place

2014 East Harlem gas explosion

2010s in Manhattan2014 disasters in the United States2014 in New York CityBuilding collapses in the United StatesConsolidated Edison
Disasters in New York CityEast HarlemExplosions in 2014Gas explosions in the United StatesMarch 2014 events in the United StatesPark AvenueUse mdy dates from March 2019
East Harlem apartment explosion aerial view
East Harlem apartment explosion aerial view

On March 12, 2014, an explosion occurred at 9:31 a.m. in the East Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The explosion leveled two apartment buildings located just north of 116th Street at 1644 and 1646 Park Avenue, killing eight people, injuring at least 70 others, and displacing 100 families. City officials initially pointed to a gas leak as the cause of the blast. In June 2015, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) blamed the explosion on failures by Consolidated Edison and the city. The NTSB also agreed to review Whistleblower Gas Explosion Audit Findings from the 2009 Floral Park Queens gas explosion as part of their East Harlem Gas Explosion Investigation. The NTSB were unable to resolve these hazards found with merit by the New York State Public Service Commission (NYSPSC) and they remain a Public Safety Hazard today.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article 2014 East Harlem gas explosion (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

2014 East Harlem gas explosion
Park Avenue, New York Manhattan

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: 2014 East Harlem gas explosionContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 40.799722222222 ° E -73.943333333333 °
placeShow on map

Address

Park Avenue 1642
10037 New York, Manhattan
New York, United States
mapOpen on Google Maps

East Harlem apartment explosion aerial view
East Harlem apartment explosion aerial view
Share experience

Nearby Places

La Marqueta
La Marqueta

La Marqueta is a marketplace under the elevated Metro North railway tracks between 111th Street and 116th Street on Park Avenue in East Harlem in Manhattan, New York City. Its official address is 1590 Park Avenue. In its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, over 500 vendors operated out of La Marqueta, and it was an important social and economic venue for Hispanic New York. The New York Times called it "the most visible symbol of [the] neighborhood." It has since dwindled in size.The market was originally an informal gathering place for pushcart vendors and other merchants, but since 1936 it has been officially sanctioned, and vendors rent their stalls from the city. It was once possible to buy food, traditional medicines, recordings of Latin music, and supplies for charms and curses at La Marqueta. It was also the meeting place for the neighborhood after urban renewal displaced countless small businesses, replacing them with only large scale housing. Today, three of the original five buildings that housed the market have been burned or torn down, and a fourth is shuttered. As of May 2008, only four vendors were operating out of the last building, but the number later increased, reaching ten in early 2011.The City of New York has repeatedly tried to revive La Marqueta but has failed to find a viable business model that also pleases local residents and politicians. The Harlem Community Development Corporation, a state-run economic development agency, has proposed a concept called La Marqueta Mile. In 2010, the proposal won the support of the Center for an Urban Future.In 2009, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the New York City Council issued a request for proposals for businesses to operate and maintain a 3,000 square foot commercial kitchen incubator in La Marqueta. In early 2011, HBK Incubates, a food business incubator run by Hot Bread Kitchen, opened in a space at La Marqueta that had been renovated with $1.5 million in New York City Council funds.

Harlem Fire Watchtower
Harlem Fire Watchtower

The Harlem Fire Watchtower, also known as the Mount Morris Fire Watchtower, is the only surviving one of eleven cast-iron watchtowers placed throughout New York City starting in the 1850s. Standing at 47 feet (14 m) tall, it was built by Julius H. Kroehl for $2,300 based on a design by James Bogardus. It is located in Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, Manhattan. The Mount Morris Park tower went into service in 1857 in response to Harlem residents’ demand. The towers gave volunteers a perch from which to watch for fires that were common in the wooden structures that then made up much of New York City, and the watchers then spread the word via bell ringing. Later, electric telegraphs were installed but the bell provided local alarms. When pull boxes and other technological advances rendered the fire watchtowers obsolete, the system was discontinued and the other towers eventually were destroyed. Harlem's, protected in the middle of a park, endured. During the New Deal, the area surrounding the watchtower was rebuilt by government employees as part of the Works Project Administration jobs program. This project created a gracious plaza (sometimes called "the Acropolis"), stone retaining wall, and wide steps approaching the summit from several sides for pedestrians. The tower was designated a city landmark in 1967 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The last work on the watchtower came in 1994, but cracks in the overall structure and in the bell remained. The granite parapet along the top was in need of restoration. Weather, lack of maintenance, and neglect took their toll over the years. Roof damage allowed water into the structure, rusting structural members. The original copper roof deteriorated and fell off, exposing the interior to more damage. Many of the internal steps were missing and park visitors may no longer climb them or get near the structure, which is protected by a fence. In 2013, the Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association and the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance partnered with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to raise $4 million to restore the Harlem Watchtower, led by Valerie Jo Bradley. Starting in late 2014, NYC Parks disassembled the tower to restore the structure and ensure its soundness and stability before reconstruction. The tower reopened to visitors in December 2019.