St. Nicholas Houses
Encyclopedia
St. Nicholas Houses is a public housing
project in Central Harlem
, in the borough
of Manhattan
, New York City
. The project is located between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, spanning a superblock from 127th Street to 131st Street. The project consists of thirteen 14-story buildings containing 1,523 apartment units.
St. Nicholas Houses, often called "St. Nick," were built in 1954 under the Taft-Ellender-Wagner Housing Act of 1949. When the houses initially began seeking applicants, World War II
veterans received priority. The buildings are managed by the New York City Housing Authority
.
The site formerly consisted of city blocks with small attached homes in poor condition, and existing residents were removed via a slum clearance program.
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
project in Central Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, in the borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, 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...
. The project is located between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, spanning a superblock from 127th Street to 131st Street. The project consists of thirteen 14-story buildings containing 1,523 apartment units.
St. Nicholas Houses, often called "St. Nick," were built in 1954 under the Taft-Ellender-Wagner Housing Act of 1949. When the houses initially began seeking applicants, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veterans received priority. The buildings are managed by the New York City Housing Authority
New York City Housing Authority
The New York City Housing Authority provides public housing for low- and moderate-income residents throughout the five boroughs of New York City. NYCHA also administers a citywide Section 8 Leased Housing Program in rental apartments...
.
The site formerly consisted of city blocks with small attached homes in poor condition, and existing residents were removed via a slum clearance program.
Further reading
- Emporis entry
- "Cornerstone Laid at Harlem Housing; $21,000,000 St. Nicholas Slum Clearance Project to Get First Tenants in Spring," New York Times, December 28, 1951