'It's so unique. There's nothing like it': A stroll through Sylvan Terrace

WNYC News

Have you ever stumbled upon a place in a neighborhood that left you full of joy, wonder or excitement? Think indie bookstore with an inspiring poetry night, or a beautiful garden sandwiched between big apartment buildings? WNYC's Community Partnerships desk is highlighting some neighborhood gems across the five boroughs. In this segment, we explore an architectural marvel in Upper Manhattan.

The transcript of this segment has been lightly edited for clarity

My name is Afua Preston. I live on Sylvan Terrace in Manhattan, which is in the neighborhood of Washington Heights, also called Sugar Hill.

Sylvan Terrace is a beautiful block with cobblestone streets and row houses. There are 20 row houses, 10 on each side. They're wooden. It's so unique. There's nothing like it. They were built in the 1890s for middle class families. In 1981, they completely renovated the facades to look the same as they did when they were first built. This house was bought by my grandmother in 1968.

There are artists here, there are doctors, there are actors, there are some famous people. A big group of people who treat each other like neighbors. It reminds me a lot of when I used to live in the East Village where there were a lot of families and neighbors and not the way the East Village is now where no one knows anybody and everybody's young and they're out in six months. These are families, some of them third and fourth generation, and we all know each other. We love each other. We care about our homes. We care about our streets. So, it's just like a family, a family of people who, for whatever reason, somehow stumbled upon the street. It wasn't like they intentionally wanted to live here. A house is for sale. They grab it if they can.

People just walk up the steps because that's usually how people enter our block. Walk up the steps from St. Nicholas Avenue and as you're halfway through the steps, you just look and you see a beautiful garden and you see these houses and you just wonder, what is this? Where did it come from? They think it's a museum. I hear many tourists come up and say, "Oh my gosh, this looks like I've stepped in Europe." Because of the cobblestones, they don't know that people live here and often we have to remind them that people do live here and to respect it, but it's just this quiet gem oasis surrounded by, you know, your normal urban city.

I really love the fact that there aren't high rises here, although, you know, a block away, they're starting to build them up. But I like the fact that there are low houses and just a community. You just can't beat that.