BY Led Black (@Led_Black)
One of Uptown’s greatest assets is the parks and natural expanses that envelop the neighborhood in a sea of green. My favorite park, by far, is Inwood Hill Park, which runs from Dyckman Street and Payson Avenue all the way to the very tip of Manhattan. More than just a park, Inwood Hill Park is the last remaining primeval forest in all of Manhattan. It is 196 acres of natural beauty; 200+-year old trees, the last salt water marsh in the island as well as wildlife such as hawks, wild turkeys, possums among many more. The Lenape Indians that inhabited the area called it Shorakapok, meaning either “the wading place,” “the edge of the river,” or “the place between the ridges.” There was a Native American presence in the area all the way up to the 1930’s. In my humble estimation, you can still feel their aura in this edenic paradise set amid the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. The Inwood Hill Nature Center, located in the northern end of the park, is an ideal place to learn about the park’s ecology, history and other park related subjects. The Urban Park Rangers, located onsite, provide tours and nature workshops for the public. If you would like to see how Manhattan looked and felt in pre-colonial times you could do no better than Inwood Hill Park.
Park Portfolio – Inwood Hill Park
For more info: www.nycgovparks.org/parks/inwoodhillpark
The Inwood Hill Nature Center
Replica of a Lenape wigwam
According to legend, this is the spot where the Dutch hoodwinked the Lenape out of Manhattan. On that very same spot once stood a Tulip tree that was 300 years old whose dimensions were 165 feet in height and 6 and 1/2 feet in diameter.
I invite you to join me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter, or e-mail me at ledblackNYC@gmail.com
[…] me sitting at Locksmith Bar having a pint and surfing the web, or sitting at The Rock in Inwood Hill Park typing away while I enjoy the vista. I am truly obsessed, becoming livid when folks dismiss it as […]
[…] capture this underground legend’s artistic signature, deep in the woods of Uptown’s Inwood Hill Park. Man, based on the exact location where I found this piece of work, one might guess that the […]
[…] 24, 2010 by uptownco The 8th annual Drums Along the Hudson Native American festival held at Inwood Hill Park, was absolutely mind blowing. It is the only open-air pow wow in all of Manhattan and included […]
[…] know that this is the umpteenth time that I am writing about Inwood Hill Park but it truly is, in the words of Urban Park Ranger Katie Clifford, “New York City’s best kept […]
[…] summer, join the Urban Park Rangers for a Wild Playground program at Inwood Hill Park Indian Road Playground. In Wild Playground programs, Rangers facilitate child-directed play in […]
[…] Check out: Inwood Hill Park […]
[…] 27, 2010 by uptownco Wildman Steve Brill will be in our beloved Inwood Hill Park to conduct one of his famous foraging tours. America’s most recognized forager will teach the […]
[…] parks and natural expanses that envelop the neighborhood in a sea of green. My favorite park is Inwood Hill Park with Fort Tyron a close second. On It’s My Park Day, park lovers have the opportunity to give […]
[…] Come celebrate Halloween Ranger-style…if you dare! The Nature Center gets overtaken by haunted creatures and surprises around each corner. Feel free to wear your costume to celebrate this magical night. Inwood Hill Nature Center at Inwood Hill Park […]
[…] Greenfield of the NY Times included my favorite park, Inwood Hill Park, in her Fall-Color tour of New York City Parks. Like I have said in the past, Inwood Hill Park is […]
[…] Greenmarket (in Inwood Hill Park) Isham Street between Seaman Avenue and Cooper Street, Manhattan Location Details: Please ask a […]