Harlem

Rendering courtesy of SHoP Architects

July 16, 2025

NYC Council approves 1,000-unit One45 Harlem development

A residential development will finally rise on the corner of West 145th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem after years of delays and debates. The New York City Council on Monday approved the One45 for Harlem plan, which includes three new buildings and 1,000 units of housing, 338 of which will be affordable. The previous proposal at the site failed to materialize after the former council member refused to accept the development unless at least 57 percent of the units were affordable to families earning 30 percent of the area median income; the developer said that was not economically feasible, withdrew the plan, and turned the property into a truck depot.
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West Harlem becomes first neighborhood in North America to fully containerize trash

Northwest corner of West 152nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue. Photo Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 2, 2025

West Harlem becomes first neighborhood in North America to fully containerize trash

By Aaron Ginsburg

Residents of West Harlem can expect cleaner sidewalks and fewer rats as it officially becomes the first neighborhood in New York City (and North America) to containerize 100 percent of its trash. On Monday, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Commissioner Javier Lojan announced the first day of full service of the European-style on-street trash containers, dubbed Empire Bins, in Manhattan Community Board 9, which includes Morningside Heights, Manhattanville, and Hamilton Heights. As part of the pilot program, all residential buildings in the district are required to put trash in containers; buildings with 31 or more units will be required to use the Empire Bins.
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Policy

Vacant parking lot in Harlem to become 75 apartments

Credit: Haussmann Development

May 14, 2025

Vacant parking lot in Harlem to become 75 apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

A vacant parking lot in Harlem will soon become a residential building. Haussmann Development on Monday announced it closed on a land purchase at 16–20 Convent Avenue for $7.5 million. Haussmann plans to build a 10-story residential building with 75 one- and two-bedroom apartments, including 15 affordable units for households earning 60 percent of the area median income.
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Affordable Housing

For $2.35M, condo living on three levels in South Harlem

Photo credit: Hayley Ellen Day | DD-Reps

February 7, 2025

For $2.35M, condo living on three levels in South Harlem

By Michelle Cohen

Manhattan condo living can mean sacrificing space, but this 2,574-square-foot triplex apartment at 271 West 122nd Street adds up to townhouse living–multi-level outdoor space included–in a sleek, 21st-century package. Asking $2,350,000, the upper Manhattan home offers four bedrooms, lots of storage on three levels, laundry facilities, an elevator, and a landscaped garden.
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Distinctive Homes

National Black Theatre’s new 21-story home in Harlem opens lottery for 58 apartments, from $834/month

Rendering courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

December 10, 2024

National Black Theatre’s new 21-story home in Harlem opens lottery for 58 apartments, from $834/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A 21-story mixed-use tower in Harlem that will soon house the historic National Black Theatre (NBT) and over 200 apartments opened an affordable housing lottery last week. On the corner of 125th Street and 5th Avenue, the new development, Ray Harlem, will include 27,000 square feet for NBT, the city's longest-running Black theater founded in the neighborhood in 1968, 222 residences, and commercial space. About a quarter of the apartments are designated affordable. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $834/month for studios to $3,643/month for two bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Studio Museum in Harlem will reopen in new building in fall 2025

Photo: © Albert Vecerka/Esto

October 9, 2024

Studio Museum in Harlem will reopen in new building in fall 2025

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Studio Museum in Harlem's new home will officially open next fall, the institution announced Tuesday. Designed by Sir David Adjaye, the building features stacked volumes over five stories and measures 82,000 square feet, increasing exhibition and public space by over 50 percent. Closed since 2018, the 125th Street museum will reopen with a presentation of the work of Tom Lloyd, an artist, educator, and activist featured in the Studio Museum's inaugural 1968 exhibition, held in a rented loft on Fifth Avenue.
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Architecture And Design

In heart of Harlem, new rental tower opens lottery for 117 affordable apartments, from $788/month

Photo of Marcus Garvey Village. © Ondel Hylton

August 2, 2024

In heart of Harlem, new rental tower opens lottery for 117 affordable apartments, from $788/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery has launched for 117 affordable apartments at a new rental tower in the heart of Harlem. Located at 212 West 124th Street within the Marcus Garvey Village complex, the 17-story building is 100 percent affordable to low- and moderate-income residents and offers state-of-the-art amenities and modern homes. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 70 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $788/month for studios to $2,232/month for two bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Trader Joe’s new Harlem location will open this week

