Mary Mattingly, Biosphere, 2015. Courtesy of Mary Mattingly, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de la Habana
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.
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
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.”
All photos courtesy of Will Ellis / DDreps
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.
Image of the Schomburg Center via Wiki Commons
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.
Rendering courtesy of SHoP Architects
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.
Rendering courtesy of S9 Architecture
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.
All photos courtesy of Will Ellis / DDreps
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.
Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development
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.
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.
Courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission
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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