Harlem

A stretch of street in East Harlem was renamed Cicely Tyson Way in honor of the late trailblazing actress. Tyson, who grew up in a fifth-floor railroad flat at 178 East 101st Street, died last January at the age of 96. Throughout her 70-year award-winning career, Tyson defied racial stereotypes and became famous for her depiction of strong Black women in theater and film.
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Celebrities

New MCNY exhibit explores what New Yorkers eat and why it matters

Mary Mattingly, Biosphere, 2015. Courtesy of Mary Mattingly, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de la Habana

September 8, 2022

New MCNY exhibit explores what New Yorkers eat and why it matters

A new exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York dives into the "powerful connections" between New Yorkers and food. Called Food in New York: Bigger Than the Plate, the indoor-outdoor show features the work of more than 20 artists that explores the city's food systems and the challenges that come with it. Food in New York opens on September 16.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC renames Harlem street in honor of tennis star Althea Gibson

Althea Gibson was honored with a ticker tape parade in New York City after she won the 1957 Wimbledon Women’s Singles Championship. Photo via Wikimedia

August 26, 2022

NYC renames Harlem street in honor of tennis star Althea Gibson

A block in Harlem was renamed on Thursday in honor of tennis star Althea Gibson on what would have been her 95th birthday. Gibson broke the color barrier in tennis, becoming the first Black player to compete in the U.S. National Championships and in the tournament at Wimbledon. The section of West 143rd Street between Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard and Malcolm X Boulevard will be called "Althea Gibson Way."
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History

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka fetch $6.99M for five-story townhouse, a new record for Harlem

All photos courtesy of Will Ellis / DDreps

August 23, 2022

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka fetch $6.99M for five-story townhouse, a new record for Harlem

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka sold their Harlem home earlier this year for $6,990,000, setting a new townhouse record for the Manhattan neighborhood. The couple picked up the property at 2036 Fifth Avenue in 2013 for nearly $3,600,000 and conducted a thorough renovation of the historic home, which was constructed in 1908 as a bed and breakfast. The new neighborhood record breaks the one set in April by the home at 32 Mount Morris Park, which sold for $6,400,000.
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New York commits $8M to renovate Harlem’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Image of the Schomburg Center via Wiki Commons

August 18, 2022

New York commits $8M to renovate Harlem’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced the state will commit $8 million for upgrades to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. The investment will go toward the refurbishment of the building's facade, replacement of the roof and windows, and the installation of much-needed safety and energy-efficient features. The state's announcement comes during Harlem Week, a weeklong celebration of the neighborhood's history and culture.
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Developers behind Harlem’s One45 withdraw plan after opposition from local council member

Rendering courtesy of SHoP Architects

June 1, 2022

Developers behind Harlem’s One45 withdraw plan after opposition from local council member

A proposal to bring two new residential towers with hundreds of affordable housing units to a largely vacant lot in Harlem was scrapped by developers this week. Late on Monday, the developer withdrew the project, known as One45, a few hours before it was set to be voted on by a City Council committee, as Patch first reported. The plan involved two mixed-use towers on the corner of West 145th Street and Lenox Avenue with a total of 915 apartments. The proposal faced fierce opposition from local Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan, who argued that the new development would displace Harlem's Black residents and contribute to gentrification. Without the zoning changes needed to build One45, the developers could construct a condo building with no affordable housing, a self-storage facility, and a community facility.
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Affordable Housing

Apply for 268 mixed-income apartments at new 19-story East Harlem tower, from $625/month

Rendering courtesy of S9 Architecture

May 27, 2022

Apply for 268 mixed-income apartments at new 19-story East Harlem tower, from $625/month

About three years since breaking ground, One East Harlem has launched a housing lottery for 268 affordable apartments. Designed by S9 Architecture, the 19-story tower is located at 201 East 125th Street and contains over 400 units of housing, an affordable grocery store, and a new home for the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40, 50, 100, and 165 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, priced from a $625/month studio to a $3,142/month three-bedroom.
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Affordable Housing

