For more than 23 years the community of Mount Morris Park has been opening our doors and inviting New Yorkers from across the island and visitors from around the world into our homes. And we’re happy to do so again for the 24th time in our tour called Details: Architectural. Artistic. Authentic.

This year’s tour around the Mount Morris Park section of Harlem will feature homes, churches and even an iconic funeral parlor with a nationwide reputation and a remarkable example of Tiffany glasswork.

True to our theme, you’ll see the details in each location that make it special–from grand scope skylights to marquetry and parquetry flooring; from friezes and elegant wainscoting to plexiglass and repurposed floor joists; from clawfoot tubs to cutting-edge kitchens; from original staircases in vintage brownstones to elegant add-ons that update contemporary environments.

Refreshments will be available at some key locations and music on Lenox Avenue.

Sunday, June 9, 11 AM-4 PM.
Don’t miss this day full of details, details, details!

11 AM to 4 PM: Follow the Self-Guided Tour of Homes at your leisure. Guests will visit 10 venues including inside brownstone homes, urban live/work apartments and landmark churches.

1 PM and 3 PM: Join the Architectural Walking Tour and explore this historic neighborhood’s rich architectural detail and history.

2 PM: Join the Marcus Garvey Park Fire Watchtower Walking Tour and follow preservation architect Angel Ayón to the top of the acropolis to view the 158-year old cast iron tower, the only surviving structure of its kind in New York City, that was designated a NYC landmark in 1967 and a national landmark in 1976. A neighborhood grassroots campaign led by MMPCIA is underway for a complete overhaul of the watchtower and acropolis.

12 Noon and 2 PM: Go Inside & Intimate in Historic Harlem with Yale-trained architect and historian, John Reddick. You’ll explore inside three extraordinary houses in the Mount Morris Park Historic District that are not on the regular tour and ordinarily strictly private. Group size is limited. This popular 1.5 hour guided tour requires a separate ticket which may be purchased in advance or, if space is available, at the Tour Start.

Reserve tickets in advance and save 30%.

By Credit Card via PayPal:

24th Annual House Tour
Advance Tickets: $25 ($35 at the door)

24th Annual House Tour PLUS Inside & Intimate Tour with John Reddick
Advance Tickets: $50 ($70 at the door)

Choose Time of Tour

12 Noon Tour $50.00 USD 2 PM Tour $50.00 USD

Group Rate: Groups of 10 or more please email us for Group Rates.

Shine or Rain—Everything begins at the Tour Start: The Pelham Fritz Community Center, 18 Mount Morris Park West (aka Fifth Avenue) and West 122 Street. Here you can buy tickets, pick up tickets reserved in advance, check out the souvenirs and meet the the Walking Tour Guides.

How to get here: Subways: A, B, C, D, 2, 3, and 4, 5, & 6 to 125th Street. Buses: M1, M7 and M102. Driving: Enter your start point below.

A proud sponsor of the 24th Annual Mount Morris Park House Tour

Join us Thursday, May 9, at 6:30 PM, and the way you look at life may be changed forever.

He was a six-year-old picking cotton in the Georgia of the Jim Crow South.

He was a civil rights marcher. A troublemaker. A prisoner on a chain gang.

All that and then some, he is Winfred Rembert, who came of age in an important yet unsettling chapter of American history. Fortunately for generations to come, he’s preserved this range of indelible images and occurrences in a medium as raw and multi-dimensional as the experiences of the life itself: leather, which he learned to tool and dye in prison and into which he carves this American story.

Join us Thursday, May 9, at 6:30 PM, and meet this highly-acclaimed artist as he shares his work, his observations and his hard-earned insights when Mount Morris Talks with Winfred Rembert. It will be a very special experience…and we’ll likely be the better for it.

Mount Morris Talks! is a series of conversations between the community and leaders, news makers, artists, authors and thinkers who live in the Harlem area. MMPCIA is proud to sponsor this series and offers it free of charge to the community.

Do you know a college-bound Harlem high school senior?

The MMPCIA $4,000 Scholarship Award began in 2009 as a way of honoring college-bound Harlem high school seniors who live in Greater Mount Morris Park/Central Harlem Community from 110th to 135th Streets between Morningside and Park Avenues.

The MMPCIA Scholarship Committee reaches out to area high school teachers, guidance counselors, parents and students. The 2013 Application is available for download or by emailing the Scholarship Committee at scholarship@mmpcia.org.

Deadline for completed applications is Saturday, June 1, 2013.

