Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Malls

The Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Malls are landscaped median strips running along Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) through the heart of Harlem. Named for the legendary Congressman who represented Harlem from 1945 to 1971, these malls serve as a green spine through one of America's most culturally significant neighborhoods.

Powell was the first African American elected to Congress from New York and became one of the most powerful legislators of the civil rights era. The boulevard and its malls bearing his name stand as a tribute to his decades of advocacy for racial equality and economic justice.

The malls feature benches, ornamental plantings, and shade trees that provide a pleasant pedestrian experience along what is otherwise a busy traffic corridor. Community organizations have periodically organized beautification efforts to maintain the plantings.

Running through the heart of Harlem's commercial and cultural district, the malls connect visually to landmarks including the Apollo Theater, the Studio Museum in Harlem, and numerous churches that define the neighborhood's identity.

The Powell Malls represent a distinctly New York form of public space: the landscaped boulevard median. While modest in amenities, they soften the urban landscape and provide needed greenery in a neighborhood where park acreage per resident has historically lagged behind wealthier areas of Manhattan.