Welcome to Inwood Hill Park! While out with our friends M and A, we found ourselves at the northernmost point of Manhattan Island and were struck by the phenomenal panoramic views. We thought it would be a great place for a sightseeing cache and hope you agree.
Cliche or not, Inwood Hill is truly one of the best-kept secrets in all of New York. Many Manhattanites who have lived here for decades have never once visited! Should they decide to correct that error, they will find a natural and peaceful tranquility impossible to imagine elsewhere on the island. Take Times Square, and then imagine the exact opposite - that's Inwood Hill. Yes, when you go to Bizarro World and visit Bizarro Times Square, you will find yourself in Inwood.
Nearly 200 acres of old-growth virgin forest, it's a living link to our city's rich history. The Lenape Indians called this area home, cultivating medicinal plants and often using the nearby caves as shelter. Centuries later, patriots and redcoats waged war throughout these very trees in the hours before New York fell to the British. Today Inwood is a return to a simpler time, a haven from the madness and an inexpensive stress-reliever.
If you look Northwest from the cache, you'll see the Spuyten Duyvil swing bridge. It's fixed at the Bronx and Manhattan sides, but pivots on a central strut to allow ships to pass as train traffic allows. Built in 1900 (to replace a wooden bridge from 1849), it was damaged in a "hit and run" by a Circle Line boat (believe it) in 1983 and left stuck in the open position for nearly a decade, until extensive repair work was finally completed allowing rail service to return. If you're patient, you'll probably get to see the bridge swing at least once while you're in the area. We did, as we were placing this cache...
If you look Northeast from the cache, past the Henry Hudson Bridge, you'll see Marble Hill, a puzzlingly disconnected section of Manhattan County that is rather inarguably attached to the Bronx. How's that, you say?
Marble Hill used to be the northernmost spur of Manhattan Island, bordered on the north by the Spuyten Duyvil Creek. But in 1895 the Army Corps of Engineers constructed the Harlem River Ship Canal, robustly connecting the Hudson and Harlem Rivers and dramatically improving shipping efficiency. This canal severed Marble Hill's physical ties to Manhattan Island, effectively turning Marble Hill into an island itself, albiet one that remained a part of Manhattan County. Twenty years later the Spuyten Duyvil was filled in, physically joining Marble Hill to the Bronx, ushering in decades of feisty exchanges between Bronxites and Marble Hillians (I just made that up, work with me here), and decades of confusion among the rest of us.
The highlight (lowlight?) surely came in 1939, when Bronx Borough President James Lyons planted a Bronx flag at 225th and Jacobus and demanded subservience from Marble Hill, referring to the area as the "Bronx Sudetenland". Classy. The issue was eventually settled in 1984 when the State of New York declared Marble Hill a part of Manhattan as a matter of law. This of course merely ensured that the confusion will continue, well, forever. Surely I can get a "heck yeah" from those distracted subway riders who get off of the 1 Train at the "last stop in Manhattan" only to find themselves a river crossing away from what they were shooting for. Like what happened to me four days ago. [Shakes fist at Marble Hill]
(Interestingly, this is not the only example of Spuyten Duyvil Creek redefining the boroughs... In 1930 another, smaller bend to the west of Marble Hill was straightened out, slicing off a chunk of the Bronx and attaching it by way of landfill to its southern sister Manhattan. As the area had been the location of a foundry and not a neighborhood, there were far fewer hurt feelings and not nearly as many opportunities for politicians to make jackasses out of themselves. Hat tip to mblatch!)
Cache is a medium-sized Pelican container that should hold up well against the elements. It's a bit of a scramble to get to the hide spot, so be careful. Instead of rushing, enjoy the view and the pairings - you can see two states (New Jersey and New York), two waterways (Hudson River and Harlem River Ship Canal), two Boroughs (Bronx and Manhattan) and two bridges (Spuyten Duyvil and Henry Hudson). As always, sign the log, be respectful, and enjoy! (PS - Please be aware of poison ivy in the area.)
