1520 Sedgwick Avenue
Encyclopedia
1520 Sedgwick Avenue is a 102-unit apartment building in the Morris Heights
neighborhood in The Bronx
borough of New York City
, New York
, United States of America. Recognized as a long-time "haven for working class families," in 2010 the New York Times reported that it is the "accepted birthplace of hip hop." After a long period of neglect and shady dealings in the 1990s and 2000s the building has been "highlighted by elected officials and tenant advocates as an emblem of New York’s affordable housing crisis." Senator Charles E. Schumer called the building "the birthplace of predatory equity
," and Representative José E. Serrano, speaking of the building's recent purchase, called it, "such a visible building."
On July 5, 2007, 1520 Sedgwick Avenue was recognized by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
as the "Birthplace of Hip-Hop."
. Receiving its first mortgage in 1967, 1520 Sedgwick Avenue is located on the Expressway.
." As hip hop grew from throughout the Bronx, 1520 was a starting point where Clive Campbell, later known as DJ Kool Herc
, presided over parties in the community room at a pivotal point in the genre's history.
DJ Kool Herc is credited with helping to start hip hop and rap music at a house concert
at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue on August 11, 1973. At the concert he was DJing and emceeing in the :recreation room of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. Sources have noted that while 1520 Sedgwick Avenue was not the actual birthplace of hip hop - the genre developed slowly in several places in the 1970s - it was verified to be the place where one of the pivotal and formative events occurred that spurred hip hop culture forward. During a rally to save the building, DJ Kool Herc said, "1520 Sedgwick is the Bethlehem of Hip-Hop culture."
demonstrated another innovation called rapping
. Attendees, or people who later claimed to be there, include Grandmaster Caz
, leader of the Cold Crush Brothers, Grandmaster Flash
, Busy Bee
, Afrika Bambaataa
, Sheri Sher, Mean Gene, Red Alert
, and KRS-One
.
recognized the building as the "birthplace of hip hop" on July 5, 2007.
Starting in 2007 the building's owners sought to repeal the status afforded to the building by the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program, which allowed it to maintain rent control
for low-income and working class residents. Despite work by groups such as the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board
and the Tenants and Neighbors Association to preserve the building’s Mitchell-Lama status, the courts allowed the building's status to be repealed. In 2008 the building was sold to a real estate group that included Mark Karasick, a prominent real estate investor, which intended to turn the building into market-rate housing. However, after the United States housing bubble
burst a period of neglect and threats of forced evictions daunted residents, and despite promises to the opposite, the building fell into decline.
In 2010 the city's
Housing Development Corporation
provided a $5.6 million loan to allow Winn Development and a new group called Workforce Housing Advisors to buy the building’s mortgage from Sovereign Bank
for $6.2 million. Rafael E. Cestero, the commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development
, said they supported the sale in order to help provide sustainable housing for working class families.
On November 7th, 2011 following a foreclosure auction with no active bidders, Workforce Housing Advisors were able to take title of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. Several residents, who were present at the auction along with tenant advocacy group Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, wept with joy when the auctioneer announced no bids had been registered.
John Crotty of Workforce Housing Advisors told the New York Times that his group intends to renovate the distressed building and work with tenants to recognize its importance. The group’s investors are more interested in steady, secure returns than in making money quickly.
Some money for renovations will be provided by New York City’s department of Housing Preservation and Development, and the Housing Development Corporation. The new owner intends to pursue a listing for on the National Register of Historic Places, for which the building was deemed eligible in 2007 but former owner Mark Karasick declined to accept.
The new ownership of 1520 Sedgwick is seen by public officials and housing advocates as a huge victory in the struggle to preserve affordable housing in New York City. It is a big step forward in the fight to rescue low income housing from the disastrous impact overleveraging has had on this vulnerable resource. The rescue of 1520 Sedgwick was largely made possible through a sustained organizing campaign within the tenant body. Residents of this iconic building fought for over 5 years to maintain the affordability of their home and rescue it from speculative landlords. Their story is told at The Surreal Estate.
