REMEMBER: THE BARNARD CIRCA 1910

Thaddeus Wilkerson, Barnard School for Boys, New York, ca. 1910 via the digital collection at the Museum of the City of New York.

One of Sugar Hill's most notable buildings has finally been renovated after being neglected for decades so we decided to post again our original history piece on the famous address.  A postcard from 1910 show the building at the corner of 146th and St. Nicholas Avenue in a more pristine state over a century ago. The sign on the second level indicates the building was originally the Barnard School for Boys in better days but the lower photo shows the structure's state today.   One interesting architectural detail to note is that photos of this building with a cornice have never been found and thus the building might have been designed without one in mind.

☞ REMEMBER: Barnard School for Boys c. 1910

A postcard from 1910 show the building at the corner of 146th and St. Nicholas Avenue in a more pristine state over a century ago. The sign on the second level indicates the building was originally the Barnard School for Boys in better days but the lower photo shows the structure's state today.   One interesting architectural detail to note is that photos of this building with a cornice have never been found and thus the building might have been designed without one in mind. This Sugar Hill landmark has been off and on the market at times but a buyer with the funds to restore it has yet to found.

Thaddeus Wilkerson, Barnard School for Boys, New York, ca. 1910 via the digital collection at the Museum of the City of New York.

DWELL: SOLD OUT AT THE BARNARD

Harlem Bespoke: The Barnard condos at Number 721 St. Nicholas Avenue on Sugar Hill at the corner of 146th Street had a slight price reduction last year and now all units have sold out.  Based on details in Streeteasy, the majority 2-bedroom complex sold units in the mid to upper $900K range and a commercial storefront below also found a buyer $1.528 million.  This Sugar Hill address is in the historic district and also has the ideal location since the building is only a half block away from the express train entrance.  More photos, details and contact information can be found on Streeteasy: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2018

☞ ARCHITECTURE: Columbia's Science Building

As soon as the vented metal panels came up on the new Columbia University science building on Broadway and 120th Street, it was clear to many what the building was forming into. We pointed out way back in May 2009 that the newest addition to Columbia's century old campus was starting to look like a giant air conditioning unit sittng on the street corner. New York Magazine just had a critique of the structure this week and here's what they had to say:

"But if the architect is solicitous toward the future, he turns a stone shoulder to Broadway now. A street-level palisade of granite (fronting a preexisting structure) ensures that the sidewalk will remain perpetually dead. In other projects, like the Los Angeles Cathedral and his addition to the Prado, Moneo has proved himself a poet of the blank wall. He is the anti-showman, concealing intricacy in austere shells, making his buildings at once generous and forbidding, glamorous and dour. In his New York debut, that balance comes off wrong. The outside resembles a cooling unit, another depressing entry in Columbia’s unproud tradition."

The Diana Center down the block designed for Barnard is turning out nicely as we previously mentioned and the NY Magazine article is also in agreement. Maybe the dean at Columbia should be using the Barnard folks to make some decision going forward seeing that most of the modern structures on campus have been universally panned. Read more about it in the article: LINK or our past post: LINK. Photos by Ulysses

SHOP: A STOREFRONT ON SUGAR HILL

Harlem Bespoke:  One of the more interesting storefronts to be available uptown is at the corner of 146th on St. Nicholas Avenue. The landmark building now called The Barnard was recently restored and converted into condos but a small commercial space still remains on street level.  This circular layout is definitely one of the more unique space in Harlem and the location on Sugar Hill is just a half block away form the express train entrance.  More on the Barnard in our past post: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2018

DWELL: PRICE REDUCTION AT THE BARNARD

Harlem Bespoke:  The Barnard condos at Number 721 St. Nicholas Avenue debuted on Sugar Hill at the corner of 146th Street earlier this year and now asking prices have been reduced by as much as 12 percent. One of the units initially debuted for $1.415 million but now is up on the market for $1.25 million.  As previously mentioned, modern and classic elements are mixed within for a dramatic affect but we probably would have not chosen the severe overhead lighting above the bath sinks which tend to not be so flattering on the visage.  With that said, such minor details are easily fixed and the location is just a block away from the express train entrance that gets one to midtown in about 12 minutes.  More photos, details and contact information can be found on the broker site: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2017

