DWELL: A RECORD STRIVERS ROW CONTRACT

The word is out about Strivers Row in Central Harlem now that a record contract at $2.8 million has been signed for the former Will Marion Cook House at 221 West 138th Street. An initial asking price of $2.45 million was set back in April and apparently there must have been a few interested buyers since the house still does need a tad bit of work.  With that said, the landmark neighborhood is one of the most unique in Manhattan, comes with a private garage out back, has original details intact and one fantastic bathroom renovation that is mostly complete.  More details about this impending sale can be found on Curbed: LINK

INTRODUCING: THE UNION FOOD LAB

The Union Food Lab is a West Harlem incubator kitchen located within the Union Theological Seminary by Broadway and 122nd Street.   This organization is similar to Hot Bread Kitchen in East Harlem since they rent out commercial kitchens for local startup food and beverage companies by shifts and also provide classes.  Any folks out there thinking of setting up a new food company within Harlem should definitely check Union Food Lab out for more details: LINK

ARCHITECTURE: UPTOWN 58 REVEALED

Central Harlem's newest condos to be constructed has now revealed its somewhat completed facade.  Scaffolding had been up at Uptown 58 on West 129th Street for the majority of the year and now all of the netting has come down at the construction just right around the corner from Lenox Avenue.  All of the highest priced condos out of the 19-unit building went into contract this past month after they debuted on the market and the building is apparently 80 percent accounted for at this point.  Uptown 58 is the only new construction adjacent to the Lenox Avenue's restaurant corridor,  sits in close proximity to the express trains on 125th Street and has the standard 15-year tax abatement.

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REMEMBER: THE WATERWAYS OF HARLEM

Harlem has many streams and rivers that used once run through the uptown neighborhood and an empty lot by 141st Street provides a rare glimpse of one of those waterways.  When we looked at an open house on this block on the north side of St. Nicholas Park several years ago, we were told that the lowest sub-floor of the brownstone was a "wet basement"  which meant it alway had about an inch of water  within.   We were told that this occurred because a stream once existed in the neighborhood and had since been covered up over a century ago.   One of the brownstones on the block apparently did not make it to this current century intact and a keen observer can see a shallow flow of water on that lot which is covered in reeds during the warm weather season.  The lower photo was taken in springtime and now the parcel of land has much taller foliage growing within.