Every Building on Fifth

10 West 138th Street, Chauncy Hooper Towers

Chauncy Hooper Towers at 10 West 138th Street commemorates the WWII Commander of the 369th Coast Artillery Regiment, an all-African-American troop, the majority of whom were from Harlem.  Stationed in Hawaii during WWII, the unit was given the nickname “Hooper’s Troopers”.  During the postwar period, Commander Hooper held numerous senior positions in New York City… Continue reading

1 West 137th Street-2254 Fifth Avenue

In keeping with many similar commercial and mixed-use developments in the early 20th Century, 1 West 137th Street mixes Colonial and Beaux Arts details. A cheery survivor from the period, it helps impart a traditional neighborhood presence to what is otherwise a monumentally scaled district. 2254 Fifth Avenue, directly to the north and visible in… Continue reading

2238 Fifth Avenue, Central Harlem District Health Center

The pleasant Colonial Revival building at 2238 Fifth Avenue houses the Central Harlem District Health Center.  A 1930 design by the firm of McKim, Mead and White, the interiors have been given an airy renovation by Steven Yablon Architecture. The building is a New York City landmark.

2230 Fifth Avenue

2230 Fifth Avenue, the former John B. Russwurm School, is the home of the Harlem branch of the Democracy Prep Charter Middle School, a series of charter schools with locations in New York City; Camden, NJ; Las Vegas; Baton Rouge; and San Antonio.  The architecture is typical for public schools of the period.

Riverton Square at Fifth Avenue

With over 1,200 apartments in seven buildings covering a three-block tract, Riverton Square’s official address is 2156 Madison Avenue, but fronts Fifth Avenue between East 135th and East 138th Streets.  Developed in 1947 by the Metropolitan Life Company as housing open to African-American and Hispanic tenants at a time when most new developments were overtly… Continue reading