National Black Theatre’s 21-Story Tower in Harlem Opens Affordable Housing Lottery for Apartments Starting at $834/month!
A new 21-story building in Harlem is offering affordable apartments, and you could be one of the lucky residents!
This new development, called Ray Harlem, is not only home to over 200 apartments, but it also includes space for the National Black Theatre (NBT), a historic cultural institution in the area. If you’ve ever wanted to live in the heart of Harlem, this is your chance.
The building, located on the corner of 125th Street and 5th Avenue, opened its affordable housing lottery last week.
The Ray Harlem development has a total of 222 apartments, and about a quarter of them are affordable for New Yorkers with different income levels.
The rent for these apartments starts as low as $834 per month for studios and can go up to $3,643 for two-bedroom units. People earning 40%, 60%, or 130% of the area’s median income are eligible to apply. These apartments will provide affordable housing options in one of New York’s most sought-after neighborhoods.
The National Black Theatre, founded by Dr. Barbara Ann Teer in 1968, will occupy 27,000 square feet of space in the building.
It’s one of the oldest Black theaters in the U.S., and it’s known for telling stories by and about Black Americans that were often ignored by mainstream media.
The theater’s new home will include several performance spaces, including a 250-seat immersive tech performance space, a 99-seat studio theater, and a set-building shop.
There will also be offices, classrooms, and a public community “living room” on the ground floor for visitors and locals to gather.
The design of the building is striking, with a pink-red brick facade that references the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in Nigeria, linking the building to the theater’s roots.
The building was developed by Ray and LMXD and designed by Handel Architects and Frida Escobedo, a renowned architect whose work includes the new wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Construction of the building started in 2022, and by 2023, the building had topped out. The interior of the National Black Theatre will be fitted out in 2025, with the first season expected to launch in 2027. This will be an exciting milestone for Harlem and the cultural scene in New York.
The apartments in Ray Harlem will come with modern amenities, including bike storage lockers, a 24-hour attended lobby, a gym, a yoga and dance studio, a media room, and a communal kitchen.
Residents will also have access to a rooftop terrace, outdoor spaces, a library, a workshop, and a party room. The apartments will feature in-unit washers and dryers, dishwashers, high-end kitchen appliances, and smart-controlled heating and cooling.
If you are interested in applying for affordable apartments, there are several public transportation options nearby, including the 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 subway lines, Metro-North, and many bus lines.
This is a great opportunity to live in a brand-new building in Harlem while being close to the cultural vibrancy of the neighborhood.
Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this new chapter for the National Black Theatre and Harlem! The affordable housing lottery is now open, and you can apply for a chance to secure one of these amazing apartments.
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