Celebrating Amsterdam Houses’ 75th Diamond Anniversary

On July 30, the Amsterdam Houses community gathered to celebrate its 75th “diamond” anniversary. The celebration was organized by City Council Member Gale Brewer and the development’s resident association in collaboration with community partners such as Lincoln Center, Fordham University, Goddard Riverside at Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center, Landmark West, and Positive Influence.

Over 300 residents joined the festivities. Families enjoyed fun activities such as balloon art, clowns, jugglers, magicians, face painting, rock climbing, basketball games, and a free photo booth. Attendees were provided refreshments and an open food court and were treated to performances by the acclaimed New York salsa band Los Hacheros.

Amsterdam Houses, home to more than 2,100 residents, was built in 1947 in an early effort by the Housing Authority to ensure racial and ethnic diversity in its developments. The project was unique at the time for its diversity, especially in a city that was then largely divided into pockets of ethnic neighborhoods. State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and State Supreme Court Justice Robert T. Johnson are among the notable former residents of the development.

NYCHA’s Chief of Staff Joey Koch attended the celebration; in her remarks, she said that Amsterdam Houses is indeed a shining example of community, an example of how NYCHA developments are beacons of opportunity, where people from a variety of backgrounds can come together and build families and futures together: “Seventy-five years – it’s an amazing milestone. And it reminds us that public housing is not a given. It’s a vital resource that the visionaries before us fought hard to establish. And now we’re fighting with all our heart and energy to strengthen and preserve it, so that it can serve New Yorkers for another 75 years and beyond.”