Edgar Allan Poe Street

It seems you're hard-pressed to visit any city on the East Coast—or even any neighborhood in Manhattan - without finding some kind of hidden Edgar Allan Poe lore. The guy really got around!

The Upper West Side’s contribution to the writer’s storied history can be found on W. 84th Street - in fact, between West End Avenue and Broadway, W 84th Street actually bears Poe's name to honor the impact that the location had on the writer's life. This was the street where Poe resided with his family in the Brennan Farmhouse, and where, in 1844, the author finished what would become perhaps his most famous poem, “The Raven". Legend has it that he came to the site because he was fleeing inflated rent costs in the Washington Square Park area—which is still how many Upper West Siders find their way to the neighborhood. 

Pinpointing the exact location of the Brennan Farmhouse has proved difficult, so there are actually 2 different locations with plaques claiming their status as the true location of Poe's former residence, one on the east side of Broadway at 215 W 84th Street and one on the west side of Broadway at 255 W 84th Street. 

Whichever side you choose, this stretch of Manhattan is the perfect spot to pop by to pay your respects to the macabre wordsmith.