Sylvan Place facts for kids

Sylvan Place was once a small street in the East Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It ran between East 120th Street and East 121st Street, located near Lexington Avenue and Third Avenue. Even though it's not a street anymore, you can still see signs for Sylvan Place. Today, the area where the street used to be is now part of the Harlem Art Park. It also serves as the front area and parking lot for the Harlem Courthouse.

What is Sylvan Place Today?

Sylvan Place is no longer a busy street for cars. Instead, it has been changed into a public space. This area now includes the Harlem Art Park, which is a place for art and community events. It also provides space for the Harlem Courthouse, a building where legal matters are handled.

Discovering Sylvan Court Mews

Right across from Sylvan Place, on East 121st Street, you'll find Sylvan Court Mews, also known as Sylvan Court. People sometimes get it mixed up with Sylvan Place. Sylvan Court Mews is a small, private street that ends in a dead end. This means it's a street with only one way in and out.

Historic Homes on Sylvan Court

Sylvan Court is special because it has several old townhouses built in the 1880s. Unlike similar historic homes in other parts of New York City, like Greenwich Village or Brooklyn Heights, the houses on Sylvan Court have not been fully restored. This means they still look much like they did a long time ago.

Sylvan Place and Old Roads

Both Sylvan Place and Sylvan Court were once part of a very old road called the East Post Road. This road was part of the larger Boston Post Road, which was a main route connecting New York City to Boston many years ago.

The Five Points Intersection

Long ago, the East Post Road met with other important roads like Kingsbridge Post Road, Harlem Road, and Church Lane. They all came together to form a five-cornered intersection. The area around this intersection was sometimes called the Five Points. It's important not to confuse this with another famous "Five Points" neighborhood in lower Manhattan. Sylvan Place and Sylvan Court were located right where this old five-pointed intersection used to be.

Sylvan Terrace: A Different Place

Sometimes, people mistakenly call Sylvan Terrace "Sylvan Place." However, Sylvan Terrace is a completely different location. It is a historic group of 20 wooden townhouses. These homes are three stories tall and are found within the Jumel Terrace Historic District in Washington Heights, Manhattan.