Interesting (at least to me) tidbits about Morris-Jumel Mansion:

The house was built  by a British Colonial, Roger Morris and his American wife Mary Philipse as their summer home in 1765. They called it Mount Morris due to its hilltop location and views in every direction.

George Washington took it over for use as his headquarters in 1776. It was during this period that the General’s troops forced a British retreat at the Revolutionary War Battle of Harlem Heights.

It was an Inn for many years for weary New York City bound visitors.

In 1810 Stephen Jumel and his wife Eliza bought the mansion and returned it to it’s true origins – a summer home. Although Jumel died in 1832, Eliza, now one of the richest women in America, kept the mansion till her death in 1865. (She married former president Aaron Burr who lived at the mansion during their brief time together.)

In 1894 General Ferdinand P Earle and his wife Lillian purchased the house. They talked the city into buying the house and turning it into a museum.

Up next:

Jumel Terrace and Sylvan Place

Yes, I’ve been gone; but now I’m back. No excuses, some regrets, some missed opportunities.

One of those missed opportunities would have been Black History Month Celebrations. However, one of the most intriguing events is running through April 22nd. Okay, it’s also not technically for Black History Month either, but it fits in nicely.

Freedoms Sisters (www.freedomsisters.com) celebrates 20 women who were instrumental in the civil rights movement in America from the 19th century through today.

From Harriet Tubman to Sonia Sanchez women who have contributed to moving civil rights along are celebrated. Sure, to some degree we’ve learned about Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks in school; but here we get a chance to see how Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Mary Church Terrell have impacted our lives.

Made possible by a grant by Ford Motor Company and a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Cincinnati Museum Center this interactive exhibit has traveled from city to city including Detroit, Atlanta, Los Angeles and more.

Don’t miss out…see it for yourself; better yet…bring your kids!

I almost always have a favorite apartment, although lately they seem hard to come by. Good value for the money is what usually makes an apartment a favorite. Renovations don’t have the same affect on me as they do other people. I like old, vintage, prewar, whatever you want to call it.

However, recently there have been  a few apartments that have come to my attention that have “downtown” finishes but are up in Washington Heights/Hamilton Heights. I won’t lie. They are a little pricey. But they all have large rooms; they are not a 1 bedroom gut renovated and turned into a 2 bedroom, but nice, large apartments that truly work for both families and shares alike.

All things considered (ok, mainly location) my favorite is on Riverside Drive.

Best use of a “pass thru” kitchen I’ve seen.

A bedroom you can actually fit furniture in.

Okay, $2900 is a little pricey up here, but you certainly get your money’s worth with 3 large bedrooms, 2 full baths and a really well maintained, prewar Riverside Drive building. It also helps that they are very pet friendly and it is very close to Riverbank, trains, etc.

More reasonably priced are their buildings on and near Wadsworth Avenue in the high 180s/low 190s. 2 bedrooms generally are $1850 and 1 bedrooms around $1400.

There are also apartments on St Nicholas. Same great finishes, large rooms and sometimes there is a room they forget to count. There is a 4 bedroom for $3000 – but along with the kitchen, 2 baths and 4 bedrooms there is a living room AND dining room. Not bad. They may even be this month’s favorites!

A couple of days ago I did a post of some Inwood buildings that clearly love Christmas (Christmas Is Coming). But one of them in particular intrigued me. It’s one of “our” buildings with a company that has many buildings in Washington Heights and Inwood. In fact my building is between two of them. They each have a small Christmas tree in the lobbies and a couple of decorations. I know the decorations depend on how much or little the super wants to do. So I decided to go talk to Edgar, the super of the building that has always intrigued me.

Edgar has been the super there for 25 years. He’s raised his kids in the neighborhood, volunteered his time and organized events. He’s  very involved  in the building – no hanging out on the steps, no loud parties at night and no making trouble.

And it is evident that  love of the neighborhood and his home are why Edgar and his wife (he gives all the credit to her…she designs; he’s manual labor) go all out decorating for Christmas. Despite often being out in freezing temperatures to put up and take down the extravagant display Edgar says “when a little kid you don’t even know comes up and hugs you it’s all worth it.”

Going to court with your landlord, for whatever reason, can make it impossible to find a new apartment. As soon as a landlord sees you went to court it is an automatic no.

Maybe you had a good reason. Maybe you had a landlord that wouldn’t fix the giant hole in the roof that made it rain in your apartment no matter how many times you asked nicely. Maybe there was mold growing in your bathroom that you just couldn’t get rid of. Maybe your landlord was charging you a rent that was legally to high. MOVE OUT if need be, but don’t take them to court.

Perhaps you didn’t take your landlord to court; they brought you before a judge. Usually it would be for non payment of rent. Even if it was only once, and you were going through a hard time, and you paid it back and were on time (even early) with your rent every other time, you will not be able to find an apartment.

Honestly, those are your only real options. There are other ways around it: move in with your boyfriend/girlfriend, move back in with your parents or join a roommate that already has an apartment in their name. But you will not get a lease in your name.

Sure, there are one or two exceptions to this rule. Sometimes small private owners won’t care if they hear a good explanation. They might not even know; landlord/tenant doesn’t show up on regular credit reports – just the ones landlords use. Sometimes a larger management company or landlord will take you if you pay the entire year upfront – plus one month security.

Don’t expect lawyers or housing court to tell you this. It’s not their concern. As long as you have a legal reason to take your landlord to court they will help you take them to court.

Landlords see you took your present (or even past) landlord to court and they feel you will do the same thing to them. They don’t want to take a chance. And it’s within their rights to not rent to you.

So be very careful before you go to housing court.