Harlem Bespoke: We sometimes to forget to look up when viewing architecture in the city and somehow never realized that the building on the corner of West 113th Street and Adam Clayton Powell had the name Nordica prominently displayed on the top floors. A lot of the multi family dwellings from the late 1800s and early 1900s have names on them but usually are adorned on the cornice at top or the portico entrance below. New York City archival photos show that this moniker was always there but the old grainy images do not do justice to the beautiful architecture which has been restored today.
As can be seen from the photos taken this week, the Nordica looks practically new as far as the facade goes and one can now see why 7th Avenue back in the day was considered Central Harlem's boulevard to see and be seen on. There was a small Finnish community in the neighborhood over a century ago and this might have a connection to the naming of this particular address. More on Harlem's Finnish community can be found in our past post:
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