Rose Hill, Manhattan

Rose Hill is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It lies between several well-known areas, including Murray Hill to the north, Gramercy Park to the south, Kips Bay to the east, the Flatiron District to the southwest, and NoMad to the northwest.

In the past, Rose Hill was not always called by its current name. The area was mostly known as Rose Hill during the 18th and 19th centuries, but today people don’t use the name as often. Sometimes, the area is thought of as part of NoMad instead.

According to the AIA Guide to New York City, Rose Hill is roughly bounded by 23rd Street to the south, 32nd Street to the north, Madison Avenue to the west, and Third Avenue to the east. Some people, like the president of the Rose Hill Neighborhood Association, believe the eastern edge reaches all the way to the East River. The neighborhood is part of two community districts in Manhattan.

Rose Hill in the Bronx

The name of the Manhattan neighborhood comes from a place in the Bronx. Rose Hill Park is a small part of a big estate once called "Rose Hill" by its owner, Robert Watts. The Rose Hill Campus is part of Fordham University.

In 1775, Robert's brother John married Jane DeLancey, whose family lived nearby in what is now Bronx Park. Before this, John Watt lived in Manhattan and bought the Bronx property in 1787 from Andrew Corsa's estate. He then gave the property to his brother Robert, who named it "Rose Hill".

Research by Roger Wines, a history professor at Fordham, found that the original owner was a Dutchman named Reyer Michaelson. Benjamin Corsa, who married Michaelson's daughter, received the house and land in 1736. In 1839, John Hughes, Roman Catholic Bishop of New York, bought Rose Hill to be the future site of Fordham's early college, St. John's College.

Rose Hill on the Watts Farm

Watts' ownership

The first "Rose Hill" was a farm bought in 1747 by John Watts from James DeLancey. The farm covered over 130 acres along the East River, between what are now 21st and 30th streets and Fourth Avenue. Watts named it after his father's home near Edinburgh. In 1775, Watts and his wife left for Britain because they were Loyalists, leaving the farm to their son.

The main house at Rose Hill burned down in 1779, but other buildings like orchards and gardens remained. Parts of the farm were sold in the 1780s.

Sale

After the Revolutionary War, the farm was sold in 1790. It included a large house, a farm building, a barn, and many fruit trees. General Horatio Gates bought part of the land in 1790 and built a mansion there. After Gates died in 1806, his home became a boarding house.

By 1811, the area was divided into building lots. Nearby, Gramercy Park was created in 1831.

Locations and surroundings

Structures in Rose Hill

Baruch College, the School of Visual Arts, and the New York University College of Dentistry are all in Rose Hill. You can also find the Rose Hill Montessori Preschool there. There is a special area called the CURE.Innovation Campus for new life sciences projects, supported by New York State, located at 345 Park Avenue South.

The neighborhood includes several places that provide help and housing for people. One is Friends House in Rosehill, a project by the Quaker community. Another is the Prince George Hotel, supported by Common Ground.

Madison Square

Madison Square is in the southwest corner of Rose Hill. It is bordered by 23rd Street, 26th Street, Fifth Avenue, and Madison Avenue. The first Madison Square Garden was at the corner of Madison Avenue and 26th Street from 1879 to 1890. A second Madison Square Garden was built there from 1890 to 1925, designed by Stanford White. It was later moved to 50th Street and Eighth Avenue.

Today, Madison Square is marked by the MetLife Tower, which used to be the headquarters of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, and the New York Life Building, home to the New York Life Insurance Company. Both buildings are important landmarks in New York City. Nearby, the blocks north and west of the park are part of the NoMad neighborhood and were named the Madison Square North Historic District in 2001.

"Curry Hill"

Further information: Indian cuisine and Indians in the New York City metropolitan region

Many Asian Indian restaurants and spice shops are found along Lexington Avenue between 25th and 30th Streets. This area is called Curry Hill or Little India. It grew because of a famous spice shop called Kalustyan's. Before, this part of Rose Hill was also called Little Armenia.

Transportation

Rose Hill has four subway stations. The 23rd Street and 28th Street stations on the BMT Broadway Line serve the R and W trains near NoMad. The 23rd Street–Baruch College and 28th Street stations on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line are on Park Avenue South and serve the ⁶ and ^6d trains.

The area is also served by several bus routes. These include the M1, M2, and M3 buses on Park and Madison Avenues going north, and on Fifth Avenue going south. The M55 also runs south on Fifth Avenue. The M101, M102, and M103 buses travel along Third and Lexington Avenues in both directions. The M15 and M15 SBS buses run along First and Second Avenues in both directions. The M23 SBS crosstown bus operates on 23rd Street.