1880 – Where Did Women Live?

This fascinating map of the density of women in 1880, shows how Central Harlem housed many more women than East Harlem (the darker the color, the more women per block – data coming from the 1880 census).

The answer is partly visible in terms of the buildings built in 1880 above 125th Street in Central Harlem – single-family, middle (or upper-middle) class brownstones.

This type of housing was likely to employ a number of women to cook, clean, and even nurse or educate the children. The blocks closer to the river, were more industrial and commercial areas, with tenements and other inexpensive housing for (male) workers.

In the 1880 census snippet shown above for the building I live in, you can see that Eliza Alexander and her 12-year-old white, female daughter, Bertha, lived as servant/s in the household, for example.

Both Eliza and Bertha are listed as being from Maryland, and columns 4 and 5 are curiously overwritten. I’m not sure if the line for Eliza, for example, had a “B” in columns 4 and 5, indicating “Black”?

Connector Ramp Wins Award

The team behind a new ramp on the Harlem River Drive has been recognized by the American Council of Engineering Companies New York (ACEC NY) with a Diamond Award as part of the 2021 New York Engineering Excellence Awards.

Parsons Corporation announced today that the company’s work on New York City’s RFK Bridge – the Harlem River Drive North Connector Ramp – was honored. The project was carried out on behalf of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, a division of the MTA, to provide a connection between the RFK Bridge to Harlem River Drive’s northbound lanes.

The new ramp has decreased congestion, reduced noise pollution, eliminated 2,500 tons of CO2-equivalent per year, and improved the quality of life in neighboring East Harlem, while providing a shorter and safer route for travelers.

The completed ramp opened to traffic in November 2020.

Thank You Mark Levine


Posted