If you take the A train all the way to the last stop uptown you’ll reach Inwood. This is the neighborhood in which I grew up in, and have resided in for most of my life. It is diverse in which you’ll find hispanics, white people, black people, asians, etc. Once you get off the train you’ll see many little shops and family owned businesses. You’ll see bakeries, restaurants, boutiques, beauty salons, and more. You’ll even see street vendors, and people who walk around selling things such as ‘’empanadas” (a hispanic pastry), or “pasteles en hoja” (another hispanic dish). You’ll even see people selling icee’s, or hear and see the mister softies ice cream trucks around. Being in my neighborhood I feel very connected to my culture. I’m Dominican and the neighborhood’s Hispanic population are mostly Dominicans. There are a lot of options where I can get Dominican food, or I’ll just be outside walking and I’ll hear people play some Spanish music outside. Whether it’s Bachata, Merengue, Salsa, Reggaeton, Dembow (Different types of Spanish music). It feels like you’re transported to the Dominican Republic.
If you walk more north up Inwood the vibe changes, as the blocks get more peaceful. There are many historical landmarks located in the area such as The Dyckman Farmhouse. This is a historical house that was built in 1785 which still stands to this day and is now a museum in which people can come visit, and learn about Inwoods history. It is the oldest farmhouse that still remains on the island of Manhattan. Another historical landmark is Inwood Hill Park as it was known as fort coxhill during the revolutionary period, which was attacked and seized at the time. Inwood Hill Park is also a landmark because it was home to many Native Americans , in which you can actually go and see one of their old homes that still remains (a wigwam).
Inwood is made up of many 5-6 floor buildings that were built about over 100 years ago. Many of the buildings still stay to this day, but there have been new buildings being built as well. Lately I can see that there has been gentrification with these new buildings being built. There have also been buildings taken down like our local public library. It used to be a big building with 2 floors, but they tore it down, and are now doing construction to create new buildings for people to live in.
Overall Inwood is a neighborhood that holds a lot of history, and cultural diversity. There are some signs of gentrification, but most of the neighborhood remains the same. Overall in this neighborhood I feel comfortable. I recently moved out to a new neighborhood that gives more of a suburban feel, and sometimes I miss the present culture and vibe that I feel when I’m in Inwood.
