Duffy's Hill, Steep hill on Lexington Avenue in East Harlem, New York City.
Duffy's Hill is a steep grade along Lexington Avenue between 102nd and 103rd Streets in Manhattan. The slope rises over about 28 feet (8.5 meters) across roughly 200 feet (60 meters) of pavement.
A Tammany Hall alderman invested capital in 1884 to construct rowhouses near this location, giving the neighborhood its name. That development brought new residents to the area during East Harlem's rapid growth period.
The neighborhood took its name from a developer who constructed rowhouses here in the 1880s and established a distinct local identity. Those original buildings still define the street today and reflect the close-knit community that formed around them.
The slope is most noticeable when walking up or down Lexington Avenue between the two cross streets on foot. The nearby subway station at 103rd Street sits at the base of the hill and provides access to downtown lines.
With a grade around 12.6 percent, this section of Lexington Avenue ranks among Manhattan's steepest major streets. Few routes in the city present such noticeable elevation changes over such short distances.
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