great design. i hope it happens.

I love the building!!! I also love the building across the street on 124th - the one with the virtual doorman that was talked about in the AM New York... I have to wonder about the nasty buildings down the street on 124th though - the ones with the individual garden patios that the residents use to store their garbage. Those buildings are SOOOOO nasty... every morning there is PILES and PILES of garbage that is just strewn about the street from these buildings....I have NEVER seen anything like it! I don't know if these small buidings are projects are not, but they won't make nice neighbors for these 2 new buildings...

They make the MASSIVE projects from 112th to 115th from Lenox to the East Side look like Trump Plaza!

I would not want to buy on that street right now until those nasty buildings are torn down!

Better than an anonymous glass box, I guess, but its kind of like a fortress don't you think?

Love it. Bring it.

Getridoftheprojects, it is a long term cultural tradition in Harlem to use your back yard for garbage. Many, oldtime brownstone dwellers just throw the garbage out their rear windows into the back yard, where it piles up year after year. I know many newcomers would die for a back yard to fix up and enjoy.

this building is hideous...

that beautiful corner deserves something better than a yucky w hotel that's only going to draw euro trash types.

keeping fingers crossed that this doesn't happen.

I love it. This will bring needed jobs to our community and more taxes to our city in order for our schools to improve. Could Harlem finally be "moving on up"?

I recommend leaving comments on the developer's 'contact' form, to let them know that this kind of mediocre development is not good for Harlem, New York, or them and their clients (Starwood).

"Long term cultural tradition" to use the backyard for garbage? Are you INSANE? I've lived in Harlem my entire life, and it is not a cultural tradition to throw garbage into one's backyard. Things like that are a result of people not caring or not knowing better, which is not indicative of being a minority, and I doubt that homeowners anywhere would have such disregard for their own properties. With comments such as that, is it any surprise that people are wary and mis-trusting of newcomers? That kind of comment is as racist and idiotic as anything getridoftheprojects has ever said. Disgusting.

Sorry but I have lived in Harlem for years and can only report what I have seen.

Fact, I have seen many back yards with garbage piled up against the building.

Fact, I have seen on may occasions garbage flying from upper rear windows into back yards.

Fact, these garbaged up back yards are mostly in rental buildings, but some are owner occupied.

Fact, many of these once garbaged up back yards are now fixed up, clean and beautiful.

Fact, many old timers have also commented that these once garbage dumps, are now clean back yards and cannot believe the turn around

Fact, not everyone in Harlem does this, but many do.

Fact, whenever you call out bad behavior in Harlem, someone (1:46PM) always pulls the race card in return.

Fact, the buildings in Harlem that where neglected and abused for so long, are now being fixed up and restored to their former glory, along with the back yards.

Fact, I am sick of people treating Harlem like a garbage dump.

Fact, I am sick of people being in denial of Harlemites bad behavior.

Fact, many long term residents are also sick of this behavior and happy to see the turnaround.

Amen!

harlem community, longtime and newer residents, need to start pressuring developers to start to become more creative and build architecture that contributes to the history and beautiful architecture that we all love about harlem. instead of being so goo goo gaa gaa over every single piece of building that's proposed, there's a real need to start being a bit more objective about the occupants, structures, heights and external facade of these projects. that goes for this one and that proposed gar-bage on the corner of lex & 125th. to much of the newer buildings are poorly constructed, don't contribute to the rich history of the community. a lot of this stuff looks like it should be in mid-town. there is policy in place to reinforce this.

I'm not pulling the race card and I'm not in denial. For you to state that it is a cultural tradition for Harlemites to throw garbage out of their windows is racist in my opinion-or did you mean the white majority that lives in Harlem? I never suggested that growing up in Harlem I haven't seen the same thing or that I wish people cared more about their environment. But I also don't go around painting everyone with the same brush, claiming that being dirty and irresponsible is a cultural tradtion. If I said it was a cultural tradition for white people to be close-minded and racist, many would be offended (including some of my family). How then, do you think it appropriate to make such an insulting blanket statement about those who live in Harlem?

To "Don't Know" - Many people, myself included, like this proposed design. Architecture should not simply be a regurgitation of historical styles, but rather should be forward-thinking. While I do not think beautiful old buildings should be torn down just to put up a new building, I do think it is completely appropriate for a building such as this to be built in this location. I love the beauty of contrast and juxtaposition and think it works wonderfully in this context.

i think a lot of people are giddy about the fact that w hotel is considering this space, rather than taking a good look at the building.

other w hotels in manhattan are part of the overall structure and layout of the blocks where they sit. this one shouldn't be any different.

why is w trying to come to harlem and just plop something down that doesn't appear to fit, like those others?