Photo courtesy of Trader Joe’s

July 23, 2024

Trader Joe’s new Harlem location will open this week

By Aaron Ginsburg

Harlem's first-ever Trader Joe's opened on Thursday, July 25, the grocery store announced. The 17,800-square-foot location can be found at 123 West 125th Street, part of a mixed-use development with office space, retail, affordable housing, the headquarters of the National Urban League, and a new museum dedicated to the civil rights movement.
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New Developments

Black Comic Book Festival returns to NYC this month

All photos courtesy of Bob Gore

April 5, 2024

Black Comic Book Festival returns to NYC this month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A festival highlighting the work of Black comic book creators is back and bigger than ever. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture will host the 12th annual Black Comic Book Festival on April 26 and 27, attracting thousands of comic enthusiasts and giving a platform to Black comic book and graphic novel creators. Attendees can immerse themselves in panel discussions, workshops, a cosplay showcase, and more fun activities during the two-day event.
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Events & Things To Do

Harlem’s historic Victoria Theater reopens following decade-long restoration

Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

March 8, 2024

Harlem’s historic Victoria Theater reopens following decade-long restoration

By Aaron Ginsburg

Harlem’s historic Victoria Theater has reopened following a decade-long restoration project, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday. The renovation added two flexible performance spaces, offices, and gallery spaces to the Victoria, which opened in 1917 as a vaudeville theater. The 27,000-square-foot facility will be operated by the iconic Apollo Theater, marking the first expansion of the cultural institution in its 90-year history. The Apollo Stages at The Victoria is part of a broader redevelopment project that includes a 28-story hotel, restaurant, and a residential building with nearly 200 apartments.
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This $3.5M Harlem townhouse has stylish new interiors, outdoor space, and lots of options

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

January 12, 2024

This $3.5M Harlem townhouse has stylish new interiors, outdoor space, and lots of options

By Michelle Cohen

Among the stately brownstones and historic buildings that line this Harlem block, the 19-foot-wide home at 23 East 127th Street holds its own. Within the classic 3,460-square-foot two-family townhouse are sparkling new interiors and luxurious finishes combined with original details. Set up as a triplex over a garden unit, the home, asking $3,475,000, offers coveted outdoor spaces that include a deck and a landscaped back garden.
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Distinctive Homes

Hochul wants to extend the Second Avenue Subway west into Harlem

The 96th Street subway station on Second Avenue Subway when it opened in 2017. Photo by Charley Lhasa on Flickr.

January 9, 2024

Hochul wants to extend the Second Avenue Subway west into Harlem

By Devin Gannon

The Q train may go even further. During her State of the State address Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul backed a plan to extend the Second Avenue Subway west along 125th Street with three new stops at Lenox Avenue, St. Nicholas Avenue, and Broadway. The announcement comes as construction prepares to kick off on the second phase of the line, bringing the Q line up to 125th Street in East Harlem.
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7 historic places in NYC recommended for state and national designation

William Ulmer Brewery, at the corner of Belvidere Street and Beaver Street, Brooklyn (ca. 1920). Image courtesy of DXA Studio

January 2, 2024

7 historic places in NYC recommended for state and national designation

By Aaron Ginsburg

Gov. Kathy Hochul last week announced the 36 properties and places in New York nominated for potential placement on the State and National Register of Historic Places. The seven New York City recommendations include Bushwick's historic William Ulmer Brewery, the city's first cast-iron office building, and a new historic district in Central Harlem that illustrates the neighborhood's development as a Black working-class residential neighborhood.
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276 units available at affordable Passive House in East Harlem, from $498/month

Renderings courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

December 13, 2023

276 units available at affordable Passive House in East Harlem, from $498/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Applications are being accepted for 276 mixed-income units at the world's largest fully affordable Passive House in East Harlem. Located at 50 East 112th Street, the building is the second phase of Sendero Verde, a mixed-use project with affordable housing, outdoor space, a school, community space, and retail. New Yorkers earning 30, 50, 60, and 110 percent of the area median income, or between $19,646 for a single person and $192,610 for a household of seven, can apply for the units, which range from $498/month studios to $3,169/month for three bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

