Dyckman Street

North end

Dyckman Street is a street in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is commonly considered to be a crosstown street because it runs from the Hudson River to the Harlem River and intersects Broadway. However, in its true geographical orientation, Dyckman Street runs roughly from north-northwest to south-southeast, and the majority of the street that lies southeast of Broadway runs closer to a north-south direction than east-west. It is located where West 200th Street would be: the sequence of numbered streets in this neighborhood has a gap between West 193rd Street and West 201st Street. As a rustic 18th century valley road lying between Washington Heights and Inwood Hill, it long preceded the comprehensive Manhattan grid plan, which was not applied in this small part of the island.

From its northwesternmost point near the Hudson riverbank, Dyckman Street extends southeast past the Henry Hudson Parkway. From there, it continues southeast until it intersects Broadway, where it turns in a more southward direction until it merges with Tenth Avenue to form the northernmost end of the Harlem River Drive. Traffic in Dyckman Street runs in both directions except for a one-block stretch between Broadway and Seaman Avenue, where it runs only northwest/away from Broadway.

The northwestern portion of Dyckman Street separates Inwood Hill Park (to the northeast) from Fort Tryon Park (to the southwest). Additionally, the southeastern portion of Dyckman Street borders the northern tip of Highbridge Park. Bike lanes in Dyckman Street connect the Hudson and Harlem River portions of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway.

Dyckman Street is named for Dutch farmer William Dyckman, whose family owned several 100 acres (400,000 m²) of farmland in the area; the Dyckman Farmhouse, located nearby at the corner of Broadway and 204th Street, was built by William Dyckman in 1784 and is the oldest remaining farmhouse in Manhattan.^[1]

The Tubby Hook ferry operated from the Hudson River foot of the street at various times from the 18th century until 1942. ^[2]

Transportation

The Dyckman Street subway station (A train) on the IND Eighth Avenue Line is located at the intersection of Dyckman Street and Broadway. The Dyckman Street subway station (1 train) on the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line is located at the intersection of Dyckman Street and Nagle Avenue. Bike lanes on Dyckman Street connect two parts of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway.

References in popular culture

The character Pete Campbell on the series Mad Men is a descendant of the Dyckman family, and references to the area of Manhattan his family controlled are made in the show's fourth episode. It is mentioned that the Dyckman family owned a large tract of land north of what is now Central Park.

References

1. ^ "DYCKMAN HEIRS GIVE LAND.; Two Lots Added to Park Named in Honor of Ancestor.", The New York Times, February 22, 1917. Accessed October 26, 2007. "The transfer was recorded yesterday of the gift to the City of New York of two lots adjoining the Dyckman House Park at the northwest corner of Broad way and 204th Street."
2. ^ Washington Heights history Tubby Hook