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka sell Harlem townhouse listed for $7.3M

All photos courtesy of Will Ellis / DDreps

May 25, 2022

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka sell Harlem townhouse listed for $7.3M

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka found a buyer this month for their five-story Harlem townhouse, which first hit the market last August for $7,325,000. As first reported by the New York Post, the home at 2036 Fifth Avenue is in contract for more than $7,100,000, likely setting a new record for a townhouse sale in the Upper Manhattan neighborhood. The home, constructed in 1908 as a bed-and-breakfast, measures 8,000 square feet and 20 feet wide.
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51 middle-income rentals available in East Harlem, from $2,200/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

May 12, 2022

51 middle-income rentals available in East Harlem, from $2,200/month

Applications are currently being accepted for 51 middle-income units at a new residential development in Upper Manhattan. Located at 1998 Second Avenue in East Harlem, the 12-story building gives residents access to a host of amenities and the Upper East Side's wide variety of restaurants and stores. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income-- or between $75,429 annually for a single person and $215,150 for a family of seven--are eligible to apply for the apartments, which range from $2,200/month studios to $3,750/month three bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

April 22, 2022

An art lover’s guide to NYC: Where to get your culture fix in Harlem

By Emilie Murphy

Located at the northern end of Manhattan, Harlem has long been an important hub of culture and creativity. From the Harlem Renaissance to today, the area holds a critical place as a historic center of African American culture. It has been home to famous residents such as Zora Neale Hudson and Langston Hughes, brought together iconic artists including Josephine Baker and Duke Ellington, and remains at the heart of New York’s artistic community. Though Harlem has changed as gentrification creeps north, there are still many cultural anchors that retain the historic soul of the neighborhood. From dance and jazz to museums large and small, here is an art lover’s guide to Harlem.
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Events & Things To Do

Jane’s Walk returns to NYC with in-person tours and focus on four Harlem historic districts

Courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

April 5, 2022

Jane’s Walk returns to NYC with in-person tours and focus on four Harlem historic districts

For the first time since 2019, Jane's Walk NYC will offer in-person tours next month. Presented by the Municipal Art Society of New York, Jane's Walk is a three-day festival of free guided walking tours through iconic New York City neighborhoods. This year, the volunteer-led event, which runs May 6-8, includes walks through four historic districts in Harlem: the Mount Morris Park Historic District, the Central Harlem Historic District, Striver's Row, and the Dorrance Brooks Historic District, designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission last June.
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In Harlem, a treasure-filled corner condo with a huge outdoor terrace asks $4M

All photos by Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

March 16, 2022

In Harlem, a treasure-filled corner condo with a huge outdoor terrace asks $4M

What's old is new again at this totally renovated corner apartment in the center of Harlem. On the 27th floor of the high-rise condominium at 1485 Fifth Avenue, this three-bedroom home is currently a showcase of antiques and artwork. Custom built-in lighted shelving throughout the apartment displays collected treasures in the most elegant way possible. Asking $3,995,000, this Uptown aerie offers breathtaking Manhattan views through walls of windows and a layout that maximizes privacy.
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Harlem’s massive $700M Taystee Lab Building is complete

Renderings courtesy of Janus Property Group unless otherwise noted

March 1, 2022

Harlem’s massive $700M Taystee Lab Building is complete

A state-of-the-art building built for life science, academic, and creative tenants is officially complete in Harlem, serving as the anchor of a major new commercial district in the neighborhood. The 350,000-square-foot Taystee Lab Building, named after the bread bakery that once occupied the lot, is the largest building in the Manhattanville Factory District, a master-planned, multi-building campus stretching from West 125th Street to West 128th Street with dedicated commercial and community space.
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New Developments

Lottery opens for 324 units at world’s largest affordable Passive House, from $388/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