"Fact, I am sick of people treating Harlem like a garbage dump.

Fact, I am sick of people being in denial of Harlemites bad behavior.

Fact, many long term residents are also sick of this behavior and happy to see the turnaround."

HERE HERE - I am sick of this too. I have been in Harlem 2.5 years and cannot get used to people using this place as a dump! Especially when there are trash cans everywhere!

I can't even walk 2 feet without seeing a chicken bone! And dog crap too - no one cleans up here.

Who is doing this? White people? No honey - white people aint doing it. it is our Harlem black brethren and sistas doing this crap. i say stuff to em and get called an uncle tom, etc. f off.

clean up harlem and maybe you'll stop your bitc*ing.

wonderful!

Hope this project gets started soon. A "W" Hotel breaking ground will make a huge impact. It will certainly help solidify further business development and increase the Harlem business & commercial appeal.

The open, blantant, and public littering you commonly see in Harlem is part of a social disconnect prevalent in Harlem and many Black urban areas. Since their is low ownership, there is no pride of ownership (on the blocks). Black culture is comfortable degrading itself. When TV network BET was Black owned it was the #1 culprit in portraying Black women as booty shaking whores. Turn on the radio it's N-word after N-word after N-word. Black people comfortably ingest poor quality unhealthy food, that's why you see the chinese greast joints selling more "fried chicken wings and french fries" than chinese food. You can observe this at anyone of these Chinese greasy spoons.

Most of the Chinese greasy spoons in Harlem are so filthy on the outside they don't deserve your business, but Black people largely don't care or don't have cleanliness standards when they walk into a place to purchase food.

I watch Harlem youth litter daily with no regard or ability to connect their action in that moment, to the problem at large. Just as they tolerate if not use themselves and often herald the use of the N-word, just as they accept the objectifying and degrading of Black women in hip hop videos.

There's an overall lack of self respect and esteem in urban Black culture and it's seen in many ways (degrading of Black women in video, N-word use, and littering where they live). I am Black. My comments have been well researched, documented, and supported by a lot smarter people than me. It's basically common knowledge, what I am saying, to well educated Black people. However the emotionally charged Black person who's afro-centric biased will be irate over my points, though most Black people know they are spot on true.

You'll find Black people in other areas (outside of urban centers) are different. They have pride of ownership, they don't blatantly litter, they have a connection to their behavior and their community. Littering is completely acceptable to much of Black Harlem. Ending it is all wrapped up into raising self esteem, respect, integrity, etc.

Keep in mind White people, Black people "litter" their minds with comfort and ease (turn on BET, listen to the radio, it's B-word followed by N-word). Black people litter their bodies (look at the stats, all the overweight kids, the health problems, the food choices they make), and Black people physically litter their community.

You're seeing nothing other than lack of education, esteem, and integrity. That's the truth from a Black person.

What you describe seems to be more an aspect of being poor and ignorant than being black. The two don't go hand in hand.

So proudblkman, do you throw garbage out your window since it's part of your "cultural tradition"?

I think what he described is the actions of people who are poor and ignorant. It just so happens that those people here happen to be Black. It is also, unfortunately, a long standing cultural traditon here in Harlem - one that needs to be stopped. If you have people living in a Project environment, there is no opportunity for them to want to do better. The projects need to be torn down and the people integrated with well thinking people.

hell no, I have more sense tha that. I agree 100% with 8:59am. We need to get it together and not blame anyone else or blame our "culture." nonsense.there ain't no accountability in our neighborhoods. no one cares bout our history. ask a black kid who frederick douglass was and he knows fifty cent better. maybe richer (black and white) people moving into harlem can teach people how to take care of a hood. we learn from others.

"If you have people living in a Project environment, there is no opportunity for them to want to do better"

That's not true. I know people that went from childhood and life in Harlem projects of the mid - 80's (when it was far far far worse than today) to Ivy League credentials and low 6 figure incomes today.

It's about having a mentor and someone to inspire you that the sky's the limit. It's about harboring self esteem, integrity, & respect. You can live in the projects, but the projects don't have to live in you. It's that simple.

However and to the point, the blantant littering you see is consistent and directly related to the blatant use and acceptance of the N-word, and the exploitation of women in hip hop culture you see on videos and print just look at any magazine stand in Harlem. There's no difference, it's all rooted in a lack of self respect, esteem, and integrity.

