NY Observer > Columbia http://www.observer.com/taxonomy/term/24761/feed Articles from Observer.com en SoCo... That Is All http://www.observer.com/2008/w-hotel-near-soco

The gentrification train keeps roaring its way up to Harlem and Morningside Heights, or should we say "SoCo."

Today Curbed posted two items that spell trouble or progress, depending on your point of view. W Hotel's parent company Starwood is building a branch of its new Aloft brand on Frederick Douglass Bpulevard and 124th Street. Aloft Harlem is slated to open in June 2010 next to an old carriage house that perhaps not coincidentally was long-rumored to be the site of a W hotel before it was recently converted to lofts.

And if the 125th Street rezoning, a luxury boutique hotel chain, and Columbia's expansion were not enough to seal upper Manhattan's fate, brokers have coined a pretentiously trendy name to attract young people to the nabe: "SoCo."  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/w-hotel-near-soco#comments Real Estate 125th Street Columbia Halstead Property Harlem SoCo W Hotel Mon, 12 May 2008 15:52:48 -0400 Lysandra Ohrstrom 69082 at http://www.observer.com 125th Street Rezoning Rally: 1968 Tries Again http://www.observer.com/2008/125th-street-rezoning-rally-1968-tries-again

About 100 people turned up at a rally in Harlem on Saturday aimed at blocking the Bloomberg administration’s plan to rezone 125th Street to allow for denser residential and commercial development. But the rally quickly turned into an omnibus protest about everything from Columbia’s Harlem expansion to Robert Mugabe’s teetering government in Zimbabwe.

The Coalition to Save Harlem planned to create a human chain stretching across 125th Street from Second Avenue to Broadway. In the end, “Hands Across Harlem” only spanned about one block of the area to be rezoned, from Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard to Lenox Avenue, though we heard one organizer remark that it was a “pretty good turnout.”  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/125th-street-rezoning-rally-1968-tries-again#comments Real Estate 125th street rezoning Charles Barron Columbia Inez Dickens Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:55:55 -0400 Lysandra Ohrstrom 67771 at http://www.observer.com At Columbia, the Inadvertently Boldface Joanne Lipman Sticks to the Script http://www.observer.com/2008/columbia-inadvertently-boldface-joanne-lipman-sticks-script

Last night, at Columbia's journalism school, Joanne Lipman said that three years ago she got a call from Si Newhouse. She met with him, had lunch, and loved the conversation so much she would have been perfectly satisfied with her life even if she'd been struck by a truck on her way out the door of his apartment building.  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/columbia-inadvertently-boldface-joanne-lipman-sticks-script#comments Media Columbia Joanne Lipman Portfolio Si Newhouse Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:29:37 -0400 John Koblin 66492 at http://www.observer.com Columbia Buys Site to House Displaced Tenants http://www.observer.com/2008/columbia-buys-site-house-displaced-tenants-20-m

Columbia University has closed on the purchase of a lot in West Harlem, with plans to build an apartment building that would house residents displaced by its 17-acre expansion into the neighborhood, property records show.  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/columbia-buys-site-house-displaced-tenants-20-m#comments Real Estate Columbia West Harlem Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:40:37 -0500 Eliot Brown 64977 at http://www.observer.com Planning Commission Approves Columbia Expansion http://www.observer.com/2007/planning-commission-approves-columbia-expansion

The city Planning Commission voted early this afternoon to approve the expansion of Columbia University into West Harlem. The vote was 10 to 1, with one abstention. The plan next moves to the City Council for approval or rejection.

We'll have more on the Planning Commission vote very soon.

]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/planning-commission-approves-columbia-expansion#comments Real Estate City Planning Commission Columbia West Harlem Mon, 26 Nov 2007 14:38:03 -0500 Tom Acitelli and Matthew Schuerman 60934 at http://www.observer.com Community Board Committee Opposes Columbia Expansion Plan http://www.observer.com/2007/community-board-committee-opposes-columbia-expansion-plan

The land-use committee of Community Board 9 voted on Wednesday evening to oppose Columbia University’s expansion into West Harlem. The committee wants a number of conditions met before it supports the Columbia plan, including the construction of low-income housing and certain environmental issues. The Times has more at its City Room blog.

A full Community Board vote’s scheduled for Monday.  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/community-board-committee-opposes-columbia-expansion-plan#comments Real Estate Columbia Thu, 16 Aug 2007 18:24:10 -0400 Tom Acitelli 57026 at http://www.observer.com 'Only the Sleaziest of Projects'—Harlem Protests Columbia's Expansion Timetable http://www.observer.com/2007/harlem-protests-timetable-columbia-review Finally! It seems that Columbia University, after talking about its Manhattanville expansion for almost five years now, has got its act together and is taking the plunge. The land-use review process is expected to begin as soon as Monday, which means that in seven months the City Council will vote it up or down--no ifs, ands or buts. The community board is none too happy about the timetable though, since it means that the first part of the review, when it gets to weigh in with its two cents, will take place during the summer, when people are likely to be on vacation.  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/harlem-protests-timetable-columbia-review#comments Real Estate Columbia eminent domain Harlem Manhattanville Thu, 31 May 2007 15:03:35 -0400 Matthew Schuerman 54737 at http://www.observer.com TV Mogul Promises $400 M. to Columbia http://www.observer.com/node/32582 In a press conference in a faculty room at the Low Memorial Library, it was just announced that John W. Kluge has pledged $400 million to Columbia University, his alma mater (Class of '37). It will be a gift from his estate, half of which will go to the college. Mr. Kluge—who was in attendance along with unviersity Preisdent Lee Bollinger—said that the money is too be used to make the university more international.

"The reason that I'm doing this is because I believe in it," said the 92-year-old Mr. Kluge. Mr. Kluge has already donated over $100 million to the unversity to help with financial aid. This gift will continue this work, but with a focus on foreign students. "I look forward to Columbia having more global students. And what better city than the city of New York?"

Mr. Bollinger, whose expansion plans have been attacked recently, made it clear that this money is not in any way tied to his proposed Manhattanville expansion—although it could be used for that down the line.

"The gift will go towards the globalization and internationalization of the university" said Mr. Bollinger. "I'm not interested in buildings. I'm interested in minds."

]]> http://www.observer.com/node/32582#comments Style Columbia Columbia University John Kluge Lee Bollinger Wed, 11 Apr 2007 07:25:37 -0400 Observer Staff 32582 at http://www.observer.com The New Yorkerator http://www.observer.com/node/37056 McSweeney’s Fun(ny) Facts    read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/node/37056#comments Arts & Culture Columbia Fred Astaire Martin Munkacsi Will Reiser Sun, 08 Apr 2007 20:00:00 -0400 Observer Staff 37056 at http://www.observer.com The New Yorkerator http://www.observer.com/2007/new-yorkerator McSweeney’s Fun(ny) Facts    read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/new-yorkerator#comments Arts & Culture Columbia Fred Astaire Martin Munkacsi Will Reiser Sun, 08 Apr 2007 20:00:00 -0400 Observer Staff 37237 at http://www.observer.com