Morningside Gardens

Morningside Gardens is a residential cooperative made up of six apartment buildings, each 21 stories tall, arranged around green spaces and containing roughly 980 homes with different floor plans. The buildings follow a modern design approach built to house people at various income and family sizes.

The project began in 1954 under the direction of banker David Rockefeller and Columbia University president Grayson Kirk. It was developed as a post-war housing experiment to create affordable residential options in the city.

The complex formed as an intentionally mixed community that drew workers from educational institutions and people of different backgrounds. This blend of residents still shapes how the neighborhood functions.

The complex offers residents facilities including a fitness center, playgrounds, indoor play areas, bike storage, and a ceramics workshop. Keep in mind this is a private residential cooperative, so access to shared spaces may be limited to residents and their guests.

Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and author Samuel R. Delany once lived here among its residents. Their presence shows how the community attracted people of significant achievement despite its middle-income focus.