A Tale of Sloane House at W34th Street
On November 24, 1993, Real Estate Weekly had this news blurb: “The YMCA of Greater New York, Inc., has retained Sheldon Good & Company of Chicago and Edward S. Gordon Company, Inc. (ESG) to offer for sale the 14-story, 266,315 square-foot Sloane House YMCA branch al 356 West 34th Street, Manhattan, and an adjoining two-story former city YMCA headquarters building at 422 Ninth Avenue, it was announced.”
Sloane House, once the largest YMCA residence in the United States, was converted into a high-rise a few years later. Few people know the history of this building. It housed thousands, if not millions since it was opened on January 1st of 1930. It was a magnet of drawing young travelers from around the world visiting New York City. It witnessed many events and touched upon many people’s lives. I lived and worked in this building from 1988 to 1990. In these two years I have met many people and experienced many events that shaped my life in America. There were murder, attempted murder, rape, robberies, suicide, betrayal, sex and drugs in the building. It was a reflection of New York City; it was a part of history of New York City. It now quietly stands in the shadow of a few modern high rises around her...
posted by HeZuobin @ 9:04 PM
19 Comments:
I lived at Sloane House from 1985-1989 as a student of the School of Visual Arts. You might say I had the most fun in my life there, despite the very small rooms. That's because you were young,in Manhattan and hanging out with some of the most creative people around.
SVA students had run of the 8th through 10th floors those years. Much of what you said happened, happened including a friend's suicide.
My first experience at Sloan House was in the summer of 1981. I was meeting friends from Germany who had visited me in Tennessee and were on their way back to Germany. My plan was to stay for a few days and see them off on their trip home. As the days passed for my German friends and they were back in the fatherland my magic carpet ride began. What was to be a few days turned into a couple of months. I began to meet people from all over the world and made friends that are still in contact with me after all these years. As I toured Europe I had the wonderful fortune to visit some of these people in there homes in Europe. This began an international exchange in my hometown as well as in Europe and Asia.Over the years up until 1989 (I moved to Germany for seven years) I always stayed at Sloane House where I continued to make foreign friends. I made at least two or three trips to New York City each year thereafter and finally moved to Europe for seven years. I believe that this wonderful experience for me mostly due to the Sloane House YMCA would not have happened if there had not been this great hostel. I am saddened by the news that it has closed and will say that I hope for some miracle to reopen the hostel because with all its sometime weird events it still would be the best place in all of New York City. It was the meeting place for all the world. And having traveled and lived in more than sixty countries since my first stay at Sloane House I still would love to come to New York City and book a room at 34th street in the The Sloane House Y.M.C.A. There are too many stories to tell about the people, places, and things that came from my days at Sloane House I will never forget these wonderful people and how they touched my life, and I can only end this on a note by saying I wish for anyone traveling that they find just a fraction of what Sloane House and the adventure I found there had to offer. Again with SAD feelings I do hope that somehow the hostel reopens even though I know it may never happen..
If by chance anyone reads my comments and remembers me I welcome and hope for renewed contact with you.
Randy,
Let's connect. My email is zuobinpeterhe.1234@yahoo.com
All the best
Hi scanman,
In the early 1950s my father would often rent a room at the Sloan House and I would stay with him over a weekend. He was a long term TB patient at Seton Hospital (also closed down) in the Bronx in the days just before the miracle of antibiotics. I was at the Leake and Watts Children's Home in Yonkers for 6 years (1948-1954), My 2 sisters and I would take the bus and subway down to the YMCA. I remember trying really hard to figure out what YMCA stood for and put together "Yonkers Merchants Calling America" when I was about 9or 10 years old. The Sloan House has some warm memories for me because I got to see my Dad once in a while.
I stayed at Sloane House in November 1987. I stayed on the 9th floor. I remember the corridors were full of students all night playing guitars, smoking, drinking and laughing. Really great atmosphere... It was my first trip to the States and was memorable because of my stay at Sloane House..
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I was there In Oct 59 to Feb 1960.
It was affordable and central. It served that period of my life very well.
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I was there in the fall of 1968.
A 18 yr. old from the suburbs of southern Cal. My first question:
I'm the only heterosexual here?
The answer: Probably! A bit unnerving at first. Soon people came forward, instructed me on the dos and dont's of life there as well as how to navigate NYC. I still have a towel from there.
Yes, a lot of gay guys there. I was hit on every time I used the communal showers on my floor. Was kind of flattering and all you had to do was say, no, thank you. Mid-60s...wonderful place to stay. I'm sorry it's going out of business.
I lived in Sloan 1966-8. As long as I baracaded my door at night, and avoided the showers, things were fine. It seemed there were more keys to my door than just mine. I remember playing ping pong and pool, and the dances in the dance room. Hot summer nights, good friends, and getting my things out of hock each week from the pawn shop just down the street..I lived through it, some didn't...
Am watching alcatraz, am wondering who's rooms are bigger. Maybe ours, but only by a closet...
I lived their for two years but only slept their year 1957 far too many gays
I lived their for two years but only slept their year 1957 far too many gays
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