Serendipity! I love discovering new things around NYC, particularly when I am not even looking for them. If it hadn't been for Waze and my daughter's softball games on Randall's island, I probably never would have found myself on East 130th Street. But thanks to my navigation app, my husband and I keep driving by these beautiful row houses. Every time we get to this block, we are transported to another time and place. I just knew there had to be a story behind them...
Turns out the strip is called Astor Row. It was built by William Astor and dates back to the 1880s, when it was home to many NYC elites. The urban turmoil of the late 20th century saw to the decline of Upper Manhattan and Astor Row. Many of the houses were boarded up and abandoned. But after intense community preservation efforts, most of the houses and porches have recently been restored to their former glory. The gardens are in bloom, and the architectural consistency of the block makes it perhaps one of the loveliest and most serene in all of Manhattan.
Please find out more about ASTOR ROW at the New York Landmarks Conservancy website.