Applications are reviewed by a neutral group of judges and one winner will be selected each year. The recipient’s award will be disbursed in the amount of $1,000 each year and renewable for up to three additional years as long as the student continues as a full time student in good standing.

Funds for the Scholarship Award are raised primarily though proceeds from MMPCIA’s two major fund raising efforts—the Annual Historic Neighborhood House Tour in June each year and the Holiday Gala in December—and through generous contributions from neighborhood donors specifically to the Scholarship Fund.

Spread the word to the high school seniors you know!

Past Scholarship Winners

2009: Christian Myers-Roach

2010: Chelsea Hardy

2011: Sasha Smith

2012: Cydney Cottman

On Thursday, April 25, from 6:30-8:30 PM, join us for Mount Morris Tastes, MMPCIA’s annual spring membership drive and celebration that also offers a chance to sample the fare from our local businesses.

Dean Ward, proprietor of Madison Avenue Wines, 1793 Madison Avenue, will be pouring a selection of his fruit of the vine for us to taste, appreciate — and buy a bottle or three! He is also offering a 10% discount on all wine purchases made during the even–so bring your credit card, cash or checkbook.

Enjoy tasty samplings from Settepani, a long-time neighborhood favorite, and the exciting new eateries Harvist Harlem, 46 W 116 Street, and Boulevard Bistro, 239 Lenox Avenue at W122 Street.

You can also preview the annual  6″ x 6″ Exhibition, a signature event at the Heath Gallery that showcases an eclectic mix of small works by more than 300 local and international artists.

Don’t miss this popular Spring evening event with friends and neighbors.

MMPCIA Members: Free  |  Guests & Friends: $10
Join or renew today!

¡Salud!

Thursday, April 25, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
The Heath Gallery, 24 West 120 Street, Harlem

Join us Thursday, April 18, at 6:30 PM when we talk and tour with the creative force behind Full Spectrum of NY and MIST Harlem, the hot spot at the Kalahari where food, arts and entertainment converge.

In addition to hearing the personal story of this graduate of Princeton University’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning + thought leader + teacher + sustainability activist, Carlton Brown will take you on a behind-the-scenes tour and introduce you to Harvist Harlem’s Executive Chef Cassandra Quinland-Ashford and others who help make MIST “Harlem’s living room for the culture of the African and Latino Diaspora.”

And in the manner of a world-class host, he’s offering a 10% discount for all who want to stay after the Talks to enjoy dinner and the show. So bring your significant other or just your personal penchant for quality and make an evening of it!

Join us at 6:30 PM, Thursday, April 18, in the MIST Harlem Lobby at 46 West 116 Street, in the Kalahari. Please try to arrive a little early. Talk will begin promptly at 6:30 and there’s a lot to see, hear and do!

Mount Morris Talks! is a series of conversations between the community and leaders, news makers, artists, authors and thinkers who live in the Harlem area. MMPCIA is proud to sponsor this series and offers it free of charge to the community.

Join us Thursday, March 7 at 6:30 PM and talk first-hand with acclaimed television news veteran Dana Roberson.

She’s honed her craft for 25 years, working with such luminaries as Dan Rather, Charles Kuralt, Charles Osgood, Connie Chung and Bryant Gumbel.

She’s traveled the world covering everything from the Dalai Lama to the war in Afghanistan, from the election and inauguration of President Obama to the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. She uncovered the military scandal at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison, showed us the pain of the World Trade Center tragedy and took us through the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

As a producer she has worked on such iconic programs as Face the Nation, 60 Minutes, Fantastic Journey and Dan Rather Reports on AXS TV.

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet this Peabody Award recipient, Sigma Delta Chi and National Association of Black Journalists honoree, and two-time winner of the American Women in Radio and Television award, Dana Roberson.

Join us at 6:30 PM, Thursday, March 7, in the Head Start Center in Mount Morris Ascension Church, 15 MMPW & W 122 Street, for Mount Morris Talks!

Mount Morris Talks! is a series of conversations between the community and leaders, news makers, artists, authors and thinkers who live in the Harlem area. MMPCIA is proud to sponsor this series and offers it free of charge to the community.

Walter J. Edwards was a child of the segregated south. A young man with a profound desire for self-discovery and his true cultural identity. A world traveler who developed a wide social vision and deep social consciousness.

Now he is co-founder & CEO of Full Spectrum Development, a national market leader in the development of mixed use and mixed income green buildings in emerging urban markets, including Harlem’s groundbreaking Kalahari Harlem.

Kalahari Harlem

Walter is also Board Chair of the Harlem Business Alliance and the Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood, a driving force in the growth of the New Majority Business Alliance, and a staunch advocate for strong local business entrepreneurship.

