once you’ve seen it you’ll want to stop by. The multi-level floorplan and romantic lighting give it a distinctive character, and the menu prices are as reasonable as they are delicious—the calamari and black linguini are particularly popular. The beautiful elevated bar and long happy hour make it a great place for a classy night out as well.
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