ARTS & POINTS OF INTEREST / Audubon Terrace – Historic District (Washington Heights)
Broadway between W 155 and W 156, and vicinity.

The land was first owned by John James Audubon, and the naturalist and artist is buried across the street In Trinity Cemetery. The Beaux Arts-era buildings of the Audubon Terrace District buildings were built in the early twentieth century. The area was designated a historic district in 1979 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. To find out what’s great about the area, we spoke to Kelly Cole, a Senior Vice President at the Corcoran Group and longtime resident in the River Arts building.

What’s a great way to spend a week-end?
The local’s favorite spot in Audubon Terrace is his or her own apartment! But Fort Washington Park to the north is a great outing. Once you get past the bustling entryway at 158th St, you’ll find botanical walkways, volleyball, hand ball, bike paths, dog runs, kayaking, a dozen tennis courts and even fishing. If you prefer being artsy, there’s the greatest Goya collection in the world at The Hispanic Society of America (613 W 155 St). Or pick any of the lecture circuits and arts events available at City College or Boricua College.

What are some of your favorite spots?
Must-sees: the Church of Our Lady of Esperanza (624 W 156 St) and Trinity Cemetery (W 153 to W 155 St). Trinity is the only working cemetery in Manhattan, and it provides a peaceful, beautiful, thought-provoking walk through U.S. and NYC history. The Morris-Jumel Mansion (65 Jumel Terrace, a block west of W 160 St) is a national treasure and worth visiting whenever you have house guests. Riverside Church (visible from many Audubon Terrace apartment windows) offers arts, education, political and community-oriented events throughout the year.

What are some of the neighborhood’s dining highlights?
Restaurants abound on Broadway between 160th and 155th. There are chicken with rice-and-bean palaces and glorious NY diners packed all 24 hours (Coral Diner and El Presidente, to name two). To the south, overlooking the placid Hudson is The River Room (Riverside Drive at 145th St) with its southern-influenced menu, valet parking and evening jazz dinners. Sunday brunches are so popular that you may have to wait on line. There is also the swath of eclectic restaurants under the Riverside viaduct that fancies itself the uptown answer to the meatpacking district. We recently dined there alongside Governor Paterson one evening, and former Mayor Koch on another.

Why would someone want to go out of their way to visit the Audubon District?
For a next-to-home get-away for a day. A walking tour of our winding streets, old growth trees and early twentieth-century architectural grandeur is a wonderful escape from shoebox-sized apartments.

For more information: https://audubonparkperspectives.org/2016/01/17/six-to-celebrate-expanding-the-audubon-park-historic-district/