Don’t miss the chance to talk with Walter firsthand and hear about his green development strategy, his perspective on the confluence of business, culture and quality of life, and his aspirations for our community’s future.

Join us at 6:30 PM, Thursday, February 21, in the Pelham Fritz Center in Marcus Garvey Park, 18 MMPW (aka 5th Ave) & W 122 Street, for Mount Morris Talks! and meet the man the New York Daily News named one of the 10 most influential Harlemites.

Mount Morris Talks! is a series of conversations between the community and leaders, news makers, artists, authors and thinkers who live in the Harlem area. MMPCIA is proud to sponsor this series and offers it free of charge to the community.

Our community has a look and feel. Ever stop and wonder how it got that way? Who makes the creative decisions? How do the demands of real estate profitability dovetail with a neighborhood aesthetic? What does it take to preserve Harlem’s heritage while also setting the stage for its growth?

Karen A. Phillips, Director of the NYC region of NY State Parks and Recreation, can give you those answers and more.

Riverbank Park Carousel

This is the lady who manages six State Parks, ranging from Riverbank State Park in Harlem, a 28-acre urban waterfront rooftop with recreation and athletic facilities that include an Olympic-size pool, a covered skating rink and a 400-meter eight-lane running track, to Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve on Staten Island, a 260 acre nature preserve, complete with wetlands, ponds, sand barrens and wildlife.

Karen is also a founder and former president of Abyssinian Development Corp., who spearheaded ADC’s $200 million investment in Harlem, creating over 1,000 housing units, shepherding in large commercial real estate projects and providing a variety of community services.

Join us at 6:30 PM, Thursday, January 24, in the Pelham Fritz Center in Marcus Garvey Park, 18 MMPW (aka 5th Ave) & W 122 Street, for Mount Morris Talks! and meet this Georgia native who calls New York home and hear what she’s doing to help shape the Harlem of the 21st century.

Mount Morris Talks! is a series of conversations between the community and leaders, news makers, artists, authors and thinkers who live in the Harlem area. MMPCIA is proud to sponsor this series and offers it free of charge to the community.

We want to be first on your Holiday Calendar!

On Thursday, December 13, from 7  to 11 PM, the Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association holds its 5th Annual Holiday Gala & Fundraiser. Neighbors and friends are warmly invited to gather and kick off the holiday season with festivities, food, music and mingling—and support the community by placing bids at the Silent Auction.

The Annual Holiday Gala & Fundraiser is one of MMPCIA’s important fundraising efforts. This year’s auction proceeds will support the annual Scholarship Award given to a Harlem high school student on the way to college and helping to repair the roof of St. Martin’s Church, one of Harlem’s cherished landmarks.

MMPCIA Annual Awards. We will present our 2012 awards recognizing special people in the neighborhood during the Gala.

Admission : $40 (includes 1 free drink coupon)

Please also bring one unwrapped toy for a child (up to age 10) or non-perishable food items for the Food Pantry.

No host bar. Dancing. Silent & Live Auctions.
Music by Harlem’s favorite DJ Elbow Greasy.

We hope you will join us and celebrate
Thursday, December 13
7:00 to 11:00 PM
St. Martin’s Parish Hall
230 Lenox Avenue @ W122 Street

And we’re talking it Thursday, November 1 at 6:30 PM with The Honorable Keith L.T. Wright.

Keith, a New York State State Assemblyman, Harlem native, Chairman of the Assembly Standing Committee on Labor, Co-Chair of the New York State Democratic Committee and a longtime supporter of our community, has been serving Harlem since 1986 when he became Director of the Uptown Office, on the staff of then-Manhattan Borough President David Dinkins.

Keith has been the representative for Central and Western Harlem in the New York State Assembly since 1992 and also chairs the Harlem Community Development Corporation, where he has secured millions of dollars towards infrastructure and economic development in Northern Manhattan.

Just days before the national election, you’ll have the opportunity to speak firsthand with Assemblyman Wright, hear his story and get his insights on plans for the future. And be sure to bring your ideas and questions!!

Don’t miss this special and timely session of Mount Morris Talks.

Join us at 6:30 PM, Thursday, November 1, in Mount Morris Ascension Church, Mount Morris Park West (aka 5th Ave) and W 122 Street.

Mount Morris Talks! is a series of conversations between the community and leaders, news makers, artists, authors and thinkers who live in the Harlem area. MMPCIA is proud to sponsor this series and offers it free of charge to the community.