The New York Daily News reports property values rose the highest in Manhattan along 110th Street since the start of 2000, citing Central Park as a draw. The 115% increase of home prices is dramatically different than the rest of the city proper, which experienced about 54% overall. Of course, what isn't mentioned is that the area probably had one of the lower home values at the start of the decade, so the only way was up. The top photo shows 111 Central Park North, which has the distinction of having the most expensive condo sale in all of Harlem, but the retail space on the lower floor has not been filled with a high profile tenant. Some readers have mentioned that petty crime still lingers on lower Lenox, so folks are really buying into this immediate block because of the park. Thoughts? Read more in the Daily News on the Central Park boom: LINK. Read our past post on 111 Central Park North: LINK. Photo by Ulysses
Personally, I think anything up to 125th can be considered well within walking distance to Central Park and definitely adds a lot of value. Sure, there are a couple of sketchy streets along the way, but for me, the walk along Lenox on a sunny afternoon is a beautiful one (or head through Mount Morris Park along the way). Stop off in Il Caffe Latte, or head east along 116th for some good mexican food. Or, you can just go straight to the park haha. Point is, people talk about improving the neighborhood etc, but for me it is already a vibrant, fascinating, wonderful place to be.
ReplyDeleteRandom thoughts:
ReplyDeleteDeveloping the triangle at 111th and Lenox into something more visually appealing could help Central Park North tremendously. The New York Road Runners Club was a great idea, unfortunately the developer was a scam artist.
A restaurant/cafe/bar that is moderately priced and casual could make a killing in the base of 110 Central Park North since there are few options for people headed in and out of the park and 2,3 subway there. I am wondering if the asking rent is just way too high.
Some of the apartment buildings along 110th St are HDFC co-ops, others are stabilized or controlled rentals, or section 8, and many people are low to moderate income and don't have as much disposable income as the east, west and south side of the park; there is also the correctional facility. These factors might keep the area from seeing dramatic change - which for some is ideal and for others, not.
Lasker pool is amazing!
What is the deal with 114th b/w ACP & FDB? The housing along there is in a right mess, boarded up windows, garbage everywhere, yet the buildings all seem to be occupied?
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see a Cheesecake Factory, Chinese restaurant, cafe, etc. move into the retail space. The issue probably is that the rent is too high.
ReplyDeleteBoth sides of the street are actually part of the NYCHA, called the Randolph Houses. The city shut down the south side of the street about 5 years ago I think, claiming they would renovate the buildings, but no work has ever been done. In the past there was notorious drug dealing on that block and there are still vestiges of it.
ReplyDelete111CPN was conceived, marketed and advertised in racism. This is well documented by the NYT and others. These owners fought off occupancy of the space by a McDonalds (well doc'ed) as they did not want Black and Brown people at the base level of their building. Let's be honest here. The place should be renamed "South Africa 1975".
ReplyDeleteyes they fought off a mcdonalds, but that's because it's about the lowest possible retail element you could ask for. has nothing to do with race of people shopping there (im sure the subway sandwich shop and the deli in that building dont just serve white people). get a grip. im black, i live in harlem, and i wouldnt want a freakin mcdonalds in my building.
ReplyDeleteAnon @10:28, they are racist b/c they didn't want a McDonalds? I wouldn't want a McDonalds if I owned the place. Does that make me a racist? Give it a rest.
ReplyDeleteWhite people go so far out of there way to claim there is no racism involved in a matter. Please White people, admit it, look no further than this article by the NY Times
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/nyregion/thecity/30stre.html
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The point is White people simply refuse to admit the obvious that Black people live with. In Harlem White people refuse to acknowledge the obvious. 111 CPN was advertised and marketed in image EXCLUSIVE of Black people and INCLUSIVE of only WHITE PEOPLE. This is a fact. Politicians have spoken out to this obvuious racism of 111CPN. There have been Op Eds written on how it stands with it's "back" to Black Harlem and looking South.
