☞ REMEMBER: Audubon's 227th Birthday

The top photo from 1905 shows the new 1 train subway stations at 157th street and Broadway (the two small stair gatehouse entrances are at the lower right) where naturalist painter John James Audubon used to have his sprawling family estate (click to enlarge). At the turn of the last century, the subways brought rapid change to the sleepy hills of Harlem and Washington Heights and owners of farmland ended up selling their property to developers. The heirs of Audubon slowly sold off the family property from 155th Street to 158th and the luxury beaux arts apartments that still remain today have been designated as landmarks last year as part of the Audubon Park Historic District. The center photo shows Audubon's actual house in the 1920's and the new apartment buildings can be seen peering from the background. None of the 19th century wood frame structures in the top two photos have survived past the Depression years of the 1940's.

In commemoration of J.J. Audubon's 227th birthday, there will be a celebratory event this Saturday, April 28th, 3:00 PM at the Riverside Oval located at 156th Street and Riverside Drive (lower photo) which was the site of one of Audubon's barns. Check out the new landmark district uptown, admire the flora, meet the neighbors and eat some cake! Get more information about the historic district on the official website: LINK. Read more about the Audubon estate on the outskirts of Harlem and Washington Heights in our past post: LINK. 

☞ REMEMBER: John James Audubon's 225th

The top photo from 1905 shows the new 1 train subway stations at 157th street and Broadway (the two small stair gatehouse entrances are at the lower right) where naturalist painter John James Audubon used to have his sprawling family estate (click to enlarge). At the turn of the last century, the subways brought rapid change to the sleepy hills of Harlem and Washington Heights and owners of farmland ended up selling their property to developers. The heirs of Audubon slowly sold off the family property from 155th Street to 158th and the luxury beaux arts apartments that still remain today have been designated as landmarks last year as part of the Audubon Park Historic District. The center photo shows Audubon's actual house in the 1920's and the new apartment buildings can be seen peering from the background. None of the 19th century wood frame structures in the top two photos have survived past the Depression years of the 1940's.

In commemoration of J.J. Audubon's 225th birthday, there will be a celebratory event this Saturday, April 24th at the Riverside Oval located at 156th Street and Riverside Drive (lower photo) which was the site of one of Audubon's barns. The event is FREE to all and kicks off the Riverside Oval Association's 2010 Gardening season. Check out the new landmark district uptown, admire the flora, meet the neighbors and eat some cake! Get more information on the event at the ROA site: LINK. Read more about the Audubon estate in our past post: LINK. Current photo by Ulysses

REMEMBER: JOHN JAMES AUDUBON AT TRINITY

The Audubon family had an estate up by Trinity Cemetery on the western borders of Harlem in the 19th century and it is only fitting that the Naturalist has a proper tombstone on the sacred ground.  We walked by the entrance on the south side of 155th Street just east of Broadway and noticed the grandly carved stonework which has some of the many birds that John James Audubon had made famous through his colorful prints.  Unfortunately this is the only true historic marker of the famous family that owned quite a bit of land in the area for the famous home known as Minniesland was never protected by landmark laws since they did not exist at the time. Audubon Terrace is nearby and the Audubon Ballroom was named after the family but these are just honorifics. If the original estate stood today, a landmark like Hamilton Grange could have been created to actually explain a bit about the why these monikers exist in the neighborhood.  Our past post has more details on the Audubon family home that was still standing nearby up until the early half of the 20th century but was left to deteriorate beyond repair: LINK

REMEMBER: JOHN JAMES AUDUBON AT TRINITY

Harlem Bespoke: The Audubon family had an estate up by Trinity Cemetery on the western borders of Harlem in the 19th century and it is only fitting that the Naturalist has a proper tombstone on the sacred ground.  

☞ REMEMBER: Minniesland

John James Audubon's beloved estate (named after his wife) was a city treasure that mysteriously disappeared in the 1940's. Originally a sylvan-like estate in what would be the West 150's, the naturalist was already famous when Audubon decided to settle down in northern Manhattan in 1839. The top print is from the 1856 Valentine's Manual of New York, showing the estate as it was five years after Audubon's death. The area was known as Carmansville at that time, and family would remain in the house until 1920. The second photo, shot also in the 1850's, is a rare, early type of photo called a Calotype that uses photo paper instead of glass or film. Although the detail is not clear, one gets a sense of the natural, woodsy surroundings. The last photo is from 1917, and one can see the wall encasing the estate in the back with the new Riverside luxury apartments in the background (which have just been landmarked as part of the district).