See plan to replace former Harlem prison next to Central Park with 105 affordable homes

All renderings courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office

December 6, 2023

See plan to replace former Harlem prison next to Central Park with 105 affordable homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

A plan to replace a former Harlem prison with affordable housing is moving forward. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday unveiled Seneca, the winning proposal for a project that will transform the Lincoln Correctional Facility at West 110th Street, which shuttered in 2019, into 105 affordable homes for purchase. The governor selected a team led by Infinite Horizons, L+M Development Partners, Urbane, and Lemor Development Group to develop the roughly $90 million project, which will go through a public review process before final approval.
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First expansion of Harlem’s historic Apollo Theater to open this winter

Photo by Shahar Azran

November 27, 2023

First expansion of Harlem’s historic Apollo Theater to open this winter

By Aaron Ginsburg

Harlem's world-famous Apollo Theater will open the doors to new performance space in February. The highly anticipated expansion, the first in the institution's 90-year history, will deliver a new 25,000-square-foot facility with two theaters, office space, a central lobby, and gallery space on the third and fourth floors of the Victoria Theater on West 125th Street. The Apollo Stages at The Victoria will open on February 1.
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See gingerbread recreations of iconic NYC landmarks

The American Museum of Natural History by Loretta Bricchi Lee. All photos by Brad Farwell for MCNY

November 9, 2023

See gingerbread recreations of iconic NYC landmarks

By Aaron Ginsburg

These gingerbread creations take the holiday cookie tradition to the next level. The Museum of the City of New York is hosting its second annual gingerbread competition, Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off, featuring the work of professional and independent bakers tasked with creating festive displays depicting New York City icons in neighborhoods across the five boroughs. The installation will be on view at the museum from November 10 through January 15 and visitors are invited to vote for their favorites.
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Events & Things To Do

Supportive housing development for homeless LGBTQ young adults opens in Harlem

Image courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

October 25, 2023

Supportive housing development for homeless LGBTQ young adults opens in Harlem

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new housing development with supportive services for LGBTQIA+ young adults opened in Harlem this week. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams announced on Tuesday the completion of Homeward Central Harlem, a residential project with 50 apartments and on-site services provided by Homeward NYC, a non-profit that provides housing and support for homeless New Yorkers. The nine-story building at 15 West 118th Street will offer counseling, case management, group activities, skills-building programs, and connections to community resources.
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Affordable Housing

For $2.5M, this compact Harlem carriage house has a backyard, garage, and room to expand

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

October 4, 2023

For $2.5M, this compact Harlem carriage house has a backyard, garage, and room to expand

By Michelle Cohen

Located on the bustling west side of Harlem near Columbia University and just a few blocks from Central Park, this two-story brick carriage house at 158 West 118th Street represents an opportunity for Manhattan living with perks like a garage, a leafy backyard, and room to grow. With 2,905 interior square feet, the 18-foot-wide home may not be a mansion, but it's a two-family property with over 6,000 square feet of unused Floor Area Ratio (FAR), adding flexibility to its value at $2,495,000. Historic details, a detached garage, and lots of outdoor space make this unique dwelling more than a condo alternative.
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Distinctive Homes

East Harlem tower opens lottery for 40 mixed-income apartments, from $763/month

Renderings courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

August 15, 2023

East Harlem tower opens lottery for 40 mixed-income apartments, from $763/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Applications are now being accepted for 40 mixed-income units at a new residential development in East Harlem. Located at 88 East 127th Street, the 19-story building is conveniently located near several public transit options, the 16-acre Marcus Garvey Park, and lots of restaurants and shopping. New Yorkers earning 40 and 130 percent of the area median income, or between $29,109 for a single person annually and $198,250 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, priced from $763/month studios to $3,773/month two-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

NYC gains three landmarks related to history of jazz

Image courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

June 27, 2023

NYC gains three landmarks related to history of jazz

By Aaron Ginsburg

Three buildings across the city with significant ties to the history of jazz are New York City's newest individual landmarks. The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday voted to designate Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, the former Queens home of Dizzy Gillespie, and a Hamilton Heights apartment building where jazz greats Duke Ellington and Noble Lee Sissle once lived. The three buildings not only have vital ties to jazz music but stand out for their architectural significance, according to the commission.
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Policy

