Harleman Halls in BYU Magazine
The Fall 2008 BYU Magazine has an article on Harleman Halls, the building on West 111th Street that has managed to fill nearly half its apartments with LDS Church members. The article not only tells how the building gained such a preponderance of Church members, but also gives a sense of the community in the building that developed as a result.
While the situation in Harleman Halls is certainly unusual, its probably not unique in New York City. Church members here have always helped each other find housing, and there has been a tradition of passing apartments from one LDS renter to another that goes back at least to the 1960s, and probably farther. In addition, in the Inwood 1st Ward, one apartment complex on Dongan Place has a total of 14 LDS renters, including 10 in one building. I wouldn’t be surprised to see similar concentrations in other places here in New York.
This may be a subject for further research. Housing is an important part of life no matter where you live, and it can be a very significant issue here in the city. It would be fascinating to see how LDS Church members have coped with housing issues over the years, especially if the way they have coped is different from what other New Yorkers face.
Tags: Apartments, BYU Magazine, Concentration, Dongan Place, Harlem, Harleman Halls, Housing, Inwood, LDS Community, Rent, Research Subjects