By 1931, the house was slated for demolition, even though it was known to be a valuable landmark to preserve. A mysterious benefactor helped a writer of New York Times buy the house the day that the roof was being dismantled, but what happened next is a bit unclear. Historians have indicated that the plans to move the house to 161st and Riverside were executed, but photos do not exist that could confirm this action. Apparently, after the house was moved, the wood became rotted beyond repair, so presumably Depression-era New York City did not have the funds or foresight to prevent John James Audubon's family legacy to return to nature. Photos courtesy of minniesland.com. Take the 1 train to 158th Street to see the Audubon Park District at Riverside Drive. More photos on the minniesland.com site: LINK

INTRODUCING: AUDUBON BIRDS IN THE HEIGHTS

Paintings all around that pay tribute to naturalist John James Audubon have been popping up on storefronts in Harlem this year.  One of Harlem's most famous residents known for remarkable avian illustrations had an estate in the 150s by what is now Riverside Drive but the city failed to preserve the local landmark decades ago.  The notable historic figure is buried in nearby Trinity Cemetery and not much else but honorific street names remain today of the local legend.  Artists in the neighborhood participation in the Audubon Mural Project have been paying tribute to this part of uptown's legacy and it is refreshing to see street art marry together with history.  We took the above photo at a store just off of Broadway in Hamilton Heights yesterday which made us wonder if a museum of sorts could ever be established in the area for such a cultural icon.  More on the story of Audubon's incredible lost estate can be found in our past post:  LINK

☞ SEE: Around Harlem This Weekend

Saturday and Sunday, April 28th-29th, 6:00AM-6:00PM, Harlem Treasure Chest Flea Market, 117th Street and FDB/8th Avenue.  South Harlem's first flea market arrives just in time for the warm weather.  Check out the offerings from local antique vendors this weekend: LINK

Saturday, April 28th, 3:00 PM, John James Audubon's 227th Birthday at the Riverside Oval located at 156th Street and Riverside Drive which was the site of one of Audubon's barns. In commemoration of J.J. Audubon's 227th birthday, there will be a celebratory event at the new landmark district uptown - admire the flora, meet the neighbors and eat some cake. All Free! Get more information about the historic district on the official website: LINK.

Sunday April 29th, 3:00PM,The Harlem Chamber Players Spring Concert,  St. Mary's Episcopal Church located,  521 West 126th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam. The Harlem Chamber Players present the final concert of their season next Sunday. Eric K. Washington, historian and author of Manhattanville: Old Heart of West Harlem will host the concert.  Join HCP for an afternoon of wonderful music with a wine and cheese reception afterwards. Tickets are $15, $10 for Seniors/Students available at the door the day of or online at our website www.HarlemChamberPlayers.org

Sunday, April 29th, 7:30PM, Comedy Sundays at Covo, at the upstair lounge, 701 West 135th Street at 12th Avenue. Come check out the monthly comedy show with some of NYC's best comedians in one of Harlem's most unique lounges (top of a former railroad station). Hosted by NYC comedian William Mullin, this Sunday night show features comics Keith Alberstadt, Robin Carson Cloud, Adam Cozens and Leighann Lord alongside DJ Chris Washington. This is a Free event with drink specials: LINK

INTRODUCING: BROADWAY MALL BIRD SCULPTURES

Harlem Bespoke: We noticed this spring that wooden bird sculptures have taken over locations of the Broadway corridor on the west side within the center street malls.  Artist Nicolas Holiber created 9 works of art out of reclaimed wood that features endanger bird avian species and the Snowy owl can be found at the intersection of 148th Street which is quite significant.  The west side of Hamilton Heights used to be the surrounding land of the John James Audubon estate when most of Harlem was still considered Manhattan's country side.  More recently the neighborhood has been celebrating the ornithologist with murals of various bird species on storefronts or the sides of residential buildings and the sculptures are a nice compliment to the local love of history.  Those interested can discover more on the famous Audubon estate in our past post:  LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2019

☞ PROTECT: 158th Street Row Houses

From Today's New York Times, Harlem Bespoke wanders up slightly past the northern borders of Harlem to discuss Manhattan's newest landmark district. The photo of 648 West 158th street, corner row house could possibly be the most charming house in the West 158th Street neighborhood, if restored and renovated properly. The problem is that the Landmarks Commission wanted only to landmark the luxury Riverside Apartments in the area of 155th to 158th Street, which is the Audubon Park District. The irony of it all would be that the area's namesake is naturalist John James Audubon, who built his house in the then wooded hills of Washington Heights in the mid 19th century. This type of housing stock is even more rare above 155th Street and to have a complete row of them even more so. Don't get us wrong, the Riverside apartments are grand and beautiful, but many of them are well preserved and will never be in danger of disappearing. The rowhouses are already surrounded by a large, out-dated looking building from the less than kind era of the 60's and 70's, so saving them could help keep this section more in line with the vision of its founder. See the article in the Times for pictures of the block and also information on the buying the corner house. LINK. Take the 1 train to 158th Street and head over to Riverside Drive.

