marble_hill_manhattan_map.png Marble Hill is the northernmost section of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Marble Hill is notable in that it is legally a part of Manhattan although it is now geographically a part of the Bronx. In 1895, the construction of the Harlem River Ship Channel rendered the area an island bounded by the canal to the south and the original course of the Harlem River to the north. In 1914, the old river was filled in, physically connecting Marble Hill to the borough of The Bronx and the rest of the North American mainland. In 1939, when a judge found it to be legally still a part of the borough of Manhattan (and the County of New York), Bronx Borough President James J. Lyons declared it 'the Bronx Sudetenland', referencing Hitler's 1938 annexation of a region of Czechoslovakia. IF YOU'RE THINKING OF LIVING IN: Marble Hill, The New York Times, February 19, 1989

Marble Hill residents remain part of a political district that includes the northernmost areas of Manhattan (Washington Heights and Inwood), but receive services from the Bronx, most likely due to reasons of convenience and safety; being serviced by a fire department located across a lift bridge (the Broadway Bridge) could delay response time, as it would require usage of the University Heights or Henry Hudson Bridges, which are much further from Marble Hill than the Broadway Bridge.

The United States Census Bureau defines Marble Hill as Census Tract 309 of New York County. As of the 2000 census it had a population of 7,820 on a land area of 0.3065 km² (0.1183 sq mi). Census Tract 309, New York County, New York, United States Census Bureau, accessed June 8, 2006

The United States Postal Service treats it as if it were part of the Bronx though, as its ZIP Code is 10463 (the "104" prefix used for Bronx localities while "100" through "102" are reserved for Manhattan addresses).

In 1984, area code 718 was created out of area code 212 for the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island; in 1992, the Bronx was added to the "718" roster. Marble Hill residents fought to retain the "212" area code for the neighborhood but lost; today Marble Hill, unlike the rest of Manhattan, is in area code 718.

Marble Hill is named for the large deposits of marble underlying it. The formation, known as the Inwood marble, was formerly quarried for building stone. The area is largely lower-middle to middle class in character and is home to many people of Hispanic background. Up the hill several thousand feet to the north and west of the area is the suburban and mostly white area of Riverdale, which is the most affluent section of the Bronx. Broadway is the area's primary thoroughfare. In the last decade, national retailers have opened outlets in the neighborhood; this is seen as progress to some, and as an unpleasant alteration of the character of the area to others.

New York City Subway service is provided by the 225th Street-Marble Hill station on the IRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line, served by the 1. Additionally, commuter railroad service to lower Manhattan, the Bronx, and points north is available via the Marble Hill train station, served by Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line.

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