December 29, 2021

Lottery opens for 324 units at world’s largest affordable Passive House, from $388/month

A housing lottery opened this week for more than 300 apartments at the world's largest fully affordable Passive House. Sendero Verde is a mixed-use project currently under construction in East Harlem that includes affordable housing, community space, retail, outdoor gardens, and a school. As part of phase one, the 100 percent affordable building designed by Handel Architects is now accepting applications for 324 mixed-income units. New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, and 110 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which range from $388/month studios to $2,524/month three bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

For $2.5M, this five-story Georgian townhouse on Strivers’ Row is a well-preserved Harlem gem

Images courtesy of Douglas Elliman

December 15, 2021

For $2.5M, this five-story Georgian townhouse on Strivers’ Row is a well-preserved Harlem gem

This five-story Georgian-style townhouse at 2362 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard was built in 1896 and has only been home to two owners since that time. Its original owner was among the first African-American dentists living and practicing on Strivers' Row. The single-family townhouse may be only just over 15 feet wide, but a wealth of history and intact original details make it a gracious home. Asking $2,495,000, the 4,112 square-foot 14-room home contains seven bedrooms and nine fireplaces.
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Lottery opens for 102 mixed-income units in Harlem’s tallest building, from $755/month

Image courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

November 9, 2021

Lottery opens for 102 mixed-income units in Harlem’s tallest building, from $755/month

At 27 stories and 340 feet high, the new Victoria Towers redevelopment at 230 West 126th Street in central Harlem–the site of the former Victoria Theater–has the distinction of being the neighborhood's tallest building. Leasing opened in July, and now 102 of its units are available for those earning 50, 60 or 130 percent of the area median income and range from studios at $755 /month to $3043/month two-bedrooms (market-rate studios start at $2,238/month). Designed by Aufgang Architects, the mixed-use building complex is also home to a Renaissance Marriott hotel and a cultural arts center.
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Affordable Housing

Apply for 27 middle-income loft apartments in East Harlem, from $1,700/month

Image courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

October 27, 2021

Apply for 27 middle-income loft apartments in East Harlem, from $1,700/month

A lottery is now open for 27 apartments at a new rental building in East Harlem near the East River. Located at 2269 First Avenue, the building, known as East River Lofts, offers unique homes with loft areas and a long list of amenities. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income–between $58,286 annually for a one-person household and $167,570 annually for a five-person household–can apply for units that range from $1,700/month studios to two-bedrooms for $2800/month.
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Affordable Housing

Asking $4.3M, this historic Harlem brownstone is move-in ready and dressed to impress

Listing photos by Carol McGuinness and Daniel Wang

October 1, 2021

Asking $4.3M, this historic Harlem brownstone is move-in ready and dressed to impress

This gorgeous Neo-Grec home in Harlem's coveted Mount Morris Park Historic District is perfectly preserved on the exterior, and the interiors, though they've been somewhat updated, retain much of their old-world charm. Located at 102 West 123rd Street and on the market for $4,295,000, the home is composed of an owner's triplex plus ground-floor apartment. Throughout, you'll find loads of original paneling, moldings, and stained glass transoms along with stylish but period-appropriate upgrades.
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Distinctive Homes

100 years after WWI, all-Black unit Harlem Hellfighters awarded Congressional Gold Medal

New York’s famous 369th (Old 15th) Infantry Regiment arrives home from France. From the National Archives via Wikimedia Commons

September 1, 2021

100 years after WWI, all-Black unit Harlem Hellfighters awarded Congressional Gold Medal

One of the most decorated all-Black American regiments is finally getting nationally recognized more than a century after World War I. President Joe Biden last week signed into law the Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act, which posthumously honors the 369th Infantry Regiment. Made up mostly of New Yorkers, the Harlem Hellfighters spent 191 days on the front-line trenches, longer than any other American unit. Despite their courage and sacrifice, the soldiers returned home to face racism and discrimination.
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Original woodwork is everywhere at this $5.2M Mount Morris Park townhouse

