The small brownstone at 221 West 113th Street (far right in photo) has gone into contract in only two month's time. Originally offered at $975K at the beginning of February, this building's character, location and price probably added up to a quick (possible) sale. The location between FDB/8th Avenue and ACP/7th Avenue is only three blocks away from central park, the 2,3 express train and a block away from all the new commercial retail in South Harlem. What was notably questionable about the 16 foot wide, four family house was that even though all the original details were intact, there was a lot of work that had to be done to update the infrastructure, and to correct what is a not to code living situation. All the top floor apartments of the 2,727 square foot building did not have private baths to them so it was more like a boarding house situation. Then there was the abandoned row of subsidized rental buildings facing the backyard. Apparently the government closed the buildings down for repair but nothing has happened to that side of the block for over five years. Overall, this could be a great deal if the buyer got a good price on the charming little house but the building needs a lot of work and the block hasn't turned around quite yet. It will be interesting to see how close to the asking price the building finally goes for when the records come out. House photo by Ulysses
There was an article in the Columbia Spectator recently about the closed down public housing on 114th Street. Both sides of 114 between ACP and FDB are tenement public housing known as the Randolph Houses. The south side tenements were emptied a few years ago by the NYHA for renovation but nothing has happened since. The former residents have been relocated but were told they would be allowed to return. I wonder if these units will ever actually be renovated. I think 114 had/has some serious drug dealing issues and maybe the City decided the way to handle it was by shutting it down on the pretense of renovation.
ReplyDeleteFDB, Harlem's Gold Coast and "South Harlem" has been getting all the attention lately. I guess "they" (speculators, investors, etc.) are trying to pump it up as the next who knows what? Is it West Harlem, Morningside Heights, South Harlem, extension of the UWS?
ReplyDeleteThere are rows and rows of streets in Central Harlem that could compete with the best of them from any neighborhood, especially the streets of "South Harlem." Despite that, it seems as though everyone forgot about the heart and soul of Harlem, which is Central Harlem.
How do you define Central Harlem? I really think of SoHa (the area around FDB) and Mt. Morris Park as the same neighborhood. They are two avenues apart although I grant the latter has better architecture and more character (and I think one day Lenox will be more desirable than FDB). It's like saying 6th avenue in Chelsea is a totally different area than 8th avenue in Chelsea - they are both lumped into the same area.
ReplyDeleteReal estate is much more desirable on 8th avenue in chelsea were a lot of original architecture still remains and more smaller boutiques can be found . 6th avenue chelsea is more commercial and has all those tall new buildings which all became rentals and the commercial spaces tend to be big chain stores.
ReplyDeleteit's interesting that nothing has been done on 114th st - how many city blocks sit half empty? it was strange when i walked down that block a while back and noticed that every building on the south side of the street was totally boarded up. the buildings on the north side of he street look to be in pretty bad condition also.
ReplyDeleteI agree that 6th avenue vs. 8th avenue in Chelsea have slightly different characters. But everybody stil calls them Chelsea more or less.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Central Harlem could use a moniker of its own. I'm starting to call the area of Fifth Ave. just north of the park "Upper Mt. Morris." :-)
ReplyDelete5th Avenue north of 125th-130th is as beautiful as any other part of Harlem.
ReplyDelete5th Ave. offers best of both worlds: quiet and ideally located between 2/3 and 4/5/6 metro north.
Defining SoHa as the area around FDB is vague. FDB runs north into the Harlem River Drive, past 150th street. If SoHa stands for South-Harlem, then why isn't Lexington Avenue and 100th street also referred to as SoHa, but East Harlem? It is clearly evident that investors and real estate brokers are trying to subdivide Harlem as much as possible so they could separate the more gentrified area from the ones less so.
ReplyDeleteSouth Harlem would be below 125th Street and west of 5th Avenue. East of 5th Avenue is East Harlem. The neighborhoods are very different so it would make sense to separate them. There's the Village downtown but then the east and west sides are totally different. Each section of New York City is its own micro village and all have different character to them.
ReplyDeleteAnon 1:14
ReplyDeleteEast of 5th Avenue is East Harlem? So west of 5th Avenue is West Harlem?
Elaborate on why South Harlem should only refer to the area West of 5th avenue. Offically, 1st Avenue-5th Avenue in Harlem is more south than FDB and 110th. No? The border is 96th street.
Explain how 5th Ave & 127th, for example, is any different from Lenox Ave & 127th.
The Harlem neighborhood discussion is very interesting, here is my 2 cents. It was the case in early 1900’s that 5th Ave was a clear demarcation line, black Harlemites to the west of 5th Ave and other immigrant groups to the East of 5th Ave, making them clearly different neighborhoods. This 5th Ave. East West divide is no longer relevant and as Anon at 1:32 PM says, there is no difference between East and West of 5th Ave on say 127th Street. I think the East West of 5th Ave is no longer relevant. What I think is now relevant and obviously defined neighborhoods could be..
ReplyDeleteLenox and 125th - central Harlem.
East of the Park Ave. Metro North Line – East Harlem.
South Lenox Ave. below 125th Street – South Harlem.
Mount Morris Park District (incl. all four sides of the park) – a clear micro neighborhood much like Gramercy Park
Frederick Douglass Blvd. below 125th with all the new condos and dining.
There is so much more to Harlem than the above but these are now well defined lines I think most would agree on.