The Grant Houses (officially known as the General Ulysses S. Grant Houses) in Morningside Heights/West Harlem, Manhattan, have produced fewer famous residents compared to many other NYCHA developments. Based on the available information, here is the notable person who came from Grant Houses:

Music & Entertainment

• Ray Chew: Chew grew up in the Grant Houses in Morningside Heights1. He is one of the most accomplished musical directors in television history. His remarkable career includes:
  • He has been the music director of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars since 20141
  • Chew was music director for Fox’s American Idol from 2011 to 20131
  • During the 1990s and 2000s, he was music director for the syndicated television series Showtime at the Apollo1
  • Chew was a member of the Saturday Night Live Band from 1980 to 19831
  • He was the bandleader during the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and the Barack Obama Neighborhood Ball on the night after the first inauguration of Barack Obama in 20091
  • He was given a scholarship to study in the children’s program at the Juilliard School on the Upper West Side at six years old, and later studied at Harlem School of the Arts1
  • At 19, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson chose him as their music director. He is credited as arranger and or pianist in recordings for artists including Diana Ross, Luther Vandross, Roberta Flack, and Donny Hathaway1

Quick Facts about Grant Houses

Construction on the Grant Houses began in 1954 and was completed in 1956 at a cost of $29.2 million. With eight of the buildings at 21 stories, they were the tallest housing projects in New York City when built2. The complex consists of 10 buildings with over 1,940 apartment units on 15.05-acres and is located between Broadway and Morningside Avenue, spanning oddly shaped superblocks from 123rd Street and La Salle Street to 125th Street2.

The development was named after Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), a Civil War Union army general and the 18th President of the United States2.

Unlike other famous NYCHA developments like Queensbridge or Marcy Houses, Grant Houses appears to have produced fewer widely recognized celebrities, with Ray Chew being the most notable alumnus documented. However, his impact on American television music and his work on some of the country’s most-watched shows makes him a significant cultural figure.

Grant Houses (NYCHA) — notable people who are documented as coming from there

Grant Houses (officially General Ulysses S. Grant Houses) is a NYCHA development in Manhattan, along West 123rd to West 125th Streets near Morningside Heights/Manhattanville. NYCHA documents describe it as bordering W. 123rd & W. 125th Streets, Morningside Avenue, and Broadway, and the campus is a cluster of high-rise buildings built in the mid–1950s. 1

Below are famous or otherwise notable people I can verify with reliable sources as having grown up in / been raised in / come from Grant Houses (or “Grant Projects,” a common shorthand for the development). Where a claim is only repeated on low-quality sites, I’m not listing it as confirmed.

1) Keith Sweat — R&B singer/songwriter (New Jack Swing)

Why he’s notable: Keith Sweat is a major R&B figure associated with late-1980s/1990s New Jack Swing, known for hits like “I Want Her,” “Make It Last Forever,” and “Twisted.” 2

Grant Houses connection: In a WBLS interview, Sweat directly identifies himself with “125th… Grant Projects” and says that’s where he was raised. 3

Career that made him popular: Recording artist (platinum-era R&B), touring performer, and later radio host (e.g., “The Keith Sweat Hotel”). 4

2) Ray Chew — music director / bandleader / arranger (TV + live events)

Why he’s notable: Ray Chew is a prominent music director and bandleader known for major TV/live-event work (including high-profile stages and broadcast productions). 5

Grant Houses connection: A profile describing his background says that before the big stages, he was “a… kid from the Grant Houses, a public housing project on 125th Street in Manhattan.” 5

Career that made him popular: Music direction, arranging, and bandleading for national platforms (television, conventions, major live productions). 5

3) Pedro Pietri — poet/playwright; key figure in the Nuyorican Movement

Why he’s notable: Pedro Pietri (1944–2004) is widely recognized as an important Nuyorican poet and playwright, associated with the rise of Nuyorican cultural expression in NYC; he is best known for “Puerto Rican Obituary” (published in 1973). 6

Grant Houses connection: A detailed cultural profile states that when his family moved to Harlem, they settled in the Grant Houses (a housing project on Amsterdam Avenue). 7

Career that made him popular: Literary and performance career (poetry + plays), and movement-building through Nuyorican arts institutions and the broader spoken-word ecosystem that followed. 8

4) Yandy Smith-Harris — entertainment manager/producer; reality TV personality

Why she’s notable: Yandy Smith-Harris is known for her work in hip-hop/entertainment management and for being a major cast member/producer presence in the Love & Hip Hop franchise.

Grant Houses connection: In an interview, she says: “I grew up in Harlem, New York, in the Grant Houses…” 9

Career that made her popular: Music-industry management/producing plus reality television (public-facing media career). 9

5) Liim Lasalle — singer/songwriter (emerging artist)

Why he’s notable: Liim Lasalle is an up-and-coming NYC artist who has received national culture-press attention.

Grant Houses connection: A Highsnobiety profile states he was “born and raised… in the Grant Houses near the northern border of Morningside Heights.” 10

Career that made him popular: Music (singer/songwriter) with growing press visibility and audience. 10

Names you may see online (but I cannot confirm reliably)

You’ll sometimes see claims that other major celebrities (for example A$AP Rocky, Vin Diesel, Al Sharpton, etc.) “spent part of their childhood” in Grant Houses. I did find these claims on a community website and a small blog-style article, but I did not find strong, independent confirmation (major-profile interviews, reputable biographies, etc.) tying those individuals specifically to Grant Houses (as opposed to Harlem more broadly). 11

Quick “why this happens” note (NYCHA & biography)

For many NYCHA developments, a person’s exact building is not always recorded in mainstream bios—so the most trustworthy confirmations tend to come from:

• the person saying it directly (interview/quote), or
• high-quality profiles/obits that state it plainly.

That’s why the “confirmed” list above is shorter than what you’ll sometimes see on informal neighborhood lists.

If you want, I can also do the same “verified notable people” list for Manhattanville Houses next door, since biographies sometimes blur the two developments together in casual talk.