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51-557: Living Single centered on six friends in their 20s living the single life in Prospect Heights , Brooklyn . The series focused on two different households in one brownstone, one shared by a trio of independent women and another shared by two male friends who had known each other since childhood while living in Cleveland, Ohio . In the first apartment, Khadijah James ( Queen Latifah ), a hard-working editor and publisher of

102-408: A New York-area D.J., to move in. It was eventually revealed that DeSantos had a fling with Ira Lee "Tripp" Williams III, ( Mel Jackson ), a songwriter whom Khadijah and Régine allowed to move in when Synclaire's room became available. Synclaire joined a comedy improv troupe where she gained the attention of Tony Jonas, a Warner Bros. Television executive who cast her as a nun for a new comedy series he

153-492: A change to its fall schedule, delayed the airing of a new comedy called Rewind , and decided to debut Living Single ' s fifth season on September 11. The final episode of the fifth season aired on January 1, 1998. Living Single started reruns in syndication on September 22, 1997, through various Fox, UPN, and WB affiliates; these were later CW affiliates in terms of UPN and WB. The series formerly reran on USA Network , Logo TV , BET , and Oxygen . Syndication carriage on

204-524: A controversial development on top of the neighborhood, the plans for which would include a basketball arena and luxury housing. An upscale, glass high-rise residential building designed by the architect Richard Meier and located off of Grand Army Plaza was completed in 2008. As demand for housing within Prospect Heights increased, some residents of Crown Heights came to consider Franklin Avenue

255-429: A high school education and 40% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 40% of Brooklynites and 38% of city residents have a college education or higher. The percentage of Community District 8 students excelling in reading and math has been increasing, with reading achievement rising from 31 percent in 2000 to 37 percent in 2011, and math achievement rising from 22 percent to 47 percent within

306-592: A letter to the editor published in the Brooklyn Eagle , although at that time it was one of several potential names for the neighborhood that has since come to be known as Park Slope. The letter began by noting that it was "amusing to see the attempts made to fix upon a name for the rapidly growing part of Brooklyn near Prospect Park, bounded by Flatbush, Fifth and Ninth avenues, Some call it Park Slope , some Park Hill Side, some Prospect Heights and others Prospect Hill..." Additionally, Prospect Heights once shared

357-554: A mixture of older buildings under reconstruction, rows of classic 1890s brownstones, and newly built luxury condominiums . The neighborhood is served by the New York City Police Department 's 77th and 78th precincts. Along the southern boundary, Eastern Parkway, from Grand Army Plaza to Washington Avenue is reminiscent of Fifth Avenue 's " Museum Mile " in Manhattan . Immense, opulent buildings line

408-544: A new home for the Brooklyn Nets basketball team, as well as housing and commercial space in a cluster of high-rise buildings much taller than the borough's existing low-rise architecture. A number of community groups opposed the project, claiming abuse of the principles of eminent domain , among other concerns. Supporters of the project believed in its potential for reinvigorating an unattractive space. The area has many Italianate and Neo-Grec rowhouses, and much of

459-574: A number of apprentices, rising in prominence in the production company over the years and eventually becoming producer by the 1991–92 season. She left the show to take a position with Hangin' with Mr. Cooper . Bowser created her own company, Sister Lee Productions, which produced or co-produced her later shows, Living Single and Half & Half . She has said in an interview that she draws many of her characters and plots from her own and her friends' personal experiences. She has said, "I just basically rip pages out of my diary to tell stories on TV." In

510-493: A relatively high population of residents who are uninsured , or who receive healthcare through Medicaid . In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 12%, compared to the citywide rate of 12%. The concentration of fine particulate matter , the deadliest type of air pollutant , is 0.008 milligrams per cubic metre (8.0 × 10  oz/cu ft) in Community District 8, slightly higher than

561-534: A series of events, Max decided that her purpose must be to become a mother. During the insemination process, she unknowingly picked Kyle's sperm specimen based on a list of qualities she would like for her child to have. Kyle returned in the series finale, and the two reconciled. Overton and Synclaire also got together, and their relationship culminated in marriage by the end of the fourth season. In season five, they moved in together, leaving Overton and Kyle's apartment open for new character Roni DeSantos ( Idalis DeLeon ),

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612-498: A station at Seventh Avenue . Yvette Lee Bowser Yvette Denise Lee Bowser (born 1965) is an American television writer and producer best known for creating the Fox sitcom Living Single . Early in her career, worked on The Cosby Show spin-off A Different World . With Living Single, she became the first African-American woman to develop her own primetime series. Bowser started on A Different World in 1987 as one of

