P.S. 165

West 109th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue

P.S. 165, officially named after Robert E. Simon, was designed by C.B.J. Snyder in 1898, famous for his influential designs of over 170 New York City schools. As the city’s educational system expanded and an influx of immigrants arrived in the late 19th century, health and safety in school architecture became growing concerns. Snyder’s innovative arrangement of classrooms around courtyards and steel-frame construction allowed for enormous windows, creating light- and air-filled learning environments.