HISTORY

The Sixty-Year History of Morningside Area Alliance

Originally known as Morningside Heights, Inc., the Morningside Area Alliance was established in 1947 by leaders of Morningside Heights institutions, led by David Rockefeller as its first president, to provide collective urban planning and development for the Morningside Heights and Manhattanville areas of Upper Manhattan. In its early years, the Alliance successfully planned and advocated for the development of Morningside Gardens and Grant Houses. The Alliance also advocated for good schools, established a neighborhood youth program and enhanced public safety by providing a series of security patrols.

Through the decades, the Alliance continued to provide youth services and a public safety program to the surrounding community. For many years the Stone Gym provided a variety of youth activities including sports, after school tutoring, summer camp and a variety of enrichment programs for area youths. Foot patrols were converted to mobile units for providing public safety services to larger areas of the community.

In recent years, the Alliance has initiated new programs to better link its member institutions with each other and surrounding communities. Acting as a catalyst for improvement, the Alliance worked closely with the community to revitalize the long-neglected Morningside Park, and is currently involved in new partnerships to strengthen neighborhood schools. Looking ahead, the Alliance will continue to promote communication among its member institutions, and promote collaborative efforts to strengthen education, youth services and the quality of life in Morningside Heights and the surrounding community.