1520 Sedgwick Avenue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 1520 Sedgwick Avenue |
|
|---|---|
Front of the building.
|
|
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Residential |
| Location | The Bronx, New York City, New York |
| Country | United States |
| Completed | 1967 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 18 |
| Floor area | 119,919 square feet (11,140.8 m2) |
1520 Sedgwick Avenue is an apartment building with 102 homes in The Bronx, New York City. It is located in the Morris Heights neighborhood. For a long time, it has been a safe and affordable place for working families to live. This building is also famous for another big reason: many people believe it is the true birthplace of hip hop music and culture!
In 1967, people started getting loans to buy homes in 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. Over the years, the building faced some tough times. In the 1990s and 2000s, there were problems with how it was managed. This made it a symbol of the challenge to keep homes affordable in New York. Important leaders like Senator Charles E. Schumer and Representative José E. Serrano spoke about the building. They called it a very important place that needed to be saved.
Contents
A Home for Families
The Cross Bronx Expressway is a big highway that was built in the early 1970s. Its construction caused many people in the Bronx to lose their homes. This also led to many families moving out of the area. 1520 Sedgwick Avenue is located right next to this expressway. It has been a home for many families since it was first built.
The Birthplace of Hip Hop
1520 Sedgwick Avenue is often called "the birthplace of Hip Hop." As hip hop music and culture grew in the Bronx, this building became a key starting point. A person named Clive Campbell, who later became famous as DJ Kool Herc, held parties in the building's community room. These parties were very important for the early days of hip hop.
DJ Kool Herc is known for helping to start hip hop and rap music. This happened at a party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue on August 11, 1973. At this party, he worked as a DJ (playing music) and an MC (talking on the microphone). He used the recreation room of the building for his event. While hip hop grew slowly in many places, this party was a very important moment. It helped hip hop culture move forward in a big way. DJ Kool Herc himself once said, "1520 Sedgwick is the Bethlehem of Hip-Hop culture." This means it was a very special beginning.
The Famous Party of 1973
On August 11, 1973, Clive Campbell, also known as DJ Kool Herc, played music at a back-to-school birthday party. This party was for his sister, Cindy Campbell. It took place in the recreation center at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. He had help from Theodore Puccio and MC Mikas. Some people say MC Mikas was the first MC, but many others give that honor to Coke La Rock.
DJ Kool Herc had spent months practicing a new way to play music. He used two turntables, a mixer, and two copies of the same record. This allowed him to play the exciting parts of a song, called "breaks," over and over. He showed off this new technique at his sister's party. Cindy rented the room for $25. She charged 25 cents for girls and 50 cents for boys to get in.
Cindy said, "I wrote out the invites on index cards, so all Herc had to do was show up." The party was from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Their mom served snacks, and their dad brought sodas and beer. At this party, while Campbell showed his new DJ style, his friend Coke La Rock also showed off something new: rapping. Many famous hip hop artists later said they were at this party, or wished they had been. These included Grandmaster Caz, Grandmaster Flash, Busy Bee, Afrika Bambaataa, Sheri Sher, Mean Gene, Kool DJ Red Alert, and KRS-One.
Saving Affordable Homes
In the early 2000s, the owners of 1520 Sedgwick wanted to change the building. They planned to make the apartments much more expensive. This would mean that many working-class families could no longer afford to live there. Senator Schumer led a protest in 2007. He wanted to keep the housing affordable for everyone. On July 5, 2007, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation officially called the building the "birthplace of hip hop." This helped show how important it was.
The Fight for Affordability
Starting in 2007, the building's owners tried to remove it from a special program. This program, called the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program, helped keep rents low for families with lower incomes. Groups like the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board and the Tenants and Neighbors Association worked hard to save the building's affordable status. However, the courts allowed the building to leave the program.
In 2008, the building was sold to a new real estate group. This group included a well-known investor named Mark Karasick. They planned to make the apartments market-rate, meaning much more expensive. But then, the United States housing bubble burst, which caused problems in the housing market. The building was not taken care of, and residents worried about being forced to leave.
A New Beginning
In 2010, the city's Housing Development Corporation helped. They gave a loan to a new group, Winn Development and Workforce Housing Advisors. This group bought the building's loan from another bank. Rafael E. Cestero, a city housing official, said they supported this sale. Their goal was to help keep homes affordable for working families.
On November 7, 2011, there was an auction for 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. No one else made a bid, so Workforce Housing Advisors officially took over the building. Many residents and housing groups were there. They were very happy and even cried with joy when the news was announced. John Crotty from Workforce Housing Advisors said his group planned to fix up the building. They also wanted to work with the residents to respect the building's history. This new group was more interested in keeping the building stable and affordable than making quick money. The city also helped with money for renovations.
The new owners also wanted to get the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This would officially recognize its importance. Public officials and housing advocates saw this as a huge win. It was a big step in saving affordable homes in New York City. The residents of 1520 Sedgwick fought for over five years to keep their homes affordable. Their hard work helped save this important building.
