Strivers' Row is three rows of townhouses in western Harlem, in
the New York City borough of Manhattan on West 138th and West
139th between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Frederick
Douglass Boulevard. Each of the Strivers' Row houses is a
designated landmark, and they are collectively recognized as a
gem of New York City architecture. Originally called the "King
Model Houses" after developer David King[disambiguation needed],
they were designed for upper-middle-class whites and constructed
between 1891 and 1893. The buildings afford a view of the City
College of New York, atop the hill to the west. Different
architects worked on each of the three rows. The northern part
of the 139th Street group was completed by McKim, Mead and White
in neo-Italian style. Designers who contributed to the complex
on 138th Street include James Brown Lord, Bruce Price, and
Clarence S. Luce. The houses sit back-to-back, which allowed
King to specify that they would share rear courtyards. The
alleyways between them are gate