☞ INTRODUCING: Barnard's Diana Center

Near completion, the formerly named Nexus building at Barnard between 116th and 117th Street on Broadway has been rechristened the Diana Center after alumn Diana Touliatou Vagelos '55, who donated $15 million for the new building. The glass is completely up, and the building is in its last phase of construction with a green roof planned to top it off. The low-scale of the building and touch of color is definitely better than the looming new science building going up across the street, which overwhelms the architecture of the immediate area. Hopefully, Columbia will eventually recognize the difference between the two new buildings and make plans accordingly for any construction on the Manhattanville campus of the future.

☞ ARCHITECTURE: Barnard's Nexus Windows

A couple of years ago, Barnard College finally demolished a small squat, 1970's concrete building on 119th and Broadway and has been constructing a low rise glass structure on the lot. The glass has just gone up and, as one can see on the photo, each window is framed with solid orange panels and has the painted-on, gradating window color that seems to be a swipe from the Frank Gehry school.  The glass is definitely better than 1970's poured concrete, but windows with painted-on shading is starting to look old already.   At least they kept this one low to the ground unlike its sibling across the way, which is still in the starting phase but is already taller than the McKim, Mead and White buildings surrounding it.

☞ REMEMBER: Gay New York & The Arts

Saturday, February 11th,  10:00 AM–4:00 PM, GAY NEW YORK AND THE ARTS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY at the Museum of the City of New York,1220 Fifth Avenue at East 103rd Street.

This day-long symposium will explore the influence of gay New Yorkers on the city's artistic life from the 1920s through the 1960s and the dense social and cultural networks that fostered and supported them in the worlds of music, literature, dance, and more. Public figures such as Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Leonard Bernstein, Andy Warhol, Gertrude Stein, and E.M Forster among others will be discussed. » RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

SPEAKERS ARE:

Donald Albrecht | Curator of Architecture and Design, Museum of the City of New York, curator of Cecil Beaton: The New York Years

George Chauncey | Professor of History, Yale University, author of Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890–1940

Lynn Garafola | Professor of Dance, Barnard College, author of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and Legacies of Twentieth-Century Dance

Nadine Hubbs | Associate Professor, Women's Studies and Music, University of Michigan, author of The Queer Composition of America's Sound: Gay Modernists, American Music, and National Identity

Lawrence La Fountain-Stokes | Associate Professor of American Culture and Romance Languages and Literatures and Director, Latina/o Studies Program, University of Michigan, author of Queer Ricans: Cultures and Sexualities in the Diaspora

Wendy Moffat | Professor of English, Dickinson College, author of A Great Unrecorded History: A New Life of E.M. Forster

Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar | Professor of History, University of Connecticut, editor, The Harlem Renaissance Revisited: Politics, Arts, and Letters

Jane Tippett | Doctoral Candidate in History of Art, University of Delaware, co-author of a forthcoming book on Sam Green

Hugo Vickers | Author of Cecil Beaton: A Biography

RESERVATIONS AND PREPAYMENT REQUIRED: $25 Museum members, seniors, and students; $35 non-members. Optional box lunch additional $15. To reserve (optional) lunch for the day, please order by: Friday, February 3.  RSVP online: LINK

Photograph by Cecil Beaton. Courtesy of the Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby's.

☞ MEET: Yvette Leeper-Bueno

We continue our style series that interviews some of the new faces of Harlem with this feature on Vinateria owner Yvette Leeper-Bueno who also happens to have very deep roots in the neighborhood.  More details on the said new eatery located on Frederick Douglass Boulevard can be found at:  www.VinateriaNYC.com


HB: Your look is so current right now with all of the late 80s and 90s references happening in fashion. What are your style influences? 

