Demand Housing for Seniors

+ Dividing Manhattan into New York and Harlem

Author

The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association
February 17, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

With Harlem already bearing the weight of its current shelter and rehabilitation center capacity, the community insists on utilizing 2201 ACP Jr. Blvd. to accommodate seniors and young professionals, aligning with the urgent need for accessible and affordable housing.

The next meeting, slated for Sunday, February 18th at 4:00 PM, promises to be a beacon of hope and progress. Organized by Silent Voices United Inc. and St. Nicholas Houses Resident Association at  WILLIAMS INSTITUTIONAL CME CHURCH (2239 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd, New York, NY 10027), this gathering marks the dawn of ongoing discussions between Harlem's resilient community and Mayor Eric Adams. Together, they will ensure that decisions regarding 2201 ACP Jr. Blvd. resonate with the dreams and needs of Harlem residents.


For more information, please contact:
Tiffany Fulton, Executive Director, Silent Voices United, Inc. 800-330-9304

Where Is The Line?

The definition of where Harlem's boundaries lie has changed both politically and psychologically over the centuries.  In the Dutch era:

Harlem's boundary line was defined as running from 129th Street and the Hudson River to 74th Street and the East River. Everything east of this on the Island, including the creeks, marshes, meadows, waters and fishing privileges, belonged to the Town of New Harlem. West of the Line no one could "build any manner of house or houses within two miles of the aforesaid limits or bounds of the said Town, without the consent of the inhabitants thereof," since the Commons (as this southerly land was called) were designated solely for pasturage. 

Note that in 1820, there were just 91 families living in Harlem. The area was relatively inaccessible, with only two connections to New Amsterdam—the Boston Post Road or a steamboat on the East River. Harlem’s isolation changed in the 1830s when service on the New York & Harlem Rail Road began, what is now the Metro-North railway. The train, along with the full build-out of Manhattan's street grid system, led to rapid expansion of the then suburb.

Below is a map showing the original dividing line between Harlem and New York, as well as internal neighborhoods:

To explore the contemporary complex and overlapping political, educational, fire, police, and more, boundaries in our community, head to this link:

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