• About

This Handcrafted Life

~ decorative painting, low-tech photography and paper craft

This Handcrafted Life

Tag Archives: inwood hill park

Finding an Old Growth Forest in Manhattan

19 Thursday Jun 2014

Posted by ThisHandcraftedLife in black and white, cityscape, iPhone apps, landscape, Photography, Travel

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

history of new york city, inwood hill park, manhattan, new york city, nyc parks, photography

The best thing about moving to a new neighborhood is exploring. A few weeks ago, I dove into the depths of Inwood Hill Park, a 200-acre park at the northwestern tip of Manhattan, about ten blocks north of my apartment. I’d heard, “Be careful, it’s lightly traveled, be alert.” But I finally got fed up with being worried about what might or might not happened if I went for a walk. So who did I meet? Dog walkers, some joggers, couples on romantic strolls and a dad taking his toddler for a walk. Not so fearsome after all! InForest2

Best of all, I discovered a fantastic new place.

IHPath

This is a thickly forested park, hilly and rocky, and contains the last old growth forest in Manhattan. It’s full of birds and small mammals, secluded and beautiful. Just the place to take a walk to clear your head.

IWWoods

Inwood Hill Park is shaped like a big comma. Here it is seen from the north, with the Hudson River on the right (west) and the Harlem River at the bottom of the photo (north). Henry Hudson Bridge is in the foreground, connecting Manhattan to the Bronx. The rest of Manhattan stretches south into the distance. The area where the two rivers join is home to the last saltwater marsh in Manhattan, which attracts diverse bird life.

InwoodHillPhoto

Although the Henry Hudson Parkway runs right through the park, you wouldn’t know it. It’s separated from the rest of the park by a cliff, which muffles the sound if you’re in the valley to the east. A few ballfields and meadows are the only landscaped areas in the park. As you can see, it’s almost completely forested. This photo shows how unexpectedly green Upper Manhattan is!

Here’s a short video I shot of the old growth forest, with a few details of its history.

There’s a long legacy of Native American tribes in this area. As legend has it, the agreement that passed Manhattan from the Lenape Indians to the Dutch (in exchange for trade goods valued at 60 guilders) was made here in 1626. The Lenape, an Algonquin tribe, are the original New Yorkers, and lived here for about 10,000 years before the Europeans showed up and ruined everything for them. “Manhattan” is derived from the Lenape “Mannahatta,” which means, “Island of Many Hills.”

SaleManhattan

Here’s a look at the “Indian Caves,” in the valley that’s now called The Clove. The Indian Caves aren’t really caves, they’ve more like overhangs, and were probably used for resting, not living. Bits of pottery and detritus from hunting have been found here.

InForest3

The topography is a result of shifting glaciers.

IHCave3

IHCave2

There are at least three freshwater springs in the park, and the high canopy, dense underbrush, extensive shelter and lack of predators make it ideal for wildlife. This is a prime birding spot in Manhattan, especially during migration, since the thick forest is perfect for resting and foraging. Over 200 species either live here or pass through annually. Small mammals love it here, too. Skunks, raccoons, bats, groundhogs and lots of squirrels and other small rodents are common. I’m still hoping to see a rabbit. The forest is lightly traveled by people, and dogs are not allowed off the leash.

Here’s a link to the NYC Audubon site if you’d like to know more about birding in this park.

Even under the Henry Hudson Bridge, it’s beautiful. Some paths are cut into the cliffs and take you high above the rivers.

IHBridge

IHRidg

Kids in the Bronx jump off this cliff into the Harlem river. The C is for Columbia University, which has a campus nearby. This is the point where the Hudson and Harlem rivers meet.

IHC

As I began exploring Inwood Hill Park, I started reading a fantastic book that helped me learn about Manhattan’s ecological history, “Mannahatta” by Eric W. Sanderson. It’s an amazing resource, investigating the biological diversity that flourished here before the city developed.

Mannahatta

The best part about Inwood Hill Park is that it’s simply here, that this forest actually survived. It’s great to know that if I need a break from the city, I can wander through the woods for a little while and experience a whole different kind of Manhattan.

IWPath2

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 330 other followers

Come Join the Gang!

  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Recent Posts

  • Designing with Light: Gilding a Wall
  • Finding an Old Growth Forest in Manhattan
  • Color Matching Madness
  • Meandering Around Munich
  • Sketchbook: Why Cats Seem Indifferent

Top Posts & Pages

  • Inside Central Park: The Arcade at Bethesda Terrace
  • Paper Crafting with Italian Florentine Papers
  • How Do They Do That? Chinoiserie Wallpaper
  • How Do They Do That? Painted Woodgrain
  • How Do They Do That? Painted Strié Finishes

My Decorative Painting Website

Handmade Paper Craft in my Etsy shop

Tags

aluminum leaf architecture art Australia beach birds black and white black and white photography cat central park cityscape color matching craft crafting decorative painting decorative paper decorative papers diana camera drawing embroidery family history faux finish faux finishes faux finishing faux marble faux oak faux painting faux wood faux wood grain fine art florence food gardens gilding glazing handmade book handmade paper illustration interior design italy landscape long island manhattan marble marbling murals nature needlework new york new york city oak painted finishes painted marble painted oak painted wood painting paper craft photography pinhole pinhole camera pinhole photography plastic camera portrait portraiture sculpture sewing silkscreen sketch sketchbook strie sydney toy camera travel trompe l'oeil woodgraining

Categories

Archives

  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
Online Marketing
Add blog to our blog directory.

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • This Handcrafted Life
    • Join 330 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • This Handcrafted Life
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...