Bloomingdale in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Welcome to Historic Bloomingdale

Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 8, 2024

1. Welcome to Historic Bloomingdale Marker

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Welcome to Historic Bloomingdale. . A culturally diverse and artistically rich area, home to small, independent businesses contributing to New York City's vibrant life.. Bloomingdale is the historic neighborhood from 96th to 110th Street between Central Park and Riverside Drive. In the 1600s, the Dutch named the area Bloemendael, meaning "vale or valley of flowers," after a town of the same name in the tulip-growing region of Holland. Over its 300-year history, the Anglicanized name, Bloomingdale, has been attached to Bloomingdale Road (now Broadway), the Bloomingdale Asylum for the Insane, are still in use, the Bloomingdale School of Music, the Bloomingdale branch of the New York Public Library, and the Bloomingdale Public School. Bloomingdale is a proud part of the Upper West Side but with a more local feel. Its rich mosaic of cultures, people, and buildings, and its street-level charm distinguish Bloomingdale from the surrounding neighborhoods. The neighborhood includes the Manhattan Valley area east of Amsterdam between 100th and 110th Street, named and created during the late 1950s urban renewal. The name Bloomingdale serves as a reminder of the rich history reflected in the structures around us that continue to serve and enrich our community., A. Hostelling International Amsterdam Avenue between 103rd and 104th Street The largest youth hostel in North America, Hostelling International NY repurposes a historic building built for the Association Residence for Respectable Aged and Indigent Females in 1881. The Amsterdam Ave building is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated New York City Landmark. The building was designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, who also designed the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty and the facade of the Great Hall of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Today, the hostel is a neighborhood institution that hosts community meetings, history talks, and concerts in addition to bringing thousands of visitors to the Bloomingdale area., B. Ansche Chesed Synagogue West End Avenue and 100th Street Dating back to its 1829 foundation, Ansche Chesed inhabited five different buildings around Manhattan before settling in the Bloomingdale neighborhood. In 1927, the congregation laid the cornerstone for its present day home on West End Avenue and 100th Street. Designed by architect Edward I. Shire in a synthesis of Romanesque and Byzantine styles, one publication called it "the finest temple thus far built in the city" upon its completion., C. Historic New York Cancer Hospital Central Park West between 105th and 106th Street Designed by Charles C. Haight in 1887, the New York Cancer Hospital for the first institution devoted solely to treating the little understood disease. It was at the forefront of cancer treatment in its day and developed innovative patient treatments. The hospital housed wards in the castle-like towers as well as the world's largest supply of radium and a crematorium in the basement. Known to many as "the castle," some believe it to be haunted. Today, the building has been refurbished for residential use and is simply referred to as the 455 Central Park West., D. Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine Amsterdam Avenue between 110th and 113th Street The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is the world's largest Gothic cathedral, built stone-on-stone without steel beams. Its cornerstone was laid in 1892, but the building is still unfinished. On the south side, a neoclassical building from the Leake and Watts Orphan Asylum is incorporated into the cathedral. The surrounding grounds, called "The Close," are also open to the public and home to roaming peacocks, whose cries often compete with the Amsterdam Avenue traffic. Chartered as "a house of prayer for all people" the Cathedral has been lost to international speakers and events in addition to art exhibitions and musical performances., E. Frederick Douglass Circle Central Park West and 110th Street Located at the northwest corner of Central park, Frederick Douglass Circle is considered the "Gateway to Harlem" from Bloomingdale and was completed in 2010. The traffic circle features a statue of American abolitionist and author, Frederick Douglass, as well as a complex colored paving pattern that alludes to traditional African American quilt designs., F. West End Presbyterian Church Amsterdam Avenue and 105th Street In 1879 the New York Elevated Railroad began to carry passengers along Ninth Avenue (now Columbus Avenue), and the Bloomingdale area grew denser and more developed. Shortly after, West End Presbyterian Church was founded, and the current building's cornerstone was laid in 1891. The church boats a tall and exquisitely detailed Romanesque Revival spire and a yellow brick and terra-cotta facade. Seeking to address social needs from the beginning, West End created several orphanages and shares its space with other diverse congregations., G. Straus Park Broadway between 106th and 107th Street Originally named Bloomingdale Square, Straus Park took its current name from Isidor Straus and his wife Ida, who died on April 15, 1912 when the S.S. Titanic sank on its maiden voyage from England to America. Straus was a U.S. Congressman and co-owner of Macy's who lived at 2747 Broadway. The Memory Statue in the park includes a Biblical inscription that pays tribute to Ida's decision to remain aboard with her husband rather than save herself by boarding a lifeboat with the women and children: "Lovely and pleasant were they in their lives and in