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Washington Heights, Manhattan

Manhattan · Uptown Manhattan

Washington Heights real estate guide

Washington Heights is the long, narrow neighborhood on the high ridge of northern Manhattan, running from roughly West 155th Street to Dyckman Street, between the Hudson and Harlem Rivers. It is named for Fort Washington, the Revolutionary War fortification that stood near today's 183rd Street. The area remained a landscape of estates until the subway reached it in the early twentieth century, and most of its housing dates from 1905 to the 1930s, when large apartment buildings filled the grid. Two LPC historic districts protect parts of it: Jumel Terrace, designated in 1970, and Audubon Park, designated in 2009 on the former estate of John James Audubon. The Morris-Jumel Mansion of 1765, the oldest house in Manhattan, stands here. In the northwest corner, the enclave often called Hudson Heights holds Fort Tryon Park and The Met Cloisters. The George Washington Bridge lands at 178th and 179th Streets.

Homes and buildings in Washington Heights

Housing is overwhelmingly prewar apartment buildings, many Art Deco or Tudor Revival, with large rooms and often generous layouts. In the Hudson Heights section along Fort Washington Avenue, Cabrini Boulevard and Pinehurst Avenue, most buildings are co-ops, including Hudson View Gardens from 1924 to 1925 and Castle Village from 1938 to 1939. Elsewhere, co-ops and a smaller number of condos sit among rental buildings. Rowhouses are rare and concentrated around Jumel Terrace and Sylvan Terrace.

Streets, parks and landmarks

Height and green space define the place. Fort Tryon Park, designed by the Olmsted Brothers, and the Hudson River views from Fort Washington Avenue are signature settings, and the Little Red Lighthouse sits under the George Washington Bridge in Fort Washington Park. Sylvan Terrace, a block of wooden row houses from 1882, faces the Morris-Jumel Mansion. Broadway and St. Nicholas Avenue are the main commercial streets, and medical campuses at 168th Street are a major presence.

Selling in Washington Heights

Most sellers here are offering a co-op, and pricing is highly sensitive to views, floor, light and layout. A high-floor apartment with Hudson or Palisades views on Cabrini Boulevard or Fort Washington Avenue can carry a meaningful premium over a comparable interior unit. Building financials, flip taxes and sublet policies matter to buyers, so having them organized speeds the deal. Proximity to the A train express stops and to Fort Tryon Park are recurring value points, as is any original Art Deco detail that has been preserved.

Compass market data: Compass counts Washington Heights in its Upper Manhattan submarket. In Q3 2026 the Upper Manhattan submarket’s median sale price was $615,000 (+1.9% on a year earlier), on 238 closed sales (+15.5%). Source: Compass Manhattan Market Report Q3 2026 (data: REBNY RLS, ACRIS). NYC market data →

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Buying in Washington Heights

The A train serves 168th, 175th, 181st and 190th Streets, with the C also at 168th; the 1 stops at 157th, 168th, 181st and 191st Streets. Several stations, including 190th and 191st Streets, rely on elevators because they are so deep. The George Washington Bridge Bus Station sits at 178th Street. Check whether a building is inside the Audubon Park or Jumel Terrace district.

Washington Heights: frequently asked questions

Is Hudson Heights part of Washington Heights?

Yes. Hudson Heights is the name commonly used for the northwestern section of Washington Heights, roughly from West 181st Street north to Fort Tryon Park and from Broadway west to the Hudson. It is not an official designation, but it describes a distinct concentration of prewar co-ops along Fort Washington Avenue, Pinehurst Avenue and Cabrini Boulevard, including Hudson View Gardens and Castle Village.

What are the historic districts in Washington Heights?

The Jumel Terrace Historic District, designated in 1970, protects rowhouses around the Morris-Jumel Mansion, including Sylvan Terrace. The Audubon Park Historic District, designated in 2009, covers 19 apartment houses and one freestanding house built between 1905 and 1932 on John James Audubon's former estate near Broadway and West 155th to 158th Streets. Several buildings are also individual landmarks, such as 555 Edgecombe Avenue.

Source: hdc.org

What parks are in Washington Heights?

Fort Tryon Park, 67 acres designed by the Olmsted Brothers and opened in 1935, is the best known and contains The Met Cloisters. Fort Washington Park runs along the Hudson and includes the Little Red Lighthouse beneath the George Washington Bridge. Highbridge Park follows the Harlem River side and connects to the High Bridge, the city's oldest standing bridge, which links Manhattan to the Bronx for pedestrians and cyclists.

What moves price for a Washington Heights co-op?

Views, floor and layout lead. Apartments with open Hudson exposures on the western ridge are the most sought after. Buyers also weigh the walk to an A train station, the building's financial statements, reserve fund, flip tax and sublet rules, and preserved prewar details. Renovated kitchens and baths help, but in these buildings a strong board package and clean financials often matter just as much to how quickly a sale closes.

Sources: hdc.org, nyc.gov, new.mta.info. Neighborhood boundaries are customary and vary by source. Updated October 2026.

More in Uptown Manhattan

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