Morningside Heights
In order to describe the history and identity of Manhattan’s Morningside Heights, it’s necessary to describe Columbia University in turn. When the school moved from midtown into the undeveloped farmlands of Morningside in 1895, the two became inextricably linked. A burgeoning middle class and a number of landmark institutions followed Columbia: Barnard College, Teachers College, Union Theological Seminary, Jewish Theological Seminary, and Manhattan School of Music now all reside along Broadway, the main artery for the neighborhood. It has definitely earned the moniker of ‘The Acropolis of America.’ Naturally, the identity of Morningside Heights is interwoven with all of these institutions, but this doesn’t mean that the New York City neighborhood can be reduced to this connection, far from it. Morningside Heights is a cultural gem that has plenty to boast about in its own right.
Bound between 110th and 125th Streets, Riverside drive to the west and Morningside Drive to the east, Morningside Heights is abundant in cultural and historical treasures. The Cathedral of St. John the Divine – an awe-inspiring place – is located on 113th and Amsterdam, right next to Columbia. Riverside Church is another architectural marvel with a rich social history: Martin Luther King famously denounced the Vietnam War from its pulpit. Grant’s Tomb, a mausoleum dedicated to civil war general and United States President Ulysses S. Grant, is another architectural gem. The residential architecture in Morningside Heights is elegant and imposing; the distinct history of Morningside Heights makes it like no place else in New York. Manhattan’s Morningside Heights also has many charming restaurants and stores, not to mention a lively nightlife, so it is not simply a place for those who are in search of a quiet, historically hallowed area (although it certainly is that too). This unique place has something for everyone looking to experience life in New York.
