Went for a walk.

I went for a walk this afternoon. Winter has the unfortunate effect of keeping a lid on certain urban adventures, but despite the cold I wanted to probe. As you may remember, our most prominent view from the house is of a certain neo-Gothic tower - City College's. I had not yet gone and seen the rest of the campus, which is consistent architecturally and dates back to 1906 here in Hamilton Heights. The style fits with a cold winter day, if you ask me, so my timing was right on.













Continuing on, just meandering around the streets right around our house, you find other houses with a whole lot of character. Their colors and shapes make me smile.









And then there are the churches. Harlem is like the French countryside; spires materialize at every turn. They are often right next to each other - two faiths abutting, sharing walls even. Church attendance in Harlem is higher than anywhere else in Manhattan and unlike some churches in the city, these buildings are active and full of their communities.


Our Lady of Lourdes | Venetian Gothic Style | O'Reilly Brothers | 1902


German Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Matthew Parish House | Neo-Gothic | John Boese | 1908




Mount Zion Lutheran Church and Parish House | Gothic Revival | Joseph Wolf | 1889




Convent Avenue Baptist Church | Neo-Gothic | Lamb & Rich | 1899

Hamilton Heights is a landmark district. You know because, well, first, the buildings tell you they must be and, second, because the streets signs are brown. In Manhattan, most street signs are green - but any landmark area gets the special brown color. Look for it - you'll see (thanks, Joyce for pointing that out).