YLB: As a woman, I'll have to admit that I have plenty of style influence. I grew up in the fashion business and folks that know me well will definitely tell you about how much I adore fashion. My inner 90's kid is definitely excited to see all the latest 90's fashion influences happening right now in fashion. I like to be on-trend, however many of my go to staples in my closet are of classic lines. In college, even with a fully stacked course load, I still found the time to feed my incessant collecting of international fashion magazines. Fashion is one of my guilty pleasures that share top billing along with great red wine, dark chocolate and a relaxing bath with all of the luxurious fixings.


HB: We have noticed that folks in Harlem like to dress up when they go out. Do you find this true?

YLB: Yes, I have found that folks in Harlem do like to dress up when they go out. I grew up hearing my mother recant stories of how 125th street during the 40s, 50s and 60s was filled with shop after shop selling beautiful fashions for both men and women. 125th Street was the place folks went to promenade and show of your 'Sunday's finest'. Fashion was one of the areas where Blacks could freely and lavishly express themselves. While folks might dress up in Harlem to go out, the intention is that people feel very comfortable at Vinateria and definitely come as you wish.


HB: You just opened Vinateria on Frederick Douglass and 119th Street this past month. How has business been going? 

YLB: The reception to Vinateria's opening has been extremely warm. It was definitely a long awaited opening. Many of my customers have told me that they have found a home away from home. Hearing this really makes my dream a reality. People in the neighborhood yearn for connectedness with other and to be able to hang out in a place that evokes warmth and soulfulness. My aim was to create an inviting neighborhood spot that could truly bring people together regardless of whether you might be a long time Harlem resident or a recent arrival. This type of charm can be difficult to find in more corporate style restaurants. I have received loads of complements on the Chef Gustavo Lopez's delicious cuisine and Gabriela Davogustto's amazing wine and beverage selections. We've all been focused on developing all of the operating area of this business to have high quality and a very caring touch. I am so delighted that we already have many return customers. Quite a few of these customers are reconnecting with me from previous involvements that I've had, i.e. through my education at Barnard college, my children's schooling or my prior owned boutique at Grand Central Terminal. I do not take all of this wonderful support lightly-- I am very fortunate.


HB: Vinateria is very modern but also has a strong nod to history. How did you come up with the concept? 

YLB:  Developing the decor for Vinateria was extremely exciting for me. I had the great fortune to have worked with an extremely talented designer on the restaurant project. Her name is Jonsara Ruth and she is the head of Interior Design at Parson School of Design. We challenged ourselves to create the neighborhood place I've always wanted to go to myself. You make a very astute observation-- this notion of modern and historical at the same time. My designer will speak of this as being one of her ultimate aesthetic goals. About a year ago she and I embarked on an incredible creative journey. As with my interest in fashion I was fuelled with the process of us putting it all together. I learned SO much about where to research and find fabulous vintage artifacts. You'll notice the lovely historical details of our expansive vintage bar that once had it's home in a Gramercy Park restaurant. One of the main objectives was to infuse the classical with a striking touch of modernity. Hence, we've intentionally chosen a simple, subtle yet elegant palette of materials so as to set the stage where it is the people and the enjoyment that become the main focus. I take such pleasure in noticing the extent to which people have been taking in all the design details when they come in to dine with us.


HB: Tell us more about your family history in Harlem and why you decided to open a restaurant in the neighborhood.

YLB:  My family has been involved in Harlem life for decades. My mother migrated here from Jamaica and my father from North Carolina--both in the 1950s. After High school in 1956, they first met each other just a few short blocks away from Vinateria at nearby Morningside Park. This area holds a lot of history for my family and I. Years later, after marriage they purchased a brownstone building on 112th Street, where I happen to currently reside with my husband and children.

