23 W 116th St

The Adeline

Harlem is no singular, homogenous Manhattan neighborhood — in fact, it’s a diverse group of locales, each with its own flavor, advantages, and tradeoffs. The Adeline’s developers prioritized transportation access and proximity to Central Park, and on top of that, they gave residents multiple outdoor spaces to call their own. “People will say, ‘You’re too far from Frederick Douglass Boulevard, where all the shops and restaurants are.’ But frankly, it’s really busy over there, and I love the fact that I go out the front door and I’m a half a block from the 2/3 train,” says Julia Boland, the building’s original sales director and a resident at The Adeline, which was named after the mother of Harlem-born jazz musician Fats Waller. “There’s a 5,500-square-foot landscaped terrace on the second floor, then a roof terrace with views downtown and over to St. John the Divine.” The building’s board hosts social hours in these spaces to encourage neighbors to connect, and through their curb appeal committee, they’re proactive in making The Adeline both a desirable home and investment. “It was already an incredibly well-built building, and the board is doing a great job of running it.” Composed of one- to three-bedroom units, The Adeline accommodates residents with multiple family members or the need for a home office. “And on the second floor there are apartments that have private patios that are the size of backyards, because that space is so large,” Boland says. On the smaller end, one bedrooms range from 650 to 750 square feet and share an open-kitchen layout with either an island or peninsula to separate the cooking area from the combination dining-living room. Two bedrooms are sized from about 1,000 to 1,300 square feet, and although they keep the kitchen islands and peninsulas, their layouts can vary to include walk-in closets, distinct dining and living rooms, and private terraces. Three bedrooms vary from 1,250 to 1,650 square feet, depending on the size of the bedrooms and whether they have home office alcoves. Four bedrooms can go up to 1,900 square feet and include walk-in laundry rooms, as opposed to smaller units’ laundry closets, and on top floors, internal staircases to private roof terraces. Over 10 years since construction, most units retain the original finishes, which include white lacquer cabinets and Caesarstone counters in the kitchens, and primary bathrooms with herringbone floor tiles and walk-in showers. “The original appliances were all Bosch,” Boland says, referring to the dishwashers and washer-dryers in every unit, “and the building has extra-passive vents, so you can be cooking, but you’re not going to smell your neighbor’s cooking.” According to Boland, thoughtful details like that are present elsewhere, too. “They put extra sound attenuation between the floors, so you really don’t hear much. People really like that.” Compared to nearby large-scale condos that were also built since 2010, units in The Adeline have sold for slightly less — perhaps partially due to the lower level of amenities compared with buildings like One Museum Mile or 300 West. Most recently, one bedrooms here have sold for $800,000 to $900,000, and two bedrooms for $1.1 million to $1.4 million. Three bedrooms have sold for $1.4 million to $1.8 million, and the few four bedrooms for $2.1 million to $3 million. Current common charges are around $0.90 per square foot, which, when combined with low taxes from the 421a abatement that expires in 2039, keeps total monthly carrying costs below the $2.99-per-square-foot average for Manhattan condos, according to 2024 data from Miller Samuel Inc. Outdoor space is central to The Adeline’s design, as residents have a windowed courtyard just past the lobby and two shared decks, one on the roof and a larger one on the second floor. “They get used a lot during the summer months. Especially because there are shaded areas on both, so you can get shade any time of day,” Boland says. The laundry room, gym and kids’ playroom are added conveniences, and the underground parking garage is a big bonus. “When it’s cold or hot or raining, there is nothing more luxurious than being able to go right upstairs in the elevator.” A Walgreens pharmacy on the ground floor and a supermarket around the corner help residents with everyday shopping. Less than a block away are Amy Ruth’s soul food and FIELDTRIP Harlem, serving classic and contemporary cuisine, and across the street, Malcolm Shabazz bazaar sells African crafts, clothes and home goods. Minton’s Playhouse, a beloved jazz club, is a few blocks west, and just north and south are two major parks: Marcus Garvey, with an outdoor pool and amphitheater, and Central Park, with 843 acres of green space. Located between the 2/3 trains and the 4/6 trains, residents have easy subway access along Manhattan’s west and east sides. There are crosstown buses on 116th Street, and south- and northbound buses nearby on 5th and Madison avenues. A mile east, FDR Drive runs the length of Manhattan, and the RFK Bridge connects residents to Queens and nearby LaGuardia airport.