34. The Birthplace of Hip-Hop (1967)

Sedgwick Houses

1520 Sedgwick Avenue in Morris Heights, Bronx, is an apartment building historically accepted as the birthplace of hip-hop. The popular musical genre supposedly began on August 11, 1973 at a party hosted by DJ Kool Herc, the brother of Jamaican-born graffiti artist, dancer, and DJ Cindy Campbell. People were invited to a “Back to School Jam” at Dr Kool Herc’s “rec room” at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, and supposedly the party was so crowded that it was moved to nearby Cedar Playground.

Cindy rented the recreation room for 25 dollars on August 11, charging 25 cents for females and 50 cents for males to attend. DJ Kool Herc said at a rally that “1520 Sedgwick is the Bethlehem of Hip-Hop culture.” Although hop-hop evolved as a genre over many years, sources acknowledge the apartment as one of the first places where hip-hop culture formed.

35. Black Spectrum Theatre (1970)

The Black Spectrum Theatre is a leading performing arts and media company in Roy Wilkins Park in Jamaica, Queens. The theater was founded in 1970 by Carl Clay as a traveling theatrical troupe, eventually settling into its current spot in 1986 with 325 seats. Black Spectrum has presented over 150 plays, 30 films, and numerous works of music, dance, and performance art, many of which written or performed by Black artists and authors. The theater has received ten AUDELCO Awards and three National Black Theatre Festival Awards for excellence in African-American theater. The theater has put on productions like George Stevens Jr.’s play Thurgood about the life of Thurgood Marshall, spoken word poetry and jazz concerts, and upcoming Zoom panels like “What Do We Want a 21st Century Police Force to Look Like?”