their death they were not divided" II Samuel 1-23., H. Church of the Holy Name of Jesus Amsterdam Avenue and 96th Street Church of the Holy Name traces its history back to the Bloomingdale Catholic Association, organized in the 1860s in order to found a Catholic church in the Village of Bloomingdale. The church has been located at the same site since 1868, and the present-day building was completed in 1900 after Amsterdam Avenue was completed in 1900 after Amsterdam Avenue was constructed, leveling existing hills and valleys. The Gothic structure is built of carved pink Milford granite with Munich stained glass windows and a wooden arched ceiling., I. St. Michael's Episcopal Church Amsterdam Avenue and 99th Street Saint Michael's Church was established in this rural spot on the Bloomingdale Road in 1807, before the city's grid was laid out in the Commissioner's Plan of 1811. The present building, designed by Robert W. Gibson, was dedicated in 1891. It is noted for its Romanesque and Byzantine style and its bright and colorful Tiffany stained glass windows. The Bloomingdale Branch of the New York Free Circulating Library, located behind the church, pre-dates the New York Public Library and has been preserved by the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences., J. Former Metro Theater Broadway between 99th and 100th Street This landmarked Art Deco movie theater was built in 1933. The Metro began as a first run theater, then switched to sub-run foreign and independent films, and even screened adult films during the 1970s and 1980s. It was one of the few remaining theaters of many that once populated the area and served as social gathering places for the community., K. Church of the Ascension 107th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue The Church of the Ascension Parish was established in 1895 to serve the developing Bloomingdale area. Designed by Schickel and Ditmars, the Romanesque Revival building features a light-colored rough stone facade with limestone trim. The triple portal entrance is surmounted by a rose window and four small turrets. Inside, the Italianate nave has a decorated ceiling, wheel windows at the clestory level, and tall side aisles with faux-marble columns and a is a richly-colored stained glass window depicting the Ascension of Christ., L. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of Manhattan Amsterdam Avenue and 100th Street Founded in the late 19th century by German immigrants, Trinity Lutheran Church worshipped in both German and English for almost seventy years. The church features a French transitional gothic style sanctuary with soaring arches, marvelous acoustics, and a newly-restored pipe organ. In the 1950's, Trinity was the only building within 32 acres to survive the urban renewal process. Today, the church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places., M. The Manhasset Broadway and 108th Street Built in 1899, this grand middle-class apartment building is one of the earliest of its kind in the neighborhood and boasts a distinctive mansard roof. The 1904 opening of the "IRT" (Interborough Rapid Transit) subway (now known as the #1, 2, and 3 lines) spurred the construction of many more such buildings, especially along Broadway, West End Avenue, and Riverside Drive. The building offered a number of services geared to attract middle-class residents and promoted the growing popularity of apartment living., N. East River Savings Bank Amsterdam Avenue and 96th Street The East River Savings Bank, designed by Walker and Gillette, demonstrates the typical monumental style of bank architecture in the early 20th century. Although the branch opened in 1927, the facade also features the date 1848, signifying the year of the East River Savings Institution's foundation. The parapet displays carved quotations from Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. The bank survived the Great Depression and actually expanded in the 1930s. The building was sold in 1998 and has been converted for commercial use., N. Firemen's Memorial Riverside Drive and 100th Street The Firemen's Memorial, dedicated in 1913, is one of the many impressive monuments along Riverside Drive, including Joan of Arc and Grant's Tomb. Isidor Straus, a local resident and the namesake of Straus Park, served as chairman of the memorial committee that raised the funds for the statue. Although originally intended for Union Square, the monument was ultimately built on the hillside facing the Hudson River at 100th Street. The memorial honors the firemen of New York City and today serves as a continuing shrine for those lost in the September 11 terrorist attacks., Famous Residents of Bloomingdale Barack Obama 44th U.S. President, Students at Columbia University, 142 West 109th Street . Duke Ellington Jazz Composer and Pianist, 333 Riverside Drive . Billy Strayhorn Jazz Composer, 310 Riverside Drive . Lewis Mumford Historian and Scholar on Cities, 200 West 105th Street . John Coltrane Jazz Composer and Saxaphonist, 203 West 103rd Street . Humphrey Bogart Theater and Film Actor, 245 West 103rd Street . Norman Rockwell American Artist and Illustrator, 206 West 103rd Street . George Gershwin Composer Ira Gershwin Lyricist, 316 West 103rd Street, 501 West 110th Street . Hannah Arendt Political Theorist and Writer, 370 Riverside Drive . Arthur Miller Playwright and Essayist, 45 West 110th Street, West Park Village Wilt Chamberlain NBA Basketball Player . Ray Charles Singer-Songwriter and Musician . Elaine Stritch Broadway Actress and Singer . Tito Puente Mambo Musician and Latin Jazz Composer, "Old Community" prior to Park West Village Robert Earl Jones Prominent Actor . Billie Holiday Jazz Musician and Singer-Songwriter . Marcus Garvey Jamaican Political Leader, Activist, and Journalist . Arturo Alfonos Schomburg Puerto Rican Historian, Writer, and Activist

