UPPER MANHATTAN, NY — Nearly 10 new signs are coming to Washington Heights and Inwood after the City Council approved 199 street renamings on Tuesday.
There were nine approved renamings in the two Upper Manhattan neighborhoods.
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The namesakes of the new streets include shuttered neighborhood businesses, local advocates who recently died, famous Dominican athletes and music stars and the cementing of Quisqueya Plaza as an official name.
Here are all nine of the newly named uptown streets.
Gregorio Luperon High School Way: Corner of 165th Street and Amsterdam.
- The specific corner did not have a name before the new renaming.
- Located on the same street as the school, Luperon was the former president of the Dominican Republic, leading the country after the Spanish annexation.
Rafael "Bullumba" Landestoy Way: Intersection of 166th Street and St. Nicholas.
- The specific intersection did not have a name before the new renaming.
- Landestoy was a Dominican pianist and composer.
Coogan's Way: Northwest corner of 169th Street and Broadway.
- The specific corner did not have a name before the new renaming.
- Coogan's, an iconic Washington Heights bar, closed in March 2020 after 30 years in the neighborhood.
Hugo Cabrera Way: Intersection of 173rd Street and Amsterdam.
- The specific intersection did not have a name before the new renaming.
- Cabrera was a legendary Dominican basketball player who died on March 23, 2021.
Johhny Ventura Way: Intersection of 176th Street and Wadsworth.
- The specific intersection did not have a name before the new renaming.
- Ventura was a legendary Dominican singer and merengue artist who died on July 28, 2021.
Victor Victor Way: Intersection of 178th Street and Fort Washington.
- The specific intersection did not have a name before the new renaming.
- Victor was a famous Dominican guitarist who died on July 16, 2020.
Edith Prentiss Way: Intersection of 186th Street and Overlook Terrace.
- The specific intersection did not have a name before the new renaming.
- Prentiss was a fierce disability advocate who lived in Washington Heights and served on Community Board 12 for many years. She died on March 17, 2021.
Isaiah Che Moranta Way: The corner of Dyckman Street and Nagle Avenue.
- The specific corner did not have a name before the new renaming.
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Moranta was a 13-year-old boy who drowned on March 13, 2020, after jumping into the water near Spuyten Duyvil Bridge in Upper Manhattan in an effort to save his friend who couldn't swim.
Quisqueya Plaza: The plaza between Broadway and Seaman Avenue
- The recently opened space was called Quisqueya Plaza this summer, but the name was changed this fall to Dyckman Plaza. It is unclear if the space will now have two names Quisqueya Plaza and Dyckman Plaza — or if Quisqueya Plaza has again become the space's sole name.
- Quisqueya is one of the names in the Taino language for the island that is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It is also the name of a municipality within the Dominican Republic.
- Rep. Adriano Espaillat had previously drafted a resolution to rename Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights and Inwood to Quisqueya Heights, before revising the legislation in October to remove the name change.