The Mt. Morris Historical District lies just south of 125 Street.

 

 

A little History.

 

Lenox Avenue is the widest street in Manhattan, originally known as Sixth Avenue, the portion of the Boulevard starting at 110 Street (now called Central Park North) to 147 Street was named Lenox Avenue in 1887 after a millionaire philanthropist and book-collector.

 

James Lenox donated his private collection as part of the founding material of the New York Public Library. In the late 1980's, Malcolm X Blvd. was added to the streets name.

 

Sixth (Lenox Avenue/Malcolm X Boulevard), Seventh (Adam Clayton Powell Blvd) & Eight (Frederick Douglas Blvd.) Avenues are double named from 110 Street (central park north) to about 145 in honor of famous African Americans.  CPN was recently added to 110 Street this past summer to mirror Central Park South (AKA 59 Street) which is bullshit.  It was done to make people feel safer (a la “Morningside heights” and for this hideous condo www.111centralparknorth.com)

 

Malcolm X Boulevard runs through five blocks of the Mount Morris Park Historic District. This district features buildings representative of architecture styles spanning a period of more than four decades.

 

Harlem was originally a Protestant community.  The area showcases buildings representative of architecture styles spanning a period of more than four decades.  Design styles such as Romanesque Revival, the French Neo-Greco, and Queen Anne, rival buildings found on the Upper East Side. 

 

Harlem was a sparsely settled agricultural area. Changing from farmland to a recreational area for New Yorkers, the area was subdivided into lots primed for residential development beginning in the 1850's-60's. The El train put Harlem on the map.

 

German and Eastern European Jews moved into the area. These residents built new synagogues and converted several churches for their religious services. During the 1920's, the boulevard became a center for a growing African-American community and the synagogues once again were used as churches. The former Temple Israel of Harlem at West 120 Street is today’s Mount Olivet Church.

 

The 70's resulted in the construction of new housing projects that stretch from Lenox to Second Avenue.  There are approximately 6,000 public housing units in these super blocks of mid-rise and high-rise.

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55 West 125 Street Building.  Clinton’s Offices are on the top two floors.

 

 

 

Adam Clayton Powell Office Building and Harlem Center.  Old ugly meets new ugly.  Harlem Center was built about three years ago and houses street level CVS, Marshall’s, Staples and Dunkin Donuts.

 

 

 

Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church.  Original Home of the Harlem Boys Choir.  The building was cleaned and restored this past summer.

 

 

 

Harlem Center.  On the southwest corner is a vacant lot which previously had a wonderful old building on it.  There were three or four “suspiciously” fires in the building before it was demolished.  There is a rumor that Bed, Bath & Beyond  and a hotel will be built on the site

 

 

 

Lenox Avenue just south of 124 Street, formerly known as Victorian Row

 

 

 

As you can see, from 125 Street, there is a view of 59 Street.  On a clear day you can clearly define buildings.

 

 

 

The famous Lenox Lounge.  Featured in many blackplotation and both Shaft movies in addition Madonna’s video for secret was filmed here.  It’s the ultimate neighborhood bar.  Just don’t go on Tuesday night, unless you play on my team.

 

 

Rice High School.  A school for fine young men.  You must be accepted to attend and they have a strict code of conduct.  This school graduates Black and Latino young men.  More schools should follow Rice’s lead.

 

 

 

Next up my hood, Marcus Garvey Park.  The Mt. Morris Park Historic District and Marcus Garvey Park Neighborhood overlap, similar to Shaker Square and Larchmere.

 

 

 

not that i'm a big harlem partier or anything, but i've had nice times as well as several memorable hangovers courtesy of the lenox lounge. highly recommended.

 

these days even bare shells of old brownstones in that nabe are going for mega mega bucks. it wasnt long ago they went for a song. its gorgeous around there....as it was even before it got all gentrified up.

 

speaking of that, i gotta make a keep it real remark here because gentrification is in full swing....my hope is that the peoples take full advantage and buy everything as much as possible so that it doesnt get vanilla'd up too much. of course i mean that for all of harlem, but esp there around mt morris park. to me that's the heart of harlem. i dk what can be done about it tho, money talks pretty loud and brownstones are a hot commodity.

 

Interesting area. That last shot is drop-dead gorgeous!

not that i'm a big harlem partier or anything, but i've had nice times as well as several memorable hangovers courtesy of the lenox lounge. highly recommended.

 

these days even bare shells of old brownstones in that nabe are going for mega mega bucks. it wasnt long ago they went for a song. its gorgeous around there....as it was even before it got all gentrified up.

 

speaking of that, i gotta make a keep it real remark here because gentrification is in full swing....my hope is that the peoples take full advantage and buy everything as much as possible so that it doesnt get vanilla'd up too much. of course i mean that for all of harlem, but esp there around mt morris park. to me that's the heart of harlem. i dk what can be done about it tho, money talks pretty loud and brownstones are a hot commodity.

