Audubon / W 165th St
The Broadway and W 165th St area around the former Audubon Ballroom and the NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia medical campus, with a few small shops on Amsterdam Ave a few blocks east.
Roughly W 162nd to W 168th St, from Broadway and Audubon Ave east to Amsterdam Ave.
This part of Washington Heights is defined by two big institutions. The first is the medical campus: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Irving Medical Center sit west of Broadway between W 165th and 168th Sts. The campus opened in 1928 as Columbia-Presbyterian, on the site of Hilltop Park, which was home to the New York Highlanders (later the Yankees) from 1903 to 1912, according to Wikipedia. The second is the Audubon Ballroom at 3940 Broadway, now the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, where Malcolm X was assassinated on February 21, 1965.
Audubon Terrace and the Audubon Park Historic District are named for the naturalist John James Audubon, who owned land in Washington Heights, according to Wikipedia. That historic district is a separate area farther south, near W 155th St on the Hudson side. East along W 165th St, Word Up Community Bookshop is on the corner of W 165th St and Amsterdam Ave.
The 168th St station (1, A, C trains) is the main subway hub.
Smaller sections
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Places
All placesThe Plug
A warm, family-run neighborhood coffee bar a few blocks from the medical campus; great for a cup to go, less so for a long laptop session.
Open nowMon–Fri 7am–5pm; Sat–Sun 8am–5pm
W 167th St near Amsterdam AveAudubon / W 165th St
Carrot Top Pastries
A long-running neighborhood bakery where the carrot cake is the draw; its official site is gone, so confirm hours before a trip.
6am–8pm (per Columbia medical center local-food list)
Broadway between W 164th & W 165th StsAudubon / W 165th St
Club Deportivo Dominicano
A genuine piece of Dominican New York with a long-running Friday salsa night; it is a club, so bring ID and call about nights and door policy.
Friday salsa night, listed midnight–4am; call for other nights
Amsterdam Ave at W 163rd StAudubon / W 165th St
ajay_suresh (opens in a new tab)CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab) Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center
A serious, moving history site; go with time to read, and buy tickets ahead because advance purchase is required.
Tue–Fri 10am–6pm (advance purchase required)
Broadway & W 165th StAudubon / W 165th St
RestaurantAudubon / W 165th St
Native Noodles
A rare Southeast Asian option uptown and worth a trip for the laksa; small room, no reservations.
Closed nowDaily 11:30am–9pm
Amsterdam Ave near W 166th StAudubon / W 165th St
RestaurantAudubon / W 165th St
Niccolo Pizzeria
A small, friendly slice shop with thin crispy crust; it's new and has little press, so treat it as promising.
Amsterdam Ave near W 166th StAudubon / W 165th St
Salento Colombian Coffee & Kitchen
A good breakfast or coffee-and-snack stop with real Colombian specialties; check freshness expectations, as a few reviewers mention inconsistency.
Open nowDaily 8am–8pm
Amsterdam Ave at W 165th StAudubon / W 165th St
Word Up Community Bookshop
A community bookshop with a real events calendar; plan around its short hours before making a special trip.
Tue–Wed 12–8pm; Thu–Sat 12–6pm; closed Sun and Mon
Amsterdam Ave & W 165th StAudubon / W 165th St
People and events
All notes
Bain News Service (opens in a new tab)Public domain Historic event1903–1912
Hilltop Park and the New York Highlanders
Hilltop Park stood on Broadway between W 165th and W 168th Sts from 1903 to 1912. A plaque on the medical center grounds marks where home plate was.
Broadway between W 165th and W 168th StsAudubon / W 165th St
Harris & Ewing (opens in a new tab)Public domain Former residentFrom about 1908, through his school years
Lou Gehrig
Born in Yorkville, Gehrig grew up in Washington Heights from about age five, near Hilltop Park and the Polo Grounds, and attended P.S. 132 before Commerce High School.
Near Hilltop Park (now NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia)Audubon / W 165th St
Herman Hitler, World Telegram staff photographer (opens in a new tab)Public domain Historic event1965
Malcolm X and the Audubon Ballroom
Malcolm X was assassinated at a rally of the Organization of Afro-American Unity at the Audubon Ballroom, 3940 Broadway. The restored building now houses a memorial center.
Audubon Ballroom, 3940 BroadwayAudubon / W 165th St
Best of
All guidesFilmed here
All productions
Beyond My Ken (opens in a new tab)CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab) Film1992
Malcolm X
Spike Lee shot the exterior of the real Audubon Ballroom for the film's assassination sequence; the ballroom interior was built elsewhere.
Audubon Ballroom exterior, 3940 Broadway at W 165th StAudubon / W 165th St