People who live in Inwood know how truly special it is. Manhattan’s northernmost neighborhood (aside from Marble Hill) feels like it’s outside of the city — and in some places, even outside of time and space.
Unlike the lower Manhattan’s flat avenues and organized streets, Inwood varies wildly in elevation and its streets wind up hills and down into valleys.
It’s a twenty minute walk from the mysterious “Indian caves” to some of the best Dominican food in New York City. You can experience the ghosts of Gilded Age mansions close to New York’s last remaining forest. Revolutionary War artifacts sit a few blocks away from vestiges of a 20th century Irish community.
Below: Dyckman Street, date approximately 1930s? Note the mansion in the bottom left
In this special on-location episode, Greg Young and producer Kieran Gannon wind their way through the streets of Inwood and through (that’s right) thousands of years of history — from salt marshes to old amusement parks, from ancient arches to Broadway musicals, with ducks and egrets and dogs and beavers making guest appearances along the way.
And since we’re on the subject — what IS the deal with Marble Hill? What do you mean, it’s a Manhattan neighborhood?
Featuring special guests Melissa Kieweit (Dyckman Farmhouse), Cole Thompson (Lost Inwood) and Led Black (Uptown Collective)
This episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon.
Below: The Henry Hudson Bridge and “the Big C”
LISTEN NOW: THE STORY OF INWOOD AND MARBLE HILL
Visit the Dyckman Farmhouse! Visit their website for information and a list of events.
Cole Thompson and Don Rice leads monthly Lost Inwood talks at Inwood Farm, right off of Inwood Hill Park. In addition Thompson also operates the long running, deeply resource on Inwood history My Inwood. Their book on Inwood history is available in bookstores.
Led Black runs the Instagram account Uptown Collective and now records the new podcast Uptown Voices with Octavio Blanco.
The Bowery Boys Podcast is proud to be sponsored by FOUNDED BY NYC, celebrating New York City’s 400th anniversary in 2025 and the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. Read about all the exciting events and world class institutions commemorating the five boroughs legacy of groundbreaking achievements, and find ways to celebrate the city that’s always making history. foundedbynyc.com
FURTHER LISTENING
For more information on subjects discussed on this show, check out these past Bowery Boys podcasts