Washington Heights

Introduction

Washington Heights is a small community in Orange County, in New York's Hudson Valley region.

Getting around

Washington Heights sits at the northern tip of Manhattan, and getting around is mostly a matter of choosing between the subway, city buses, regional buses, and your own two feet. The neighbourhood is well connected to the rest of New York City, and it also serves as a gateway to New Jersey thanks to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, near West 178th Street and Fort Washington Avenue. If you are coming from New Jersey, that station is your main point of entry: NJ TRANSIT runs bus service into it from throughout the state, and Greyhound, Peter Pan Bus Lines, Short Line Buses, Adirondack Trailways, and Martz Trailways also use it. Gates are assigned by carrier, so check which gate applies to your line before boarding. For subway connections, the nearby 175th Street station on the A line serves the area. MTA services within the city are ticketed separately from your regional bus or rail fare, so plan to buy the two separately and check MTA.info for transit inside the city.

The station is built for comfortable transfers: free Wi-Fi, luggage storage for a fee, ample seating, restrooms, and accessibility features including ramps, elevators, and accessible restrooms. There are no restaurants or food vendors inside, but fast-food outlets, cafes, and diners are within walking distance, and a parking garage on site offers over 2,300 spaces, with fees that can be expensive. None of the region's airports are inside the neighbourhood itself — LaGuardia is the nearest, with JFK further southeast and Newark Liberty across the Hudson in New Jersey — but because the station connects to both the subway and city buses, you can combine those with a taxi or ride-hailing trip to reach any of them. Walking is a straightforward way to cover short trips between the bus station, the nearby subway, and local businesses.

Three days in Washington Heights

Day one: Start by getting your bearings in Washington Heights, the Manhattan neighbourhood at the northern tip of New York City. Walk west toward Fort Washington Avenue and West Street to take in the sweep of the Hudson, with the George Washington Bridge carrying traffic between New York and New Jersey. If you arrive by bus, the George Washington Bridge Bus Station is your gateway, served by carriers including NJ TRANSIT, Greyhound, Peter Pan Bus Lines, Short Line Buses, Adirondack Trailways and Martz Trailways. If you fly in, LaGuardia, JFK and Newark Liberty are the airports to plan around.

Day two: Give the day to walking. The neighbourhood rewards time on foot, with the Hudson on one side and the streets of Washington Heights on the other. Use the subway via MTA to move between stretches of the neighbourhood, and look for Wi-Fi where you can find it to plan the next leg. Keep the pace slow and let the walking itself be the point.

Day three: Look beyond Manhattan for a change of scene. The Hudson Valley and Orange County lie upriver, reachable by bus from the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, and the Hudson shapes the whole region. Return to Washington Heights for your final evening, or head out via LaGuardia, JFK or Newark Liberty if you are flying home.