Here's a clue of White people. Don't be Fox News. Instead of jumping through hoops, bending over backwards, doing back flips trying to deny racism, just look at the obvious and concede it's racist, plain and simple, and we move on. It's your refusal to acknowledge the total and complete racism embedded into situation that annoys Black people.
For example, is there a single White person who's willing to explain how a rendering of a Harlem Development can have lots of people in the rendering, but not a single Black person in the rendering? Do you think that's by accident? Do you think that's not racism in action? That's it White people, just admit the racism inherent in the advertising and marketing of 111 CPN. The New York Times has explored this, why can't White people? I know why, it shows a side of you that you don't want to see, doesn't it?
it's so amazing that all these white people move to harlem and really hate black people. you'd think if they hated black people so much they wouldnt want to live somewhere that is majority black. i guess they hate black people so much they just want to be around them all the time so no one realizes they are racist. yeah im sure that's it.
ReplyDeleteWho hates black people? I don't and nor do most of the people I know. Look, to be fair, the rendering on that building was definitely a poor decision. But to label all white people in Harlem as racist because of it is a complete generalization and just as bad. Enough of the hate stuff, just get along with your neighbors and enjoy the nice weather :)
ReplyDeleteThe buildings advertisers erred and where insensitive to not include diversity in the building renderings which I believe they have since corrected. Does that make the whole building and everyone associated with it racist, no. This kind of leap to see racism and conspiracy theories in everything is so tired and old Harlem and has no place in the new Harlem. So as Chris rightly says, give it a rest and we can look forward to a new Harlem of more diversity.
ReplyDeletePlease move on. People want to hear about safety issues and not someone's gross generalizations.
ReplyDeleteamen anon 11:35am.
ReplyDeleteAnon 10:46,
ReplyDeleteThe moment you concede that the whole idea of BET is racist, I will acknowledge that the inception and development of 111CPN was racist.
Look at this example taken from the article you referenced:
“If it’s starting at $1.5 million, they’re blatantly saying, ‘We don’t want black folks or people of color around here,’ ” said Ms. Adegoke, who lives in one of two homeless shelters on Central Park North, also known as 110th Street."
Isn't that racist? Are there not blacks or latinos with $1.5 million? Doesn't Alex Rodriguez make 25mm a year? Isn't Shawn Carter, Sean Combs and Curtis Jackson combined worth way over 1 Billion dollars?
Don't we also live in a capitalistic country? The developers should have sold apartments there for 50mm if there was demand. Why not? You mean to tell me you wouldn't? I'm sure you're not the next Mother Teresa.
12:14pm, you are not accepting the real truth of the matter, which is how the place was presented as "Black free" in image and rendering. Or in other words, in image, in the renderings to show the place, to sell the place, the area was "ethnically cleansed" of Black people. This is a fact that happened and has been discussed. This fact can't be squared as non-racist. This is not a simple omission. This is an intentional effort, it's by design. That's the point. That people work, present and show renderings of developments in Harlem cleansed of Blacks. We're talking about people walking by on the street, etc. It's shameful, clearly racist, but it appears accepted and no big deal.
ReplyDeleteWhy are we talking about the past still? Wasn't that half a decade ago?
ReplyDeleteI think it was basically a test in sensitivity training. Have you notice now that nobody EVER makes that mistake again. You live, you learn. Drive forward and not backwards.
Chris, I think anon 11:21 was being sarcastic.
ReplyDelete2006-that article was written. Lets move on. Expensive apts right outside an express subway stop on 110th st; seems like a great place to live.
ReplyDeleteblacks, whites, muslims, jews, christians, hindus, arabs, israelis, pakistanis, indians, americans, afghanis,iranians, iraqis, south koreans, north koreans, albanians, serbians, bosnians, tutsi, hutu, turkish, kurdish, sunni, shiites, south africans, afrikaners, ___________ (add more here) need to just chill out. Life is too short!
