Excursion to Washington Heights

Armed with a March 25th NY Times article, Paula and I took a ride on the C train to 163rd Street, to find some of those hidden gems mentioned by the author. The first was a pleasant surprise. Right next to the C-Town supermarket is a lovely stone staircase. We climbed the stairs to the cobblestone street of Sylvan Terrace, to see the beautiful painted wood row houses emerge. It was like going back in time.

Continuing with the directions we passed the Morris-Jumel Mansion, Manhattan's oldest house, built in 1765 as a summer country escape from Downtown. It is famous for the fact that George Washington spent five weeks here during the Revolution, in an octagonal room on the second floor from where he could see the British Navy ships in the harbor. I guess it is true that Washington got around!

We then walked the High Bridge and Aqueduct Trail. It is a recently paved bike and foot path above the Harlem river and runs from 165th street to the High Bridge entrance, which I believe is around 175th street. It is a beautiful tree-lined path. At the end of the trail we climbed the stairs to Highbridge Park and its water tower, a bit of a feat for the two of us, since we haven't been exercising. Before the climb I took some photos of the bridge and the traffic on the Harlem River Drive.



It was well worth the trip. My only regret is that we didn't stop at the Carrot Top Pastries at 3931 Broadway. According to the article, the owner began baking carrot cakes for prisoners in the 1970s and now bakes about a thousand carrot muffins every day between this shop and the one in the Bronx. Guess I'll save that for next time!