Hip Hop Boulevard

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Hip Hop Boulevard is a co-named part of Sedgwick Avenue in Morris Heights, The Bronx. The designation was made official in February 2016 to honor the birthplace of hip hop at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, where DJ Kool Herc hosted a party on August 11, 1973, that helped start the genre. The 1520 Sedgwick Avenue building, with 102 units, has long been linked to hip hop’s origins; in 2007 it was officially recognized as the birthplace of hip hop. In the 2000s, owners considered converting the building to market-rate housing, and activists fought to keep it affordable. The co-naming began in 2008, led by Terry Nelson, with support from hip hop pioneers and groups like Windows of Hip Hop and the Universal Zulu Nation. Bronx Community Board 5 approved it unanimously, the New York City Council approved it on February 5, 2016, and Mayor Bill de Blasio signed it into law on February 26, 2016. The Hip Hop Boulevard stretch runs from Depot Place to 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, near the Major Deegan Expressway and the Harlem River. A June 2017 ceremony celebrated the first Global Hip Hop Day block party at Cedar Playground, with partners like Apple Music and Hot 97; performers included Kid Capri, Fat Joe, Remy Ma, Slick Rick, and Doug E. Fresh. The boulevard is now a popular destination for hip hop fans and education tours, with guides offering visits to 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. In 2025, New York City released limited-edition Hip Hop Boulevard signs to raise money for the city’s general fund.