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About King Towers

16 Completed in 1954, King Towers is named after civil rights movement advocate Martin Luther King Jr. The 1,373 apartments making up the King Towers are spread across 13- and 14-story buildings. 20 More commonly known as King Towers, this sprawling housing development in Harlem contains 10 buildings and 1,373 apartments, housing more than 3,000 residents. The nearly 14-acre site was completed in 1954 and was later renamed for MLK. 18 The property was originally authorized in 1946 as part of the Stephen Foster Houses, named for the American composer. In May 1968, one month after King’s assassination, the surrounding housing complex was renamed the Martin Luther King, Jr. Towers.

Why Specific Notable Residents Are Hard to Find

Unlike some other NYCHA developments — such as the Marcy Projects (Jay-Z), Queensbridge Houses (Nas), or the Stapleton Houses (Ghostface Killah) — King Towers does not appear on widely published lists of NYCHA developments known for producing major celebrities. The well-known Complex article listing NYCHA developments and their famous residents does not include King Towers among its entries.

That said, many people from Harlem’s housing projects have contributed to music, sports, and culture — and it’s entirely possible that notable individuals have come from King Towers without it being widely documented online. Community members and long-time residents would likely be the best source for that oral history.

What I Did Find

  • 1 One resident stated: “As someone who grew up at King Towers, this program feels deeply personal to me,” referencing community arts programming — showing a strong sense of pride and community identity among residents.
  • There is also an active Facebook group called “Foster Projects, King Towers” where former and current residents share memories. That community might be an excellent resource for learning about notable people who grew up there.

If you have specific names in mind that you’ve heard were from King Towers, I’d be happy to look into them individually. It’s also worth noting that Harlem as a whole has produced an incredible roster of talent across hip-hop, jazz, sports, and the arts — and King Towers sits right in the heart of that cultural legacy.

What I can verify (and what I can’t) about “King Towers” NYCHA notables

King Towers (also historically known by longtime residents as Stephen Foster Houses, and commonly referenced as Martin Luther King Jr. Towers) is a NYCHA development in Central Harlem, roughly West 112th–115th Streets between Lenox Ave (Malcolm X Blvd) and Fifth Ave. NYCHA records describe it as a 10-building, federally funded development completed in the mid-1950s. 1

When it comes to “famous/notable people who came from King Towers,” here’s the key issue:

  • There is no single authoritative NYCHA/NYC list of “famous alumni” for this development that I can cite.
  • So the only responsible way to answer is to list individuals for whom reliable sources explicitly connect them to King Towers / the Kingdome courts / growing up there.

Below are the people I can clearly tie to King Towers with sources, plus brief career notes on why they’re known.

1) Mohamed Bamba — NBA player (Harlem / “Kingdome” court)

Why he’s notable: Mohamed Bamba became a top national basketball recruit, played college basketball at University of Texas, and went on to the NBA.

King Towers connection: Multiple basketball/feature stories describe Bamba as growing up in Harlem and playing at the famous Harlem playground nicknamed “The Kingdome”—identified as being on/along 115th Street and associated with King Towers. 2

What made him popular (career):

  • Elite high school recruit (McDonald’s All-American–level profile in that era) and then a one-and-done college player who reached the NBA.
  • Known especially for defense/rim protection tools (length/wingspan became part of his public profile in scouting coverage). 3

2) Jalen Carey — elite college recruit tied to King Towers courts (Syracuse commit at the time)

Why he’s notable: Jalen Carey was covered as a high-level recruit (ESPN top-40 type coverage at the time of the article) with a pipeline into Division I basketball.

King Towers connection: A detailed profile describes Carey and his father spending extensive time at the basketball courts in the middle of the King Towers complex in Harlem, framing those courts as central to his development. 4

What made him popular (career):

  • Recognition as one of the better young guards in his class and as a Syracuse target/commit in that period, with major recruiting/media attention. 4

3) Dwayne “Pearl” Washington — legendary NYC/Syracuse basketball star (strong King Towers court association)

Why he’s notable: “Pearl” Washington is one of the most iconic NYC playground-to-college basketball stories—famous for electrifying handles and showmanship, and for starring at Syracuse in the 1980s.

King Towers connection: A memoir-style basketball piece specifically says he drew thousands to the courts at the King Towers high rise apartments in Harlem to watch him play. 5

What made him popular (career):

  • Nationally famous college player; a defining figure in Big East-era basketball culture.
  • His legend is tied to how playground creativity translated into high-level organized basketball. 5

Important nuance: Some sources frame King Towers as part of the playground legend around Pearl (where people watched him). That’s slightly different than a verified “he lived in King Towers.” The strong, citable claim is his King Towers courts connection. 5

4) “Local” music/fashion figures mentioned by a NYCHA-affiliated arts/culture initiative (not mainstream-famous)

A Public Housing Community Fund / NYCHA-adjacent arts page about King Towers describes resident feedback and mentions “notable figures” from the development including Got the Scouts, Mike Unseen, and Nail the Gang (presented as local fashion/music names). 6

What I can and can’t say here:

  • I can cite that this page names them as notable figures from the development. 6
  • I cannot reliably provide solid biographical “who they are / discography / brand history” without stronger independent sources clearly identifying them (there are many similarly named artists/collectives online, and it’s easy to misidentify the wrong person).

So: consider these community-notable rather than widely verified public figures, based on what’s currently citable. 6

High-value context: why King Towers shows up so often in basketball history

King Towers is repeatedly linked to a specific piece of Harlem sports culture: the outdoor courts nicknamed “The Kingdome” and the broader NYC summer “in-the-park” basketball ecosystem. That’s why many “notables” tied to King Towers are basketball players rather than actors or musicians—because the courts functioned like a neighborhood stage, where reputation traveled by word-of-mouth, tapes, tournaments, and later media coverage. 2

What I found that doesn’t meet the “famous people” bar (but is still real)

I also found sources that discuss:

  • the King Towers Community Center location and programming, 7
  • the development’s background and boundaries, 1
  • oral history material from someone who says they grew up in the project when it was called Stephen Foster (now MLK/King Towers), 8
    …but these don’t identify widely famous celebrities “from King Towers” in a way that can be cleanly verified and summarized as a public biography list.

Bottom line list (verified, citable)

  1. Mohamed Bamba — NBA player; grew up around Harlem/King Towers “Kingdome” court. 2
  2. Jalen Carey — elite D1 recruit (Syracuse profile era); developed on King Towers courts. 4
  3. Dwayne “Pearl” Washington — legendary NYC/Syracuse basketball figure; major King Towers court lore connection. 5
  4. Got the Scouts / Mike Unseen / Nail the Gang — cited as “notable figures” by a NYCHA-adjacent arts initiative; more “local notable” than broadly verifiable celebrity (based on available sourcing).