Unfortunately there is a very high density of Harlemites who for a myriad of reasons lack sufficient self respect, personal dignity, and esteem to not litter. It's that simple. Low esteem, dignity, and self respect is accepted by too many in Black Harlem. Just look at some of these filthy Chinese Greasy Spoons. I've passed some and wonder how, why, anyone in their right mind would give that merchant a dollar? The answer? The Chinese Greasy spoons know it does not have to present a clean respectable business to Black Harlem, so why bother? Just open your doors and double fry chicken and offers some fries with massive ketchup and Blacks are content and will cater your business. Makes no sense to me, however this is an actual real world illustration of how it plays out that anyone here can observe every day in Harlem.

There is a nexus when the day comes that Black Harlemites make the choice to not cater a filthy greasy spoon and stop littering and stop using the N Word, and stop consuming booty shaking Black women exploiting videos and magazines you see on your newsstand. Don't hold your breath. That's the day Black Harlemites have respect, esteem, and integrity toward self, their health, & the community. I say next to impossible to come with little to no prospects of ownership. I am speaking in general and in the aggregate, not in the exception of which there are many. However look as the density, the numbers, and you can see why you should not hold your breath.

I live on W 123 and I can attest that used, dirty diapers were routinely tossed into my backyard! I couldn't believe it. Without question, some of our neighbors do not utilize the proper recepticles for garbage!
As for the new W hotel, I am thrilled to hear that it is on it's way.
The community needs gentrification if we are ever going to leave behind a project-based system.
I am always grateful to hear of any new reasonable development in Central Harlem.
Now we need some restaurants that serve healthy food and a great grocery store!

I have never had diapers tossed in my back yard, but lately it has been various items of clothing, tee shirts, pants, baseball hats. I would also like to add I have never been tempted to wash and wear said clothing items.

Would other Harlemites like to share their experiences of backyard garbage tossing.

I was recently priviledged to witness the recovery of the backyard of a Lenox facing brownstone that has been vacate for a long time. The trash heap was literally six feet deep and had been there so long that much of it had composted resulting in small trees growing on it. Before workers starting digging it out, I didn't realize that the building had an additional lower floor. Simply astounding.

I've also been amazed at the cavalier attitude with which people litter. I've walked behind people as they drop their ice cream wrappers on the sidewalk, just steps from a trashcan. I've watched people throw McDonald's bags full of trash from the windows of their moving cars, and I've had people throw trash in the gated area of my building (which resulted in a $100 ticket for me-thanks).

Recently, I have noticed a marked improvement of the general cleanliness of the neighborhood. Yet, on Sunday mornings there's usually trash strewn about the sidewalks of the avenues. Someone stole my $5 plastic trash can from the gated area in front of my building. (They left the trash, of course.) Perhaps this is contributing to the increased cleanliness of the area.

>cavalier attitude with which people litter.

Again, you don't understand the problem. They don't have a cavalier attitude in practicing this behavior. It's what that know. They're doing what they know. It's observed very early in their life, learned, and then practiced (with no one intervening in the process to educate them otherwise).

Self and community respect. esteem and pride is not something that's ever been infused in them, entirely foreign notions, this large % of people who litter. They use the N-word for the same reasons basically.

The problem is as entrenched in Black Harlem culture as the projects. Personally I would love to Harlem treated like Singapore. You drop a gum wrapper on the street, you'll likely get jail time, a fine, and possibly some wacks with a bamboo stick.

I am a middle class African-American who lived in Fort Greene Brooklyn in the late '80 and early '90's, which at the time, was predominately comprised of middle class African-Americans. I remember visiting Harlem and was struck by the amount of litter compared to my own neighborhood. I now live in Harlem. I love Harlem but the amount of litter really brings down the neighborhood. It's the main reason why I would consider leaving. I can say, though, that after living in two predominately African-American neighborhoods in New York City, one middle class, the other poor, I believe the litter problem is the result of being poor, not being black. I have been in very poor white neighborhoods in New York City and elsewhere. They have a large amounts of litter, too.

several things...

I confirmed it is a go...it will be build - Starwood has approved the project and the license and contracts have been signed.

it's an aLoft hotel - not a "W" same parents but cheaper finishes(I worked for starwood and helped develop the brand)

we need something like this in the hood - more tourist means more money which means more police and less crime

I hope a good grocer come in down stairs

Thank God for the well meaning folks that are here to SAVE Harlem....Thank you for pointing out all the terrible things that were so wrong with Harlem, and how once again it took the GOOD FOLKS to save us. Those projects that everyone wants torn down for a better Harlem have and will always serve a purpose in our community. It does provide housing which is affordable to my community. I know that you only see property, luxury condos, but what I have seen is the heart and soul of Harlem washed away. I was fine without all the crap which I put up with now, the rudeness, the sense of entitlement which I have experience on a daily basis. Please give me a break on all the garbage which is not coming from the windows but from your pompeous mouths.