Customer Reviews

Manhattanville: Old Heart of West Harlem (NY) (Images of America)

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Mr. Washington has managed to summarize the rich, diverse history of a small yet fascinating section of the northern half of Manhattan which has consistently been ignored by virtually all writers on urban culture. His prose is terse and informative, and his photographs are truly stunning to anyone familiar with this neighborhood. This concise book is a precious piece of primary historical research which provides evidence on every page of the thought and effort that went into its creation. Whether you live in this neighborhood (as I have for twenty years) or are simply interested in the social and economic evolution of urban areas, this volume will provide you with a living, breathing history of an incredibly diverse slice of a continually evolving city. I urge you to read this fascinating tale of a truly unique part of our city and country.

I will make a review of both these books together. I ordered them to help me with my own book that can be purchased on Amazon - The Journal of Anne Reading from Florence Nightingale to Dorothea Dix and Beyond. Old Manhattanville gives wonderful information about life in the mid 1800s and the photographs in the other book are great. I keep going back to both books. Thank you Amazon for making me aware of these books.

Today, this neighborhood is mostly ignored. Who knew it had such a complex history? This book has great photographs. I live nearby. The web site morningside-heights.net has some pictures of this neighborhood.