 

 

Just look at what is happening/has already happened to the U Street Corridor here in DC.  Even the famed Ben's Chili Bowl is having trouble paying the rent these days.  Jazz clubs are being converted to Starbucks, and chain restaurants are replacing former haunts of Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, Marvin Gaye, and many other black figures throughout many generations.

not that i'm a big harlem partier or anything, but i've had nice times as well as several memorable hangovers courtesy of the lenox lounge. highly recommended.

 

these days even bare shells of old brownstones in that nabe are going for mega mega bucks. it wasnt long ago they went for a song. its gorgeous around there....as it was even before it got all gentrified up.

 

speaking of that, i gotta make a keep it real remark here because gentrification is in full swing....my hope is that the peoples take full advantage and buy everything as much as possible so that it doesnt get vanilla'd up too much. of course i mean that for all of harlem, but esp there around mt morris park. to me that's the heart of harlem. i dk what can be done about it tho, money talks pretty loud and brownstones are a hot commodity.

 

The lenox lounge serves a mean cocktail, it reminds me of that bar, Dominoes, on Prospect.  It's a "dive" but the bar and the cocktails keep the place packed.

 

These shells of brownstones are going for about 1.5 million.  Then you have to put in another 500k to make it livable.  Right now there are some for sale signs in the area with prices from 2 to 3.5 million.  Many of the apartment buildings or brownstones that have chopped up are now being given major face lifts.  When I got here about 70% of the building in Harlem were city owned and you could buy a brownstone for around 50-75k.  I bought my apartment for a song.  Right around 2000, apartments were selling for about 60k and brownstones for 250k.  The area that has gotten really pricey are the blocks just north of Clinton's office.  Some of those brownstones are worth 3-5 million dollars, and in 2000 you could have bought one for 600-800k.  There is a brownstone down from MTS that looks like the side/back has caved in and they want 895k for it, as is.  Crazy, right?  Remember that is just for the building and property, not for any renovations/restorations which run in the 100's of thousands of dollars.

 

In regards to "gentrification" that is NOT happening in Harlem no matter what the media says.  The majority of home owners are black or Latin professionals that have moved in to the area, nor are the conveniences that are in lower Manhattan here.

 

As prices in lower Manhattan skyrocket, people of any color or ethnic background, wanting to buy have no choice but to move across the invisible barrier of 110 street.  Keep in mind when I moved to NYC the barrier was 86 Street.  When I moved to Harlem in '98 the barrier was 94 Street.  Another trend is many gays from the Village/Chelsea have moved to the Manhattan Avenue/St. Nicholas or Madison/Park Avenues, area as prices forced them out of the traditional gayborhood.

 

This past summer we had an incident where "new" home owners in a building complained about the drummers & musicians that have played around the park for decades where told by police to stop.  Many of us appreciate the music and their eyes on the street and many are long time residents of the neighborhood.  I was very vocal about new people moving here and trying to "change" the culture of the neighborhood.  I made it very clear at a neighborhood meeting that this is going to stay whether they like it or not.  I asked them if they didn't like the music and cultural amenities of the neighborhood, why did you move here?? Cue the "deer caught in headlights look", needless to say I've become the "Katherine" of the block, not that I give a shit.  :wink:

Interesting area. That last shot is drop-dead gorgeous!

 

Thanks.  The last picture is from Marcus Garvey Park.  The day I took the pictures the trees were very vibrant and you'll see more in my next photo thread.  I took over 100 pictures of the park and homes that surround it, I guess I was channeling steptome, CDM and mayday.   :wink2: 

 

I'm still organizing photos, I should have them posted in the next few days.

Thanks!

hts2h good news to hear, but i hope folks there already can hang on. money is talking big and the pressure is on. i found out a co-worker of mine just bought and signed on a new apt in harlem this very week. she's white. whatev -- im just sayin.

 

anyway yes do put up more pics soon.

Left out some pics...

 

 

St. Martin’s Church

Built in 1889.  After two devastating fires that completely gutted the inside, the original brick work, walls and foundation remain.  Today it plays host to a large number of Japanese weddings.  I hope that the church will receive some TLC very soon as it is badly needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bethelite Community Baptist Church

 

 

 

 

Another shot of the beautifully restored Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church

 

 

 

 

Do we have churches in Harlem or what?  Keep in mind all these churches are on one street within four blocks of one another!

 

Maybe I’ll take pictures of the church-folk and their big hats tomorrow, it is First Sunday!  :evil:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see 59 Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues in the center of this picture and 111 Central Park North is the tall building on the right side of the picture.

 

 

 

more to come...

Ephesus is such a beautiful church.  I hope St. Martin's receives some TLC- soon.