7. Andrew Freedman Home

Andrew Freedman House Bronx Untapped CitiesPhoto by Lynn Lieberman/AFineLyne

In 1924, Andrew Freedman decided to build a mansion for the wealthy who lost everything – a place where they could live out the remainder of their lives in the manner to which they were accustomed.

By the 1960s, costs had exceeded the endowment and in 1984 the mansion at 1125 Grand Concourse was purchased by the Mid-Bronx Senior Citizens Council who was committed to “creating a fresh vision.” The Andrew Freedman Complex Initiative is a suite of programs filling the needs of their community. These programs are comprised of five distinct tracks, including AFC Small Business Incubator, Green Technology Institute, The Arts & Media Center, Culinary & Hospitality Initiative, which includes an onsite Bed & Breakfast, and on the agenda for the future will be the AFC Apartments, which will eventually have 200 units. We previously covered No Longer Empty’s site-specific art installation in the Andrew Freedman home.