Morris Heights, Bronx
Morris Heights is a low income residential neighborhood located in the west Bronx. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 5. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: West Burnside Avenue to the north, Jerome Avenue to the east, the Cross-Bronx Expressway to the...
neighborhood in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
borough of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States of America. Recognized as a long-time "haven for working class families," in 2010 the New York Times reported that it is the "accepted birthplace of hip hop." After a long period of neglect and shady dealings in the 1990s and 2000s the building has been "highlighted by elected officials and tenant advocates as an emblem of New York’s affordable housing crisis." Senator Charles E. Schumer called the building "the birthplace of predatory equity
Predatory lending
Predatory lending describes unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of some lenders during the loan origination process. While there are no legal definitions in the United States for predatory lending, an audit report on predatory lending from the office of inspector general of the FDIC broadly...
," and Representative José E. Serrano, speaking of the building's recent purchase, called it, "such a visible building."
On July 5, 2007, 1520 Sedgwick Avenue was recognized by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation operates :*168 state parks*35 state historic sites*76 developed beaches*53 water recreational facilities*27 golf courses*39 full service cottages*818 cabins...
as the "Birthplace of Hip-Hop."
History
The creation of the Cross Bronx Expressway uprooted thousands in the Bronx during the early 1970s, displacing communities, and fostering to white flightWhite flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
. Receiving its first mortgage in 1967, 1520 Sedgwick Avenue is located on the Expressway.
Hip hop birthplace
1520 Sedgwick Avenue has been called "an otherwise unremarkable high-rise just north of the Cross Bronx Expressway and hard along the Major Deegan ExpresswayMajor Deegan Expressway
The Major Deegan Expressway is a north–south expressway in the New York City borough of the Bronx...
." As hip hop grew from throughout the Bronx, 1520 was a starting point where Clive Campbell, later known as DJ Kool Herc
DJ Kool Herc
Clive Campbell , also known as Kool Herc, DJ Kool Herc and Kool DJ Herc, is a Jamaican-born DJ who is credited with originating hip hop music, in The Bronx, New York City...
, presided over parties in the community room at a pivotal point in the genre's history.
DJ Kool Herc is credited with helping to start hip hop and rap music at a house concert
House concert
A house concert or home concert is a musical concert or performance art that is presented in someone's home or apartment, or a nearby small private space such as a barn, apartment rec room, lawn, or back yard....
at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue on August 11, 1973. At the concert he was DJing and emceeing in the :recreation room of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. Sources have noted that while 1520 Sedgwick Avenue was not the actual birthplace of hip hop - the genre developed slowly in several places in the 1970s - it was verified to be the place where one of the pivotal and formative events occurred that spurred hip hop culture forward. During a rally to save the building, DJ Kool Herc said, "1520 Sedgwick is the Bethlehem of Hip-Hop culture."
August 11, 1973
On August 11, 1973, Clive Campbell DJed for his sister Cindy's back-to-school party in the recreation center at 1520 Sedgwick. After spending months perfecting a new technique involving "playing the frantic grooves at the beginning or in the middle of the song" with two turntables, a mixer, and two copies of the same record, Campbell unveiled the technique at his sister's party. After renting the recreation room for US$25, Cindy charged 25 cents for females and 50 cents for males to attend. "I wrote out the invites on index cards, so all Herc had to do was show up. With the party set from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., our mom served snacks and dad picked up the sodas and beer from a local beverage warehouse." With the exhibition of his new style, Campbell's friend Coke La RockCoke La Rock
Coke La Rock is an old school New York City rapper who is often credited as being the first MC in the history of hip-hop.In November, 2010, Coke La Rock was inducted into the High Times Counterculture Hall of Fame at the annual ceremonies at the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam...
demonstrated another innovation called rapping
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
. Attendees, or people who later claimed to be there, include Grandmaster Caz
Grandmaster Caz
Curtis Fisher , better known by his stage name Grandmaster Caz or Cassanova Fly is an American "Old Skool" rapper, MC, and DJ...
, leader of the Cold Crush Brothers, Grandmaster Flash
Grandmaster Flash
Joseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing....
, Busy Bee
Busy Bee
Busy Bee of Norway, branded simply Busy Bee was an airline that operated in Norway between 1966 and 1992. The airline was started by Braathens S.A.F.E under the name Busy Bee Air Service. The airline flew charter and wet lease for Braathens SAFE and Scandinavian Airlines with Fokker F-27, Fokker 50...
, Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...
