125th to 155th Streets

The dramatic span of the #1 subway trestle across the Manhattan valley temporarily interrupts the Broadway Malls. 125th St., recently named one of “America’s Ten Greatest Streets” by the American Planning Association is the gateway to famous Harlem attractions such as the Apollo Theatre and the Studio Museum.

This area’s neighborhoods reflect its rich history. Hamilton Heights, lies east of Broadway and was once the site of Alexander Hamilton’s summer home, built in 1801 when the area was a sparsely developed suburb of the city. Currently under renovation, his home, “The Grange,” is scheduled to reopen to the public in 2010.

A little further north is The Sugar Hill Historic District, named after the so called “sweet life” of its residents who included W.E.B.DuBois, Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson and Count Basie.

Plaques on Broadway at 148th and 153rd streets mark locations of important lines of defense in the Battle of Fort Washington during the Revolutionary War.