Its a question that I’ve even been confused of growing up here all my life. I’ve lived on Academy, Post, Arden and Hillside. I’m more Dyckman than a lot of people can claim to ever be.

The other day while walking up 145th and Broadway, I saw a flower shop called “Washington Heights Florist” and I was like: “Huh? Isn’t this Harlem?” It didn’t help that my friends in Harlem say: “Well, there’s barely any black folk on Broadway from 137th to 155th so how can we consider it Harlem?” I’m like – well if you haven’t noticed – no neighborhood in NY is completely color dominant anymore so why shouldn’t it be considered Harlem? Another question that popped into my mind is: “Has Washington Heights become defined by wherever you begin seeing Dominican people?” Because if that’s the case, we can start off at the 1 train stop at 137th street and Broadway.

I grew up in Dyckman all my life and I will make it clear once and for all that Dyckman is not Washington Heights. Have you ever taken the A train? If so, you know that the Dyckman stop says: “Dyckman/Inwood.” It doesn’t say “Dyckman/Washington Heights.”

This is how I define Washington Heights and I feel everyone else should as well. Washington Heights begins right where the cemetery on 155th street ends. That cemetery separates Harlem from the Heights. And please don’t talk to me about Hamilton Heights. Its either Harlem or the Heights. It’s the same way I feel about people west of Broadway on 181st saying they are from Hudson Heights. Give me a break! I don’t care if you’re from Pinehurst or any of the other blocks going down towards the river to Cabrini – you are from Washington, not Hudson Heights.

So if the Heights begins at Boricua College/ end of cemetery on 155th street, where does it end? It ends at the Post Office on 196th street and Broadway. You know, right next to Jubilee Restaurant? That is where the Heights ends for me and that’s where the Cloisters begin on the ground level in a sense and gives birth to Inwood. Anything past that post office is Inwood and that starts at Hillside Avenue.

On our subway maps, I believe it lists the Heights as 164th all the way to 196th street. They got the latter part correct.

So why has there been so much confusion?

I think my Dominican folk are partly to blame. We identify so much with the Heights because it has the largest % of Dominicans outside of our country that we overlooked the basic facts. I think it also has to do with the fact that Inwood was always looked upon as an Irish stronghold as they were here before us. But, Dominicans stretch as far as 218th and all the way into the Bronx. We can’t believe that even 207th and 215th are the Heights too right?

I think this is an issue that really needs to be addressed in every neighborhood. The same goes for the Columbia U people saying their not from Harlem, but their located at 116th and Broadway. But anyone on 100th and 1st avenue is considered Harlem? Makes no sense in reality. New York really has to look into cutting down these unnecessary neighborhood names or just correcting what’s what because its really confusing. It really is…

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