My folks remember when Harlem was such a happening hub that you had little reason to ever want to leave-- shopping, dining, entertainment and church were all readily available in the vicinity. Most left Harlem only for work, school and an occasional trip to Macy's or for the Christmas show at Rockefeller Center. My parents held onto their brownstone after many tumultuous periods of the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. They are delighted that a new Renaissance has come to Harlem with a blending of cultures that was not possible in the Harlem of the 1950s.


HB:  What are your thoughts on the changes happening in the neighborhood?

YLB:  Changes in any neighborhood will inevitably happen. I would say that most of us that reside here welcome the new changes in Harlem. We can all look forward to enhanced services in the area, new businesses and housing and enhanced schools. The role played by such community organizations as Frederick Douglass Boulevard Alliance FDBA, comprised of both residents and local businesses on FDB is positioned play a vital role in effecting positive changes in our area. I am truly excited to see all the new businesses opening in the area. The new residents that have come to live here are now part of the fabric of our Harlem evolution. We need to stay mindful of how much this in turn works towards broadening the awareness of all the greatness we have to offer here. I adore our neighborhood and I am extremely grateful that I have had the opportunity to follow my passions while also serving to contribute to the area's venue options.

☞ HISTORY: Battle of Harlem Heights

In 1776, George Washington's troops made a rallying stand against the British along the hills of what is now Morningside Heights. Washington's troop consisted of around 1,800 men while the British invasion had a good 5,000 in total. The American side was in retreat because of the large numbers they were against when the British side blew a a pursuit signal which was not customary and infuriate the Americans to hold their ground. They eventually pushed the British into retreat and thus immensely empowering the American side on their will to stand against the British. Currently, Barnard College is on the exact spot were the major battle was fought. Most of the area was considered the country at the time with only small estates and barely any large buildings in the area. Click on above illustration or map to enlarge.

DWELL: 721 ST. NICHOLAS CONDOS REVEALED

Number 721 St. Nicholas Avenue started up a gut renovation of the entire SRO building back in 2015 and now 4 new condos have debuted within the landmark tower on Sugar Hill at the corner of 146th Street. Each unit has a boutique feel to it and the two-bedrooms go for around $1.3 million in this development called The Barnard.  Modern and classic elements are mixed within for a dramatic affect but we probably would have not chosen the severe overhead lighting above the bath sinks which tend to not be so flattering on the visage.  With that said, such minor details are easily fixed and the location is just a block away from the express train entrance that gets one to midtown in about 12 minutes.  More photos, details and contact information can be found on the broker site: LINK

*SPONSORED: 414 WEST 121ST STREET CO-OP

Number 414 West 121st Street, $795K two-bedroom Co-op Apartment, Morningside Heights. This pre-war apartment with full living room, dining room and 2 bedrooms has been beautifully updated with attention to original details. The apartment features lovingly restored woodwork from 1912 on the doors, windows and baseboard along with original wood floors. This home is in pristine, move-in condition with options to open up some walls for a loftier feel or create a third bedroom from one of the living/dining rooms.

☞ READ: Last Week's Most Viewed Posts

Below is the list of last week's most viewed posts and comment count.

1. Harlem Shambles Opens (13)
2. Ugo Rondinone Buys Mt. Moriah Church (10)
3. What's Up with Pizzeria 123? (6)
4. The Central Harlem Reno Update (1)
5. 24 Hamilton Terrace Townhouse (2)
6. 230 West 136th Street in Contract
7. Modern on West 112th Street (3)
8. Barnard School for Boys c. 1910 (2)
9. The Polo Grounds circa 1917 (3)
10. Jin Noodle Bar Ready to Open

*SPONSORED: 414 WEST 121ST STREET CO-OP

Number 414 West 121st Street, $795K two-bedroom Co-op Apartment, Morningside Heights. This pre-war apartment with full living room, dining room and 2 bedrooms has been beautifully updated with attention to original details. The apartment features lovingly restored woodwork from 1912 on the doors, windows and baseboard along with original wood floors. This home is in pristine, move-in condition with options to open up some walls for a loftier feel or create a third bedroom from one of the living/dining rooms.