Astor Row in Harlem still looks beautiful from any angle, but a walk down this historic block with wooden porches now reveals a gap where number 28 used to stand.
Located in the middle of the iconic row of brick houses built in 1883, the dilapidated home was razed by the city in September 2021 after being close to collapse.
The story behind the demolition is long and winding.
Astor Row—the entire south side of W 130th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues—was successfully declared a landmark in 1981.
A nurse and her mother bought house number 28 in 1986, but were never able to fix it. Recently the daughter put the house on the market, but no sale ever came.
When the building became a danger to the public, the city had it torn down.
Today only an empty lot remains.
For more on this ultimately unsuccessful preservation saga, read the full NY Times account here.