SEE: MURALS AND GRAFFITI IN THE HEIGHTS

Interestingly enough, there really is not a lot of graffiti to found in the city these days and the Audubon bird murals in Hamilton Heights have now taken up for this type of urban artwork.  This project celebrates the notable naturalist whose estate was in the area over a century ago and was known especially for avian paintings that can now be found in many museums but are rarely referenced uptown.

Audubon enthusiast have been painting bird murals all over the west side around the 150s in the past year but now it looks like a bit of graffiti has come into the picture.  We saw the above portrait on the side building of a building yesterday that just was tagged.  Another storefront around the corner on Broadway with a heron portrait roll gate also has the same copper graffiti.  Hopefully these can all be touched up in the near future and folks in the community can keep the artwork in good condition like the ones made famous in East Harlem.

Check out one of the other paintings in our past post: LINK

SEE: LATINX MURALS AT AUDUBON TERRACE

Harlem Bespoke: A new FREE outdoor public mural exhibit has now debuted at Audubon Terrace in Washington Heights.  Latinx Diaspora: Stories from Upper Manhattan will be be on display until August 14, 2021 and the daily hours are from 10:00AM to 5:00PM with no rsvp necessary.  There are two large walls with four murals in the main courtyard of the Hispanic Society just off of Broadway and 155th Street which celebrate the Latinx experience in the city.  More details on can be found on the Hispanic Society website: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2021

☞ REMEMBER: The Beaches of Manhattanville

The painting at the Museum of the City of New York shows the coastline of Harlem as it was with crystal clear waters, sandy shores and crisp views of the Palisades mountains. Painted somewhere in the 1840's by Victor Gifford Audubon, it shows the Audubon family lounging on the peaceful beaches of the Hudson in an area that is today's Manhattanville. The lower photo was taken a few weeks ago and shows the West Harlem Piers at the same location during sunset. This new park has sea grass, trees, flowering plant and some reference to sand towards the north arbor. To get to the park, take the 1 train to 125th Street and head toward 12th Avenue, underneath the Viaduct.

REMEMBER: The Audubon Ballroom c. 1915

Harlem Bespoke: A photo from 1915 shows the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights at Broadway and 165th Street.  This landmark building was the location where Malcolm X was assassinated back in 1965 and has been restored in recent years.  All of the ornate terra-cotta looks shiny and brand new on the facade but the back end of the theater has a few things missing.  

☞ REMEMBER: The Audubon Ballroom c. 1915

A photo from 1915 shows the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights at Broadway and 165th Street.  This landmark building was the location where Malcolm X was assassinated back in 1965 and has been restored in recent years.  All of the ornate terra-cotta looks shiny and brand new on the facade but the back end of the theater has a few things missing.  There is a new building attached to that north end and the windows on the upper floor of the historic structure in that section are mere floating frames on a decorative wall (last photo).  Some commercial space exists on the lower floors and the main part of the old ballroom is a memorial to Malcolm X.

Archival image courtesy the Museum of the City of New York

SEE: A GARDEN TOUR AT MORRIS-JUMEL MANSION

Saturday, September 12th, from 11:00AM–12:00PM, Nature Walk at the Morris-Jumel Mansion, 65 Jumel Terrace between between 160th and 161st Street.  Walk along with NYC Audubon educator Gabriel Willow as he discusses the flora and fauna inhabiting Roger Morris Park—migratory birds, late-summer insects and, of course, our stable of beautiful plants. $5 suggested donation. No registration is required. Call 212-923-8008 for more details.

