155th St. and Edgecombe Ave, Washington Heights

  

        

Above, Troger's Restaurant, which was located on the south side of 155th St. at Edgecombe Ave. touted itself as the coolest place in Washington Heights.  It was located over by the Speedway near the High Bridge.  It was built in 1898 and they eventually had seating for 500 patrons.  We have no record of when they closed.

Above, Harlem River Drive at West 155 St., Washington Heights. Published in Leslie's Weekly in 1900.

Opening day of the "Speedway," Edgecombe Ave at W 155 St. along the Harlem River, what would become Harlem River Driveway. In the right lower corner is The Polo Grounds III stadium also known as Brotherhood Park where the New York Giants played before moving to San Francisco. The area above the stadium was and is still known as Coogan's Bluff or Coogan's Hollow. 

How Harlem River Speedway Became Harlem River Drive. 

Before it was called the Harlem River Drive, the parkway running north and south along the west bank of the Harlem River was called the Harlem River Speedway. Construction began in 1894, and the speedway opened in July of 1898. 

It stretched from 155th St. to Dyckman Street in Inwood. At first, use of the speedway was restricted to equestrians and carriage drivers. This pleased the wealthy, who worried that sharing the road with other vehicles would ruin their good time.  In advance of the speedway’s opening, a New York Times headline from May 15, 1898 announced: “No Danger that Bicyclists Will Mar the Horsemen’s Sport on the Speedway. THEY ARE EXCLUDED BY LAW.” The speedway became a tourist destination where people could watch horse and boat races, visit Highbridge and Fort George Amusement Park, and enjoy the scenery along the Harlem River.  Some New Yorkers were unhappy that tax dollars were used to build an exclusionary road. As Charles C. Sargent, Jr., noted in his article “A Horseman’s Paradise” in the November 1898 issue of Munsey’s Magazine, “For the men – a few hundred at most – who own fast horses and want to ‘try them out,’ the sapient rulers of New York have spent in making the Speedway money that would have built thirty school houses, and would have provided twice over for the twenty five thousand children turned away last September from the overcrowded primary schools of the metropolis.”

It was not until 1919 that the Harlem River Speedway was opened to motorists. Three years later, it was paved.

Old Photos Near Highbridge Park

These photos are primarily Along Amsterdam Ave. or immediately adjacent to Amsterdam Ave. or Jumel Place, or Edgecombe Ave.  Photos are courtesy of the New York Public Library Collection or the Museum of the City of New York or Google maps.

Above two photos are both
499 West 175th Street at the N.E., corner of Amsterdam Ave. c. 1932.
Courtesy New York Public Library

19 Jumel Place, east side,
between 167th and 168th Streets,
a three-story frame house. 1932.
 J. Clarence Davies Collection,
Museum of the City of New York.
Negative No. 423.

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2l Jumel Place,
a three-story frame house opposite the S.W. corner of 168th Street. 1932.
J. Clarence Davies Collection,
Museum of the City of New York.
Negative No. 463

46 Jumel Place,
a two-story frame house adjoining the S.W. corner of Edgecombe Avenue. 1932.
J. Clarence Davies Collection,
Museum of the City of New York.
Negative No. 458

(above) 671-673 Edgecombe Avenue, three frame houses at and adjoining the S.W. corner of Jumel Place. 1932. Negative No. 464. 

(right) A rear view of the same houses. 1932. Negative No. 465.

J. Clarence Davies Collection, Museum of the City of New York. 

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515 W. 169th St. north side between Amsterdam Ave. and Audubon Ave. 1934. 
P L Sperr, photographer
Courtesy New York Public Library

Amsterdam Avenue at S.W. corner of 168th Street, 1932,   Courtesy New York Public Library 

Amsterdam Avenue at S.W. corner of 168th Street.
October 12, 1934. P. L. Sperr, Photographer,   Courtesy New York Public Library  

Amsterdam Avenue, west side, from 166th to 167th Streets. 2176-2178 Amsterdam Avenue, the two houses at and adjoining the S.W. corner of 168th Street, are two-story frame houses. 1932.
J. Clarence Davies Collection,
Museum of the City of New York. Negative No. 456.

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Amsterdam Avenue, at, adjoining, and south of the S.E. corner of 167th Street, showing 2161-2165 Amsterdam Avenue, a two-story frame structure which will be demolished later in the year. 1932.

 J. Clarence Davies Collection, 

Museum of the City of New York.

 Negative No. 44 

   

NW corner of Amsterdam Ave and 175th St., 2014
Google Earth




Same view as photo immediately above.
 NW Corner of Amsterdam Ave and 175th St. looking from the baseball field North
The private residence on the east of Amsterdam Ave., adjacent to the baseball field,
can be seen in the first two pictures of this post above.
April 8, 1934. P. L. Sperr, New York Public Library

Same baseball field as in the photo immediately above near the corner of 175th St. and Amsterdam Ave. three years later in 1937. Note that the 3 story private residence with the gable roof has been demolished.  Note also that the building at the NW corner of 168th and Amsterdam Ave. (2350) with the distinctive 5 part construction is also the same.
Courtesy New York Public Library.