Inwood, 211th Street at Vermilyea Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

This is where Vermilyea ends; it's to the left of last night's photo. This is the back of P.S. 98, a PK through grade 4 school known as Shorac Kappock. Couldn't find out anything about the name (I guess, Jewish) but I did find out that as of school year 2004-2005, the enrollment by ethnicity was 3 Asian, 8 Black, 4 White and 770 Hispanic. The neighborhood is primarily Hispanic, but I'm surprised the enrollment is that unbalanced.

No, it's not Jewish; it's Indian! So I'm informed by my consultant, Flying Lady. Shorakkappok was the Algonkian name for a spot by Spuyten Duyvil somewhere up here between the Bronx and Manhattan where the Indians waited for the tide to go out to make the crossing easier. The name meant "sitting down place". Whew.

See map.

Inwood, 211th Street at Vermilyea Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Vermilyea Avenue ends here, begins at Dyckman. It is totally an Inwood Avenue and, according to The Street Book, was named for the family of Isaac Vermeille, who settled in upper Manhattan in 1663. Otherwise, you might think it was named for vermillion.

Inwood, 211th Street Between Broadway and Vermilyea Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

I told you it was gray.

211th Street is only two short blocks long, angling off Isham Street and running between Broadway and Tenth Avenue. Because it is west of Tenth Avenue, its house numbers begin with 500. At least I think that must be why.

See map.

Inwood, Corner of Broadway and 211th Street

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge


This is the last stop of the fabled A train. And across Broadway is Isham Park, a small but lovely park that is an alternate route to Broadway (the other being the 111 steps of citystairs).

See map.