Manhattanville Houses is a public housing project in the Manhattanville section of West Harlem, in the borough of Manhattan, New York City. The project is located between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, spanning a superblock from 129th Street to 133rd Street and is managed by the New York City Housing Authority. The project consists of six 20-story buildings containing 1,272 apartment units.[3] The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2024.[4]

Manhattanville Houses
Map
Location in New York City
Coordinates: 40°48′58″N 73°57′26″W / 40.816230°N 73.957140°W / 40.816230; -73.957140
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CityNew York City
BoroughManhattan
Area
 • Total
0.019 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Population
 • Total
3,055 [1]
ZIP codes
10027
Area code(s)212, 332, 646, and 917
Websitemy.nycha.info/DevPortal/

Development

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The site formerly consisted of city blocks of tenements which were demolished via slum clearance, beginning in 1957.[5]

Manhattanville Houses were completed June 30, 1961[3] at a cost of $24 million.[citation needed] The project was designed by modernist architect William Lescaze in the "tower in the park" concept in vogue during the mid-20th century which emphasized view corridors that bring air and light to housing residents.[6]

Safety quickly began to decline in the development and tenants began to organize and patrol the lobbies.[7] In 1962, NYCHA added six new guards to patrol the development.[8]

On June 4, 2014, the NYPD made the largest gang bust in New York history, arresting 103 individuals of gangs at the Manhattanville and Grant Houses with extensive help from the Manhattan District Attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr.[9][10] 95 of the 103 people arrested charged took plea deals.[11] Since the raid, shootings have declined 34 percent but neighborhood residents and gang policing experts feel that the sweep didn't reduce gang crime or gang affiliation and anticipate more violence, citing historic tensions between the developments and institutionalized racism as motivations behind the bust.[11][12]

Notable residents

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Manhattanville Houses Population".
  2. ^ "Manhattanville Houses Area". Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "MyNYCHA Developments Portal". my.nycha.info. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  4. ^ "WEEKLY LIST OF ACTIONS TAKEN ON PROPERTIES: 6/17/2024 THROUGH 6/21/2024". National Park Service. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  5. ^ "PLANS ARE FILED FOR HOUSING UNIT; Manhattanville Low-Income Houses Nearer Realization With Filing of Plans COST TO BE $24,000,000 Six 20-Story Buildings Will Have 1,272 Units Renting at $14-a-Room Average". The New York Times. May 23, 1957. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  6. ^ Johnson, Carolyn D. (2010). Harlem Travel Guide. Welcome to Harlem. ISBN 9781449915889.
  7. ^ Leadon, Fran (April 17, 2018). Broadway: A History of New York City in Thirteen Miles. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 9780393285451.
  8. ^ "200 GUARDS HIRED FOR CITY HOUSING; 100 Private Detectives Will Join Regular Forces at 28 Projects Tonight OTHERS ARE DUE LATER Authority Hopes to Replace New Men in Eight Weeks With Regular Recruits Assigned to Bad Areas Duty at Manhattanville 200 GUARDS HIRED FOR CITY HOUSING". The New York Times. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  9. ^ McKinley, James C. Jr (June 4, 2014). "In Unusual Collaboration, Police and Prosecutors Team Up to Reduce Crime". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  10. ^ Robbins, Christopher (June 5, 2014). "Largest Gang Bust In NYC History Result Of "Extreme Collaboration" Between NYPD & DA". Gothamist. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  11. ^ a b Hattem, Ben (October 24, 2016). "How Massive Gang Sweeps Make Growing Up In The Projects A Crime". Gothamist. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  12. ^ Kramer, Abigail (March 2, 2015). "Busts, but not a solution, from NYPD tracking of housing feuds". Politico PRO. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  13. ^ Wakin, Daniel J. (May 28, 2005). "Dance Archivist's Survivors Are Found". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
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