ReplyDeleteWow. I have been in Harlem for 5 years and the only racism I have found are blacks hating whites. I am called out on the street from time to time and I have listened at community board meetings where black people state they do not want white people moving in.
ReplyDeleteThat folks, is racist. It is just as racist as residents of a Westchester town holding a meeting about keeping blacks out of their town.
Harlem is in NYC. Anything goes folks and the market dictates it in a capitalist society. It is about money, not race and most people want a better neighborhood to live in. And believe me Harlem has got a way to gooooo to get there.
It IS important for whites and others to respect the fact that Harlem is a sacred space for blacks and for black history. It has meaning. How a white person respects all this by moving into Harlem is unclear - but people of all races should be able to live wherever they so desire.
ReplyDeleteAlmost all of the real estate development, new construction and rehabs, is not affordable housing for even middle income New Yorkers, regardless of race. That is the problem.
It is only useful to focus on this property as an example of this disparity, and to rally behind the creation of affordable housing. To complain that this building disrespects Harlem by "facing south" is completely insane and only proves the point that some people are so angry that they cannot even think clearly. Every building that surrounds Central Park, faces Central Park. For the view. Which is what the buyers pay for. This is so obvious that it is astounding that I feel the need to say so. THAT is how crazy the talk in the street is up here in Harlem, and why so many people don't have time to listen to that sort of BS.
The REAL issue, once again, is lack of affordable housing development in Harlem, racism & lack of opportunity for blacks to earn as much as whites and a sense of hopelessness and despair which has created a ghetto-mentality that doesn't help anyone in Harlem better themselves. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em...which means educate yourself, work hard, compete, and buy your own piece of Harlem while there is still a chance to do so.
Anon 7:26,
ReplyDeleteThere is tons of affordable housing in Harlem for the middle class, look at all of the HDFC buildings. There are much more HDFC's buildings then luxury condos in Harlem and its not even close.
Riverside: Yes, there are very many HDFC buildings in Harlem. This is true. I was speaking of NEW development in the area, and rehabs of vacant buildings, being almost totally market rate. Private Harlem landlords are also renting to upscale, often white, tenants. The black population in Harlem is declining and the younger black people often have to leave the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteBut, once again, the lack of affordable housing is a problem for all races city-wide, not just in Harlem. HDFCs that house primarily blacks in Harlem are mostly old buildings that the City foreclosed on years ago and then turned over to the residents.
If there wasn't a housing crisis then you wouldn't see lotteries for slots every time a new affordable development is announced. My statements were in reference to the NEW developments being market rate. Clearly, public housing plus HDFCs plus rent control/stabilized units amount to many times more apartments than the newer market rate/luxury units.
To the last comment regarding affordable housing, there is a lottery because the city wants to be "fair" when allocating housing. Also people from outside NYC i.e. Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, SI etc can be part of the lottery.
ReplyDeleteThe city builds and continues to rehab many building in NYC I see them all over the place.
Regarding racism in Harlem, I am in agreement that there is a ton of racism in Harlem but it is usually towards anyone that is not black, my wife gets it all the time.
I think stupidity rules in Harlem as in other parts of NY that have ethnic majorities. Harlem still has groups that think they should not "snitch" when they see crime, that they should be okay with lawlessness like those kids who ride their motorcycles up and down the Lenox recklessly, like the drug dealers on the corner of 116th and Lenox. Like the gangs that youngsters who feel that school is a waste and their time is better spent harassing and intimidating people on the streets. Like the fact that trousers are now worn around the knees and showing ass is now the way to go.
Before we scream about white people let's look at ourselves as i do not think that white people make us do these things.
By the way when people talk about hopelessness in America or lack of a good education I say the following take a look at most Sub-Sahara African countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan or any country where you are forced to not go to school. My country spend less than a quarter what the USA spends per student and has a higher literacy rate as well as a higher college and university grad rate.
American kids complain and whine but they go to school and wreak havoc rather than try to learn, take advantage of what you have instead of threatening teacher and disrupting other students, use the public libraries and STOP COMPLAINING!!