The Uptown Branch of the YMCA of Greater New York was formed in 1933 as a replacement for the old Harlem Branch on 125th Street, which had closed in 1929. The initial mission of the branch was to provide a positive alternative to the so-called "cellar gangs" in the area. For many years it was located on various blocks around West 104th Street, although it occupied other rented facilities on the west side of upper Manhattan, including an extension center at the Riverside Church at 490 Riverside Drive (between 120th and 122nd streets). Locations included the building that also housed the Olympia Theater at Broadway and 104th Street (1970s-1980s); 82 Claremont Avenue, at 120th Street between Broadway and Riverside Drive (1950s); and 125 W. 104th Street in Grace Methodist Church, between Amsterdam and Columbus avenues (1940s). Wherever the branch was located, it emphasized programs for youth and children and in later years was especially strong in developing after-school and day camp programs. The branch ceased operations in 1986.
(Information taken from An Event on Mercer Street: A Brief History of the YMCA of the City of New York, by Terry Donoghue (1951) and from the collection)
From the guide to the Uptown YMCA photographs, 1933-1986, (bulk 1940s-1970s), (University of Minnesota. Kautz Family YMCA Archives. [ymca])