This exhibit celebrates 100 years of art and pop culture in NYC

Richard Estes. M Train on Route to Manhattan Approaches the Williamsburg Bridge. 1995. Copyright Richard Estes, courtesy Louis K. Meisel Gallery

May 25, 2023

This exhibit celebrates 100 years of art and pop culture in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new exhibition shares more than a century's worth of creativity inspired by New York City. The Museum of the City of New York's "This is New York: 100 Years of the City in Art and Pop Culture" highlights what NYC has meant to generations of artists, musicians, writers, storytellers, and filmmakers who have captured the essence of the five boroughs through their work. The exhibition, which celebrates the museum's centennial is on view at the museum at 1220 Fifth Avenue from Wednesday, May 26 through June 21, 2024.
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Events & Things To Do

This colorful $3.25M Harlem townhouse was the home of DC Comics head Jenette Kahn

Photo credit: Travis Mark for Sotheby’s International Realty

April 25, 2023

This colorful $3.25M Harlem townhouse was the home of DC Comics head Jenette Kahn

By Michelle Cohen

This Georgian Revival-style townhouse at 234 West 138th Street on Harlem's historic Strivers' Row appears elegant and unassuming from the outside, but the four-story home's interiors tell a more colorful story. Asking $3,250,000, the stately–but hardly stodgy–townhouse was the longtime residence of comic book editor and publisher Jenette Kahn, who served as president of DC Comics and MAD Magazine for over 26 years. The art-filled–and artfully curated–home's current resident is a movie producer, so the creative energy remains.
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Distinctive Homes

City designates these NYC neighborhoods as ‘rat mitigation zones’

Photo by Ludovic Bertron on Flickr

April 5, 2023

City designates these NYC neighborhoods as ‘rat mitigation zones’

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City this week named eight rat-prone neighborhoods as part of Mayor Eric Adams' quest to control the rodent population. According to a notice posted by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Monday, the "rat mitigation zones," which are areas with "high levels of rat activity," include Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, and Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, Grand Concourse in the Bronx, and Chinatown, the East Village, the Lower East Side, and Harlem in Manhattan. As Crain's reported, these identified zones will be the focus of a multiagency effort to address the rats and the conditions that cause them, according to the city.
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Three NYC buildings with significant ties to the history of jazz may become city landmarks

Image courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

April 4, 2023

Three NYC buildings with significant ties to the history of jazz may become city landmarks

By Aaron Ginsburg

Just in time for Jazz Appreciation Month, the city may landmark three properties connected to the history of jazz. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to calendar the legendary Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, the one-time Queens home of Dizzy Gillespie, and an apartment building in Hamilton Heights where jazz pioneers Duke Ellington and Noble Lee Sissle once lived.
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Policy

$599K Harlem condo has penthouse views and outdoor space, without the penthouse price

Photo credit: DDreps for The Corcoran Group

March 29, 2023

$599K Harlem condo has penthouse views and outdoor space, without the penthouse price

By Michelle Cohen

Atop the Style Condominium at 51 East 131st Street, a 21st-century addition to the vibrant East Harlem neighborhood, this one-bedroom condominium is a compact top-floor residence with private outdoor space and renovated interiors. Asking $599,000, the 658-square-foot home has unobstructed penthouse views and light to match, without the penthouse price.
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In this chic $1.4M Harlem condo, architectural built-ins invite light and banish clutter

Photos courtesy of Compass

March 3, 2023

In this chic $1.4M Harlem condo, architectural built-ins invite light and banish clutter

By Michelle Cohen

This two-bedroom home at 258 Saint Nicholas Avenue reveals an architect's eye for both clean lines and convenient living. Asking $1,395,000, the 1,331-square-foot apartment's interior was completely redesigned by the current owners with flexibility and modern design in mind: Two rooms become one via sliding panel; closets, electronics, and shelves recede into sleek white walls, and floor-to-ceiling glass fills spaces with sunlight and city views.
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Distinctive Homes

The 74

201 East 74th Street

Lenox Hill

Gracious Upper East Side condos with Central Park and skyline views

2 beds starting at $3,380,000
3 beds starting at $4,850,000
5 beds starting at $11,950,000

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Harlem

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