New York City’s final location of the Cotton Club, inspired by the legendary Harlem haunt of Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway, has listed for sale.
The most recent iteration of the jazz venue, located far west on 125th Street below the Riverside Drive viaduct, played its final note last year. Now it’s on the market for $20 million.
The now-closed Cotton Club location on 125th Street opened its doors in the 1970s. John Yuhas/urbninteriorsnyc
The interior of the Cotton Club was decorated with photos from the 1920s location’s heyday. John Yuhas/urbninteriorsnycSerhant agent Tay Tiwoni holds the historic listing. The lot spans roughly 12,600 square feet, with a buildable area of 37,800 square feet — meaning potential for redevelopment.
“We really see this as an opportunity to add value to the community,” Tiwoni told The Post.
The surrounding neighborhood has underdone a flurry of construction over the last decade for Columbia University’s extension — two buildings are across the street from this listed building. The lot’s zoning is ideal for mixed-use residential or commercial developments, Tiwoni said.
“We’re committed to ensuring that the property’s next chapter is a positive one in the neighborhood,” Tiwoni said, whether that’s as a renewed cultural venue or as a mixed-use development.
The original location of the Cotton Club in Harlem. Corbis via Getty Images
A 1929 poster advertises “Black And Tan,” starring Duke Ellington and his Cotton Club Orchestra. Getty Images
The club was a hotbed of talent during Harlem’s Jazz Age. Getty Images
Mercer Kennedy Ellington, dancer Jeni LeGon and Duke Ellington pictured at the Cotton Club in 1937. Getty Images
The original club’s history is complicated by its Prohibition-era policy of segregation. Bettmann ArchiveThe closure and sale of the current Cotton Club, which opened its doors in the late 1970s, marks the end of a genre-defining legacy.
The original club, located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue, was run by heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson in 1920 — the first year of the country’s hard-partying prohibition period.
Notorious bootlegger and gangster Owney Madden eventually took over, changing the name from Club Deluxe to the Cotton Club. The venue enforced strict policy of segregation, featuring black performers for exclusively white audiences.
Despite its troubled history, the iconic club has gone down in history as a hotbed of talent. Jazz Age legends like Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Ethel Waters, Lena Horne and Louis Armstrong performed there.
A new location of the original club briefly opened in Midtown before its 1940 closure. Michael Ochs Archives
The 125th Street location sits in the midst of a neighborhood transformation. John Yuhas/urbninteriorsnyc
The club played its final show in 2024. John Yuhas/urbninteriorsnycThe venue was a particular launchpad for Ellington, whose orchestra became the house band in 1927 and helped define jazz’s big band sound. His band’s electric live performances brought jazz into homes across America.
The Cotton Club briefly moved to Midtown in 1936 before closing permanently in 1940.
The name returned with new ownership to Harlem’s 125th Street in 1978. Other iterations of the Cotton Club have operated at various times in cities across the country, from Las Vegas to Colorado Springs.
Now, Harlem’s last vestige of this era-defining jazz venue is up for grabs.
“Having the property with this kind of story really makes it stand out,” Tiwoni said. “It’s not just another building. It’s a piece of history.”
