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LandmarkWashington HeightsJumel Terrace & Edgecombe Ave

Sylvan Terrace

A short, storybook block that is free to walk; the houses are private homes, so look from the street.

Sylvan TerraceBetween St. Nicholas Ave & Jumel Terrace

Wooden row houses lining cobblestoned Sylvan Terrace, looking east
Jim.henderson (opens in a new tab)CC0 (opens in a new tab)
The row of 1882 wooden houses along Sylvan Terrace
Beyond My Ken (opens in a new tab)CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
Row house facades on Sylvan Terrace
Antoni Jalandoni (opens in a new tab)CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
Sylvan Terrace row houses with the Morris-Jumel Mansion at the end of the street
CaptJayRuffins (opens in a new tab)CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
Sylvan Terrace in summer 2025
Clyde Charles Brown (opens in a new tab)CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

What it is

Sylvan Terrace is a short cobbled street that runs from St. Nicholas Ave to Jumel Terrace, on the line of the old Morris estate carriage drive, where W 161st St would otherwise be. Wikipedia’s entry on the Jumel Terrace Historic District says twenty wooden houses designed by Gilbert R. Robinson Jr. were built there in 1882–83, first rented to laborers and civil servants, and restored in 1979–81. They are now among the few frame houses left in Manhattan.

Who it’s for

Walkers, architecture fans, photographers, and anyone combining a visit to the Morris-Jumel Mansion with a few quiet minutes outside.

Standout details

The district is a New York City landmark (1970) and is on the National Register of Historic Places (1973). The mansion is at the top of the lane.

Honest verdict

A pretty, short stop that works best paired with the mansion. These are people’s homes, so keep voices down and stay off the stoops.