Mendelssohn on the Hudson

Fort Tryon Park, near the Heather Garden, at the upper stone wall overlooking Billings Lawn



We’re in Fort Tryon Park, near the Heather Garden, at the upper stone wall overlooking Billings Lawn, the Hudson River, and the New Jersey Palisades. You can see how panoramas like this one inspired the area’s nickname, “Frankfurt on the Hudson.” John D. Rockefeller Jr. was instrumental in shaping this Park’s history by donating the old Billings Estate to the Park, as well as the new site for the Cloisters Museum.

The photogenic 67-acre park, completed in 1935, is a place for everyone in and outside the neighborhood to meet and celebrate. Many German Jewish families would enjoy walking and socializing on the park’s main thoroughfare on the Sabbath and holidays. Some of the more observant Jews would carry bread to cast into the Hudson River during the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah. This Park is full of memories for the German Jews who made their home in Washington Heights. Here is one from a widower as he takes his stroll through the park.

Linden Terrace, Northernmost end of the Stan Michels Promenade in Fort Tryon Park



We’re at the northernmost end of the Promenade, the David Rockefeller Linden Terrace. Up these stairs there’s another spectacular view of the Hudson River and Palisades.

Today Felix Mendelssohn’s music is once again played in Germany, and his statues and reputation have been restored. New listeners can discover, enjoy, and honor his legacy.

The refugees from Hitler’s Germany are almost gone. A local social service agency in 2021 estimated that around 300 remain in the neighborhood. Every day, new arrivals discover this unique neighborhood for themselves, just as the German Jews and their children did. They leave extraordinary stories, most never told, and some passed on to the next generation, which now includes you.

We hope you enjoyed this historical and musical tour in the footsteps of the German Jews of Washington Heights.