Listing photos by MW Studio for Sotheby’s International Realty

August 30, 2021

Original woodwork is everywhere at this $5.2M Mount Morris Park townhouse

Located at 11 West 121st Street in the Mount Morris Park Historic District, one of the most beautiful and grand parts of Harlem, this seven-bedroom townhouse has just hit the market for $5.2 million. In addition to its prime location just off Marcus Garvey Park, the 1889 brownstone is chock full of ornate, original woodwork that's been preserved during a renovation by "by two of Harlem's most celebrated artists," according to the listing.
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Distinctive Homes

August 26, 2021

Enter a lottery for 7 affordable co-ops in East Harlem, available to buy for just $209K

An affordable housing lottery has opened for seven income-restricted HDFC co-ops in East Harlem. The two-bedroom apartments, located at 152 East 116th Street, are available to those earning 90 percent of the area median income, which correlates to a two-person household earning between $70,672 and $85,950 annually up to a five-person household earning between $70,672 and $116,010. The estimated sale price of the units is $208,854 and those selected will have to put a minimum of three percent down.
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Affordable Housing

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka list their five-story Harlem townhouse for $7.3M

All photos courtesy of Will Ellis / DDreps

August 20, 2021

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka list their five-story Harlem townhouse for $7.3M

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka are selling their five-story townhouse in Harlem for $7,325,000. The couple paid $4,000,000 in 2013 for the 19th-century home at 2036 Fifth Avenue, which was renovated by interior designer Trace Lehnhoff in collaboration with architecture firm Povero & Company. Designed for entertaining, the five-bedroom townhouse has a theater, music room, wine cellar, a rear garden, third-floor deck with an outdoor jacuzzi, and an irrigated rooftop.
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600 affordable homes and new Afro-Latin Music and Arts Center coming to East Harlem

Rendering of Timbale Terrace courtesy of Lantern Organization, Mega Development, Urban Architectural Initiatives, HPD

August 16, 2021

600 affordable homes and new Afro-Latin Music and Arts Center coming to East Harlem

Nearly 600 affordable homes and a new performing arts center are planned for two sites in East Harlem, the New York City Department of Housing and Preservation announced Friday. The projects include a 330-unit residential building with a new arts center for the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance and a 250-unit development that will have an expanded East Harlem Multi-Service Center. The projects are among the first major developments under the East Harlem rezoning, which was approved in 2017.
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Affordable housing lottery opens at Harlem Passive House with tech space, from $362/month

Rendering courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

August 5, 2021

Affordable housing lottery opens at Harlem Passive House with tech space, from $362/month

An affordable housing lottery for those earning 30, 60, or 100 percent of the area median income has launched at the new Harlem rental Balton Commons. Located at 267 West 126th Street, the energy-efficient building meets Passive House standards and will feature tech incubator space managed by Silicon Harlem, community facility space, and ground-floor retail. The 32 available units range from $362/month studios to $2,398/three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

See inside Manhattanville Market, the new food hall at Columbia’s West Harlem campus

All photos courtesy of F. Becker Hospitality

June 23, 2021

See inside Manhattanville Market, the new food hall at Columbia’s West Harlem campus

It's been nearly three years since Columbia University was joined by architect Renzo PIano as he unveiled his third and final building at the school's Manhattanville campus. And now, Piano's Jerome L. Greene Science Center will welcome a new ground-floor tenant that's sure to be popular among both students and local residents. Opening Friday, Manhattanville Market is a new food hall from chef Franklin Becker of fast-casual chain the Little Beet.
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For $8.2M, a historic Harlem mansion with 10 bedrooms and tons of preserved woodwork

Listing photos by Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

June 18, 2021

For $8.2M, a historic Harlem mansion with 10 bedrooms and tons of preserved woodwork