☞ WALK: Trinity Cemetery Cast Iron Gates

As we headed towards Trinity Cemetery today for a public event, we couldn't help but noticed the amazing iron work and stone that surrounded this landmark located on the northern reaches of West Harlem. The north border of the cemetery is on West 155th Street, between Broadway and Riverside Drive, with the street sloping downward as one walks westward. The misty weather just intensified the fall greens and yellows, providing a striking contrast to the dark cast iron gates. If your are like us, we just marvel at the all the hand crafted carvings on the stone gate post, the contrast marble used for the accent columns (top photo) and the overall balance between the walls and the metalwork. For those a little more superstitious on the whole cemetery thing, then maybe this is a great halloween landmark to check out. The nearest subway is the the 1 train at 157th Street or the C train at 155th Street. Trinity Cemetery is on the former estate of naturist, John James Audubon. Read more about this lost landmark in our previous post: LINK. Photos by Ulysses

☞ WALK: Trinity Cemetery for Halloween

Sunday, October 30th, 11:00 AM, Trinity Cemetery Walking Tour by Eric K. Washington, starting at Audubon Terrace,  Broadway between 155th and 156th Streets, $15. The New York Post features Harlem Historian Eric K.Washington's upcoming weekend tour of Manhattan's most famous cemetery which will be a perfect historic Halloween excursion: LINK.  One famous figure was left out of article so we decided to re-post on one of the most notable New York City women of the 19th century:

Trinity Cemetary, on the northwest border of Harlem and Southern reaches of Washington Heights, rest some of New York's most reputable (and some not so reputable) families. Eliza Jumel could be said to be an example of the two. From her "working girl" roots, she was able to marry the most successful wine merchant in Manhattan and thus became the wealthiest woman in New York City circa 1804. Famous for being rich and more than a bit scandalous, this Evita of the early 19th century has her tomb on the same grounds as the Astor family. Read more about her interesting life and the mansion that bears her namesake: LINK.

☞ MEET: Malcolm X

A side of Malcolm X that most people do not see beyond the militant, early years is that of a man overcoming great strife who eventually becomes a compassionate, spritirual learner with strong beliefs in an integrated society. Born Malcolm Little in 1925, the man that would be mostly known as Malcolm X represented change within society and himself. After losing his father to violence and his mother to mental illness, the young Malcolm would move to Harlem from Nebraska and engage in a life of petty crime. Sentenced to several years in jail by the time he was 19 years of age, Malcolm discovered the Nation of Islam and embraced higher learning while serving his sentence. By 1952, Malcolm had dropped his original last name and became the spokesperson for the Nation of Islam, alienating many in the Civil Rights Movement since separatism was his focus.

1964 brought another transformation to Malcolm X, who left the Nation of Islam because of corruption he saw in the organization and became a Sunni Muslim. His name by this time was changed to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz in reverence to his learning and devotion to the Muslim faith. On a pilgrimage to Mecca, Malcolm saw people of all races unified in a greater, spiritual cause -- a sight that dispelled any belief in separatism as the right approach for African Americans. This great spiritual leader during the Civil Rights Era did not get a chance to extensively preach his new world views because radical members of the Nation of Islam paid their ultimate retribution with his death at Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom a year after leaving their fold.

☞ DWELL: 809 Riverside Drive Townhouse

On the outskirts of the northern West Harlem borders, one will find the Audubon Park Historic District of Washington Heights which also includes some perfectly preserved historic blocks. The spanish style, single family, 48 foot wide, semi-detached house at 809 Riverside Drive may be the standout in the entire area. This corner lot, miniature palazzo has two terraces, a solarium, herringbone wood floors, stain glass windows, working gas fireplaces and an attached garage out back. The asking price of $1.995 million might seem a bit high considering the crossroads of this location is at 158th Street, which is surrounded by taller, landmarked buildings but lacking amenities. Also, it's an older house that needs a bit of a touch up to get it back to tip-top condition. On the plus side, the garage is all there so the future home owner can just drive to their destination. As far as public transportation is concerned, the 1 train is only a block away at 157th Street. House photos by Ulysses

☞ DWELL: 809 Riverside Drive Priced Half Off

When the 39 foot wide, semi-detached Spanish style, prewar house at 809 Riverside Drive was up on the market last September, the asking price was almost at $2 million. Now, almost 7 months later, the price has been reduced multiple times until a couple of weeks ago, it reached it's lowest at $1.1 million. The landmark property is in the new Audubon Park Historic District at 157th Street which is just right outside the outer edge of Harlem's northern borders. There's not much going on in this part of town since the retail in the surrounding area is pretty limited, but the 1 train at 157th Street is only a block away. Transportation-wise, the train might be a moot point since there's a garage that is built into the side of the building. The house has all of its original details, six bedrooms, three baths and probably needs some work done on it to update the infrastructure. See our past post for a look at the interior and the garages: LINK. Photo by Ulysses