Washington Heights is a neighborhood in the upper section of Manhattan, roughly bounded by 155th Street to the south, Dyckman Street to the north, the Hudson River to the west and the Harlem River to the east.  It is named for Fort Washington, a Revolutionary War era fort that was constructed by the Continental Army at the highest point on Manhattan Island.  The Battle of Fort Washington was fought on November 16, 1776; the fort was captured by the British at great cost to the American forces.  The progress of the battle is marked by a series of bronze plagues along Broadway.

Over the years Washington Heights has been a magnet for immigrants; from the Irish in the early 1900’s, to the Greeks in the 1960’s and Dominicans in the 1980’s, the population  of Washington Heights has changed as new waves of immigrants have come to New York City.  Over the past ten years Washington Heights has begun to gentrify as residents in other parts of the city have moved to the area in search of more affordable accommodations.  Today Washington Heights is home to a wide range of New Yorkers who enjoy the vibrant cultural scene in one of New York’s most unique and authentic neighborhoods.