The Harlem Alhambra was a theater in Harlem, New York, built in 1905, that began as a vaudeville venue. The building still stands. The architect was John Bailey McElfatrick who, based in Manhattan, founded the architectural firmJohn B. McElfatrick & Son - builder of 100 theaters. Construction on the structure commenced late 1902 by its original owner, Harlem Auditorium Amusement Company.
Design
The original design included specifications for a rathskeller, which was to be a reproduction of the Brunheil Rathskeller in Leipzig, a music hall, a roof garden, and an apartment house. The building is six stories.
Initial opening
The original owners started it in 1903; but it was not completed owing to litigation. At some point during the litigation, the Orpheum Amusement Company, of which Percy G. Williams was president, acquired the property. When Williams opened the theater on May 15, 1905, the seating capacity was 1,650. By 1910, Williams managed the largest number of vaudeville theaters in New York City — two in Manhattan, one in the Bronx, and one each in Brooklyn and Queens.
Jazz era
It eventually became a movie venue and, in 1929, opened a famed upstairs ballroom that hosted performers including Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday.
Current use
The ballroom fell into disrepair in the 1960s, but, after standing empty for the last third of the twentieth century, the Alhambra hosted a 600-person happening and light show by German designer Ingo Maurer on May 22, 2000. This attracted new investment, and the top floor reopened in 2003 as The Alhambra Ballroom, Inc., hosting weddings, parties, and other social events. From 2006-2012, Harlem Lanes - a popular bowling facility - operated on the third and fourth floors. Harlem Bowling Center LLC was the owner. Other tenants have included the King SolomonGrand Lodge of New York, Inc., a supermarket, and a jazz restaurant - Gospel Uptown - on the ground floor, replacing short-lived seafood restaurant, Pier 2110.
Location
The building is located at 2108-2118 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard at the South-West corner of 126th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Simpson West Realty, LLC, owns the building, as of 2014.