, Sheri Sher, Mean Gene, Red Alert
Red Alert
-Warning systems:Notable warning systems that use red alerts are:* The Homeland Security Advisory System * The BIKINI state * An emergency broadcast bullentin used by the Emergency Management of Ontario, in Ontario, Canada-Music:...
, and KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
.
Ownership and maintenance
Starting in the early 2000s, building owners threatened to turn 1520 into high rent units. Senator Schumer led a rally in 2007 focused on maintaining the affordable costs of the housing in order to maintain its working class roots. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic PreservationNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation operates :*168 state parks*35 state historic sites*76 developed beaches*53 water recreational facilities*27 golf courses*39 full service cottages*818 cabins...
recognized the building as the "birthplace of hip hop" on July 5, 2007.
Starting in 2007 the building's owners sought to repeal the status afforded to the building by the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program, which allowed it to maintain rent control
Rent control
Rent control refers to laws or ordinances that set price controls on the renting of residential housing. It functions as a price ceiling.Rent control exists in approximately 40 countries around the world...
for low-income and working class residents. Despite work by groups such as the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board
Urban Homesteading Assistance Board
The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, or UHAB, is a 35-year old non-profit organization in New York City that helps create and support self-help housing. UHAB works with residents to acquire, rehabilitate and manage their apartments...
and the Tenants and Neighbors Association to preserve the building’s Mitchell-Lama status, the courts allowed the building's status to be repealed. In 2008 the building was sold to a real estate group that included Mark Karasick, a prominent real estate investor, which intended to turn the building into market-rate housing. However, after the United States housing bubble
United States housing bubble
The United States housing bubble is an economic bubble affecting many parts of the United States housing market in over half of American states. Housing prices peaked in early 2006, started to decline in 2006 and 2007, and may not yet have hit bottom as of 2011. On December 30, 2008 the...
burst a period of neglect and threats of forced evictions daunted residents, and despite promises to the opposite, the building fell into decline.
In 2010 the city's
Government of New York City
The government of New York City is organized under the City Charter and provides for a "strong" mayor-council system. The government of New York is more centralized than that of most other U.S...
Housing Development Corporation
Housing Development Fund Corporation (HDFC)
Housing Development Fund Corporation or HDFC is a special type of limited equity housing cooperative in New York City which is incorporated under Article XI of the New York State Housing Finance Law. Under this law, the city of New York is able to sell buildings directly to tenant or community...
provided a $5.6 million loan to allow Winn Development and a new group called Workforce Housing Advisors to buy the building’s mortgage from Sovereign Bank
Sovereign Bank
Sovereign Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Spanish Grupo Santander. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the bank—whose principal market is in the Northeastern United States—has more than $77 billion in assets, operates 723 retail banking offices, over 2,300 ATMs and employs approximately 8,500...
for $6.2 million. Rafael E. Cestero, the commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development
New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development is the mayoral agency of New York City responsible for developing and maintaining the city's stock of affordable housing. HPD is headquartered in Lower Manhattan, and includes smaller branch offices in each of the city's five...
, said they supported the sale in order to help provide sustainable housing for working class families.
On November 7th, 2011 following a foreclosure auction with no active bidders, Workforce Housing Advisors were able to take title of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. Several residents, who were present at the auction along with tenant advocacy group Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, wept with joy when the auctioneer announced no bids had been registered.
John Crotty of Workforce Housing Advisors told the New York Times that his group intends to renovate the distressed building and work with tenants to recognize its importance. The group’s investors are more interested in steady, secure returns than in making money quickly.
Some money for renovations will be provided by New York City’s department of Housing Preservation and Development, and the Housing Development Corporation. The new owner intends to pursue a listing for on the National Register of Historic Places, for which the building was deemed eligible in 2007 but former owner Mark Karasick declined to accept.
The new ownership of 1520 Sedgwick is seen by public officials and housing advocates as a huge victory in the struggle to preserve affordable housing in New York City. It is a big step forward in the fight to rescue low income housing from the disastrous impact overleveraging has had on this vulnerable resource. The rescue of 1520 Sedgwick was largely made possible through a sustained organizing campaign within the tenant body. Residents of this iconic building fought for over 5 years to maintain the affordability of their home and rescue it from speculative landlords. Their story is told at The Surreal Estate.