'110th Street' is a street in the
New York City borough of
Manhattan. It is commonly known as the boundary between
Harlem and
Central Park, along which it is known as 'Central Park North'. In the west, it is also known as 'Cathedral Parkway'.
110th Street is an eastbound street between
First Avenue and
Madison Avenue. The small portion between Madison Avenue and
Fifth Avenue is westbound. West of Fifth Avenue, the road widens to accommodate two-way traffic.
A statue of
Duke Ellington stands in
Duke Ellington Circle, a shallow amphitheatre at 110th Street and
Fifth Avenue[1], at the northeast corner of Central Park. Unveiled in 1997, the statue, by sculptor
Robert Graham, is 25-feet tall, and depicts the Muses — nine nude female
caryatids — supporting a grand piano and Duke Ellington on their heads. Duke Ellington Circle is also the site of the future
Museum for African Art.
The portion known as Central Park North is notable for its incongruities; the Lincoln Correctional Facility stands just a few blocks away from new luxury condo developments.
Where 110th Street crosses
Central Park West and
Frederick Douglass Avenue, at the northwest corner of Central Park, is
Frederick Douglass Circle.
The south edge of
Morningside Park lies along West 110th Street between
Manhattan Avenue and
Morningside Drive.
The south edge of the close of the
Cathedral of Saint John the Divine is located along West 110th Street, known along this stretch as Cathedral Parkway, between Morningside Drive and
Amsterdam Avenue. The street comes to a close at
Riverside Drive before
Riverside Park.
Famous residents
George Gershwin lived in the apartment building on the northwest corner of 110th and Amsterdam Ave., where he composed his seminal piece, ''
Rhapsody in Blue''.
References in popular culture
Like
96th Street, 110th is seen to symbolically divide
New York City by wealth, class and
race.
★ The street is also known from the
Bobby Womack song ''Across 110th Street'' and from the
1972 movie of the same title. The song also was used later in the 1997 film ''
Jackie Brown''.
★ The
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band released a highly regarded jazz album in 1969 entitled ''Central Park North''.
★ In the film ''
Die Hard with a Vengeance'' the African-American character Zeus Carver tells
John McClane not to bother him with the antics of terrorist criminal Simon Gruber unless he crosses 110th Street.
Transportation connections
The elevated
IRT Ninth Avenue Line used to reach a great height at its 110th Street station and, according to Douglas (2004), was a popular site for suicide jumpers. In 1927, ''
The New York Times'' reported that:
''"the number of suicides from the 110th Street Station of the Sixth Avenue elevated is ruining the business of the merchants with shops below, according to [the merchants].... According to [a spokesperson] there were eleven suicides from that station in the past year, and the effect has been such that potential customers prefer to walk a little farther rather than risk seeing a person hurtle from above."''
Today, there are four
New York City Subway stations at 110th Street:
★
110th Street–Cathedral Parkway (IRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line), at
Broadway
★
110th Street–Cathedral Parkway (IND Eighth Avenue Line), at
Central Park West
★
110th Street–Central Park North (IRT Lenox Avenue Line), at
Lenox Avenue
★
110th Street (IRT Lexington Avenue Line), at
Lexington Avenue
110th St. is served by the
M2,
M3, and
M4 NYCT Buses.
References
★ Douglas, George H. (2004): 'Skyscrapers: A Social History of the Very Tall Building in America'. McFarland & Company, ISBN 0-7864-2030-8. (110th St station popular for suicides: p. 170).
★ "Merchants Complain Suicides Hurt Business; Seek Way to Guard 110th St. Elevated Station,"
January 31,
1927, p. 19
External links
★
501 West 110 Street Tenants Association
★ Duke Ellington Statue:
[2],
[3]