Obama's former Harlem apartment building has vacancy one floor below his former apartment
President Barack Obama (in college known as Barry) attended
Columbia University in the early 1980s in his 20’s. He lived in various places
around Manhattan, but one of the buildings was 142 West 109th
Street, an easy walk to Columbia’s campus, located between Amsterdam and
Columbus Avenues.
Recently an available apartment was advertised by real
estate brokers in the same building and the news was in the local media. “LIVE
IN OBAMA’S OLD APARTMENT BUILDING” said the announcement, even though the
advertised apartment was Apt. 2E and Obama’s apartment was 3E, one floor up.
Both apartments were advertised as “very large” two bedroom apartments with
bedrooms large enough for queen-size beds. The listed rent is currently $2,400
per month. In 1981 Obama and his roommate split the $720 rent upstairs and each
paid $360.
The ad says the apartment is “convenient” to all major
transportation: 1,2,3, C trains and city buses. Renters who moved into the
building, reportedly get a framed picture of young Obama standing in the
apartment.
In a memoir several years ago, Obama wrote that he left the
apartment because the building consistently had problems with sufficient heat!
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