A culturally diverse and artistically rich area, home to small, independent businesses contributing to New York City's vibrant life.
Bloomingdale is the historic neighborhood from 96th to 110th Street between Central Park and Riverside Drive. In the 1600s, the Dutch named the area Bloemendael, meaning "vale or valley of flowers," after a town of the same name in the tulip-growing region of Holland. Over its 300-year history, the Anglicanized name, Bloomingdale, has been attached to Bloomingdale Road (now Broadway), the Bloomingdale Asylum for the Insane, are still in use, the Bloomingdale School of Music, the Bloomingdale branch of the New York Public Library, and the Bloomingdale Public School. Bloomingdale is a proud part of the Upper West Side but with a more local feel. Its rich mosaic of cultures, people, and buildings, and its street-level charm distinguish Bloomingdale from the surrounding neighborhoods. The neighborhood includes the Manhattan Valley area east of Amsterdam between 100th and 110th Street, named and created during the late 1950s urban renewal. The name Bloomingdale serves as a reminder of the rich history reflected in the structures around us that continue to serve and enrich our community.

A. Hostelling International
Amsterdam Avenue between
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103rd & 104th Street
The largest youth hostel in North America, Hostelling International NY repurposes a historic building built for the Association Residence for Respectable Aged and Indigent Females in 1881. The Amsterdam Ave building is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated New York City Landmark. The building was designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, who also designed the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty and the facade of the Great Hall of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Today, the hostel is a neighborhood institution that hosts community meetings, history talks, and concerts in addition to bringing thousands of visitors to the Bloomingdale area.

B. Ansche Chesed Synagogue
West End Avenue & 100th Street
Dating back to its 1829 foundation, Ansche Chesed inhabited five different buildings around Manhattan before settling in the Bloomingdale neighborhood. In 1927, the congregation laid the cornerstone for its present day home on West End Avenue and 100th Street. Designed by architect Edward I. Shire in a synthesis of Romanesque and Byzantine styles, one publication called it "the finest temple thus far built in the city" upon its completion.

C. Historic New York Cancer Hospital
Central Park West between 105th & 106th Street
Designed by Charles C. Haight in 1887, the New

Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 8, 2024

2. Welcome to Historic Bloomingdale Marker

York Cancer Hospital for the first institution devoted solely to treating the little understood disease. It was at the forefront of cancer treatment in its day and developed innovative patient treatments. The hospital housed wards in the castle-like towers as well as the world's largest supply of radium and a crematorium in the basement. Known to many as "the castle," some believe it to be haunted. Today, the building has been refurbished for residential use and is simply referred to as the 455 Central Park West.

D. Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
Amsterdam Avenue between 110th & 113th Street
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is the world's largest Gothic cathedral, built stone-on-stone without steel beams. Its cornerstone was laid in 1892, but the building is still unfinished. On the south side, a neoclassical building from the Leake and Watts Orphan Asylum is incorporated into the cathedral. The surrounding grounds, called "The Close," are also open to the public and home to roaming peacocks, whose cries often compete with the Amsterdam Avenue traffic. Chartered as "a house of prayer for all people" the Cathedral has been lost to international speakers and events in addition to art exhibitions and musical performances.

E. Frederick Douglass Circle
Central Park West & 110th Street
Located at the northwest

Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 8, 2024

3. Welcome to Historic Bloomingdale Marker

corner of Central park, Frederick Douglass Circle is considered the "Gateway to Harlem" from Bloomingdale and was completed in 2010. The traffic circle features a statue of American abolitionist and author, Frederick Douglass, as well as a complex colored paving pattern that alludes to traditional African American quilt designs.

F. West End Presbyterian Church
Amsterdam Avenue & 105th Street
In 1879 the New York Elevated Railroad began to carry passengers along Ninth Avenue (now Columbus Avenue), and the Bloomingdale area grew denser and more developed. Shortly after, West End Presbyterian Church was founded, and the current building's cornerstone was laid in 1891. The church boats a tall and exquisitely detailed Romanesque Revival spire and a yellow brick and terra-cotta facade. Seeking to address social needs from the beginning, West End created several orphanages and shares its space with other diverse congregations.

G. Straus Park
Broadway between 106th & 107th Street
Originally named Bloomingdale Square, Straus Park took its current name from Isidor Straus and his wife Ida, who died on April 15, 1912 when the S.S. Titanic sank on its maiden voyage from England to America. Straus was a U.S. Congressman and co-owner of Macy's who lived at 2747 Broadway. The Memory Statue in the park includes a Biblical inscription

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Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

that pays tribute to Ida's decision to remain aboard with her husband rather than save herself by boarding a lifeboat with the women and children: "Lovely and pleasant were they in their lives and in their death they were not divided" II Samuel 1-23.

H. Church of the Holy Name of Jesus
Amsterdam Avenue & 96th Street
Church of the Holy Name traces its history back to the Bloomingdale Catholic Association, organized in the 1860s in order to found a Catholic church in the Village of Bloomingdale. The church has been located at the same site since 1868, and the present-day building was completed in 1900 after Amsterdam Avenue was completed in 1900 after Amsterdam Avenue was constructed, leveling existing hills and valleys. The Gothic structure is built of carved pink Milford granite with Munich stained glass windows and a wooden arched ceiling.

I. St. Michael's Episcopal Church
Amsterdam Avenue & 99th Street
Saint Michael's Church was established in this rural spot on the Bloomingdale Road in 1807, before the city's grid was laid out in the Commissioner's Plan of 1811. The present building, designed by Robert W. Gibson, was dedicated in 1891. It is noted for its Romanesque and Byzantine style and its bright and colorful Tiffany stained glass windows. The Bloomingdale Branch of the New York Free Circulating Library, located behind the church, pre-dates the New York Public Library and has been preserved by the Ukrainian Academy of Arts & Sciences.

J. Former Metro Theater
Broadway between 99th & 100th Street
This landmarked Art Deco movie theater was built in 1933. The Metro began as a first run theater, then switched to sub-run foreign and independent films, and even screened adult films during the 1970s and 1980s. It was one of the few remaining theaters of many that once populated the area and served as social gathering places for the community.

K. Church of the Ascension
107th Street between Broadway & Amsterdam Avenue
The Church of the Ascension Parish was established in 1895 to serve the developing Bloomingdale area. Designed by Schickel & Ditmars, the Romanesque Revival building features a light-colored rough stone facade with limestone trim. The triple portal entrance is surmounted by a rose window and four small turrets. Inside, the Italianate nave has a decorated ceiling, wheel windows at the clestory level, and tall side aisles with faux-marble columns and a is a richly-colored stained glass window depicting the Ascension of Christ.

L. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of Manhattan
Amsterdam Avenue & 100th Street
Founded in the late 19th century by German immigrants, Trinity Lutheran Church worshipped in both German and English for almost seventy years. The church features a French transitional gothic style sanctuary with soaring arches, marvelous acoustics, and a newly-restored pipe organ. In the 1950's, Trinity was the only building within 32 acres to survive the urban renewal process. Today, the church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

M. The Manhasset
Broadway & 108th Street
Built in 1899, this grand middle-class apartment building is one of the earliest of its kind in the neighborhood and boasts a distinctive mansard roof. The 1904 opening of the "IRT" (Interborough Rapid Transit) subway (now known as the #1, 2, and 3 lines) spurred the construction of many more such buildings, especially along Broadway, West End Avenue, and Riverside Drive. The building offered a number of services geared to attract middle-class residents and promoted the growing popularity of apartment living.

N. East River Savings Bank
Amsterdam Avenue & 96th Street
The East River Savings Bank, designed by Walker & Gillette, demonstrates the typical monumental style of bank architecture in the early 20th century. Although the branch opened in 1927, the facade also features the date 1848, signifying the year of the East River Savings Institution's foundation. The parapet displays carved quotations from Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. The bank survived the Great Depression and actually expanded in the 1930s. The building was sold in 1998 and has been converted for commercial use.

N. Firemen's Memorial
Riverside Drive & 100th Street
The Firemen's Memorial, dedicated in 1913, is one of the many impressive monuments along Riverside Drive, including Joan of Arc and Grant's Tomb. Isidor Straus, a local resident and the namesake of Straus Park, served as chairman of the memorial committee that raised the funds for the statue. Although originally intended for Union Square, the monument was ultimately built on the hillside facing the Hudson River at 100th Street. The memorial honors the firemen of New York City and today serves as a continuing shrine for those lost in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Famous Residents of Bloomingdale
Barack Obama 44th U.S. President, Students at Columbia University, 142 West 109th Street • Duke Ellington Jazz Composer and Pianist, 333 Riverside Drive • Billy Strayhorn Jazz Composer, 310 Riverside Drive • Lewis Mumford Historian and Scholar on Cities, 200 West 105th Street • John Coltrane Jazz Composer and Saxaphonist, 203 West 103rd Street • Humphrey Bogart Theater and Film Actor, 245 West 103rd Street • Norman Rockwell American Artist and Illustrator, 206 West 103rd Street • George Gershwin Composer Ira Gershwin Lyricist, 316 West 103rd Street, 501 West 110th Street • Hannah Arendt Political Theorist and Writer, 370 Riverside Drive • Arthur Miller Playwright and Essayist, 45 West 110th Street

West Park Village
Wilt Chamberlain NBA Basketball Player • Ray Charles Singer-Songwriter and Musician • Elaine Stritch Broadway Actress and Singer • Tito Puente Mambo Musician and Latin Jazz Composer

"Old Community" prior to Park West Village
Robert Earl Jones Prominent Actor • Billie Holiday Jazz Musician and Singer-Songwriter • Marcus Garvey Jamaican Political Leader, Activist, and Journalist • Arturo Alfonos Schomburg Puerto Rican Historian, Writer, and Activist

Erected by Columbus Amsterdam Business Improvement District.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Churches & Religion • Notable Places • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #44 Barack Obama series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1881.

Location. 40° 47.92′ N, 73° 58.014′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in Bloomingdale. Marker is on Amsterdam Avenue north of West 103rd Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 886 Amsterdam Ave, New York NY 10025, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Association Residence for Respectable Aged Indigent Females (within shouting distance of this marker); Bloomingdale Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Birthplace of Norman Rockwell (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Frederick Douglass Playground (about 600 feet away); Humphrey DeForest Bogart (about 700 feet away); Isidor and Ida Straus (approx. 0.2 miles away); Happy Warrior Playground (approx. ¼ mile away); Gershwin Family Residence (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 10, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 10, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 61 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 10, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.