Former P.S. 160/The Clemente
The imposing, Collegiate Gothic-style former P.S. 160 at 107 Suffolk Street at Rivington Street, dated 1897-99, presents itself almost as a Gilded Age mansion, set on a narrow street among relatively diminutive tenement buildings.
At the end of the 19th century, an enormous influx of immigrants settled in New York, and nowhere more so than in the Lower East Side. This meant countless children who needed to attend school. The City’s gifted architect in charge of school construction, C.B.J. Snyder, more than met the challenge with the building of hundreds of new schools, including P.S 160 at Suffolk Street. He became renowned nationally for the Progressive Era innovations he provided within each school, and for their stunning outward appearances.
For more than three decades, The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center has occupied the building as an arts center, celebrating Puerto Rican and Latino culture with a multi-ethnic and international vision.
