Marcy Houses
Marcy, or Marcy Projects, is a public housing complex built and operated by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and located in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn and is bordered by Flushing, Marcy, Nostrand and Myrtle avenues.[1][2][3] The complex was named after William L. Marcy (1786–1857), a lawyer, soldier, and statesman.[4] Consisting of 27 six-story buildings on 28.49 acres (0.1153 km2; 0.04452 sq mi), it contains 1,705 apartments housing about 4,286 residents (average of 2.5 people to an apartment).[1]
Marcy Houses | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s): Marcy | |
Location within New York City | |
| Coordinates: 40.697°N 73.951°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New York |
| City | New York City |
| Borough | Brooklyn |
| ZIP codes | 11206 |
| Area code(s) | 718, 347, 929, and 917 |
Development
The land Marcy is on was bought in 1945 by the City of New York; it had been the site of an old Dutch windmill.[2][4] Homes and businesses (including two banks) were cleared for the construction of Marcy, as well as sections of Hopkins, Ellery, Floyd (now Martin Luther King Jr. Place), and Stockton streets that went through where the complex now sits.[4] Marcy was completed on January 19, 1949.[1] In 1946, 3.2 acres (0.013 km2; 0.0050 sq mi) of the 28.49 acres (0.1153 km2; 0.04452 sq mi) were set aside for a playground; this playground was reconstructed in 1989.[1][4]
Marcy has taken steps to become more environmentally friendly; in 2006, it replaced all conventional water heaters with energy-saving, instantaneous water heaters. In October 2008, Marcy's neighborhood garden earned 3rd place at the 43rd Annual Garden and Greening Awards Ceremony, and its evergreen garden earned second place.[2] On January 19, 2009, the 60th anniversary of the building's completion, Mayor Michael Bloomberg proclaimed the day Marcy Houses Day.[2]
Notable residents
- Jaz-O (born 1964), rapper[5]
- Tracy Morgan (born 1968), comedian[6]
- Sauce Money (born 1969), rapper[7]
- Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter (born 1969), rapper and entrepreneur[8]
- Mos Def (born 1973), rapper and activist[9]
- Memphis Bleek (born 1978), rapper[10]
- Papoose (born 1978), rapper[11]
References
- "NYCHA Housing Developments - Marcy Houses". nyc.gov. City of New York. Archived from the original on January 11, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
- "Happy 60th Marcy and Jacob Riis House". Archived from the original on May 2, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- "Marcy Houses Populated Place Profile". Retrieved October 25, 2009.
- "Marcy Playground: New York City Department of Parks & Recreation". nyc.gov. New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Retrieved January 2, 2009.
- Archive-Kyle-Anderson. "Jay-Z's Early Years: From The Marcy Houses To Reasonable Doubt". MTV News. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- "Tracy Morgan tears up at Bed-Stuy playground". am New York. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- "Sauce Money | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- Pareles, Jon (March 29, 2008). "Hip Hop Assurance, R&B Suffering". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved January 2, 2009.
- Shafrir, Doree (July 20, 2009). "Mama's Boys". ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- "Memphis Bleek biography". musicianguide.com. Retrieved January 2, 2009.
- Frazier, Ian (December 1, 2008). "The Rap". ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
External links
- "NYCHA Housing Developments - Marcy Houses". nyc.gov. City of New York. Archived from the original on January 11, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2009.