663-768: A surge in new bars, restaurants, and specialty shops, including a restaurant opened by Michelin-starred chef Saul Bolton, and stores emphasizing gourmet ice cream and even, for a while, artisanal mayonnaise. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) operates two fire stations in Prospect Heights: As of 2018 , preterm births and births to teenage mothers in Community District 8 are more common than in other places citywide. There were 92 preterm births per 1,000 live births in Community District 8 (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide) and 24.6 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births in Community District 8 (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). Community District 8 has

714-429: Is 50% in Community District 8, lower than the citywide and boroughwide rates of 52% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018 , Community District 8 is considered to be gentrifying . A diverse ethnic neighborhood in the 1910s through the 1960s, combining Italian, Irish, Jewish, German, Greek and Yankee residents, Prospect Heights is currently well known for its mixed black and white culture. Every year

765-656: Is a neighborhood in the northwest of the New York City borough of Brooklyn . The traditional boundaries are Flatbush Avenue to the west, Atlantic Avenue to the north, Eastern Parkway – beginning at Grand Army Plaza – to the south, and Washington Avenue to the east. In the northern section of Prospect Heights are the Vanderbilt Rail Yards, built over as part of the Pacific Park (formerly Atlantic Yards) project. The Barclays Center , home to

816-478: Is also notable for its unusual street grid. The original street plan was based upon Lenape Indian paths and the boundaries of Dutch farms. As part of the Commissioners' Plan of 1839 , this was redrawn to better match the rest of Brooklyn, resulting in several buildings that are oddly-shaped or face the street at an angle. Based on data from the 2010 United States Census , the population of Prospect Heights

867-594: Is covered by ZIP Codes 11217 and 11238. The United States Postal Service operates two post offices nearby: the Times Plaza Annex Station at 594 Dean Street, and the Adelphi Station at 950 Fulton Street. Community District 8 generally has a similar ratio of college-educated residents to the rest of the city as of 2018 . In Community District 8, 44% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, while 16% have less than

918-521: The NBA 's Brooklyn Nets basketball team, is located in the northwestern corner of the neighborhood in Pacific Park at Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues. Compared to other Brooklyn neighborhoods, Prospect Heights is relatively small and is notable for its cultural diversity as well as its tree-lined streets. Prospect Heights has seen rapid demographic changes over the 2000s, and its shifts are exemplified by

969-687: The West Indian Day Parade , the largest annual parade in New York City, follows Eastern Parkway, beginning in Crown Heights and ending at Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Heights. During the last thirty years, the neighborhood has seen an influx of new residents, increasingly young and white, perhaps due to real estate prices slightly lower than neighboring Park Slope . A thriving commercial zone has emerged along Vanderbilt Avenue and Washington Avenue, which since 2000 has seen

1020-485: The iTunes Store . Warner Archive subsequently released seasons 2–5 on DVD in Region 1 . These are Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) releases, available from Warner's online store and Amazon.com. Queen Latifah and Kim Coles both had development deals with Fox. In March 1993, Fox announced that Queen Latifah and Coles would star in a comedy sitcom called My Girls , about roommates in New York City. The character of Khadijah

1071-469: The 77th NYPD precinct; its portion west of Vanderbilt Avenue is under the jurisdiction of the 78th. The interior portion of the neighborhood consists mostly of brownstone -style residential rowhouse buildings, some built as early as 1890, although some blocks, such as Lincoln and St. Johns Place between Underhill and Washington Avenues, include larger multi-unit apartment buildings. A number of new condominium complexes are under construction in many parts of

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1122-479: The case of Half & Half , for example, the writer based the characters Mona and Dee-Dee on herself and an older half-sister, and plot ideas came from her experience as the youngest child in a blended family. Through Sister Lee Productions, Bowser served as showrunner for the critically acclaimed Netflix series Dear White People , adapted with Justin Simien from his film of the same name. In 2020, she became

1173-487: The cast, and are inspired by the positive, elegant, and professional portrayal of Black people on television. Bowser noted that "People say our characters remind them of themselves, their friends or their relatives. They all know someone like one of the characters." In 1995 and 1996, Living Single was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series (Bryan Hays). Prospect Heights, Brooklyn Prospect Heights

1224-422: The characters they portrayed and provided a tribute to Rita Owens (Queen Latifah's real-life and TV mother), who had passed in early 2018. Queen Latifah , Erika Alexander and Mel Jackson were unavailable to participate. During Living Single ' s first season, it consistently garnered higher ratings than Martin , which aired in the time slot immediately before it on Thursday nights, and it quickly became

1275-636: The city Landmarks Preservation Commission on June 23, 2009, and approved by the New York City Council on September 17, 2009. It is the fifth largest historic district in New York City. The Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, built in 1912 in Spanish Colonial style , is located at 856 Pacific Street between Vanderbilt and Underhill Avenues in Prospect Heights. The neighborhood

1326-429: The citywide and boroughwide averages. Eighteen percent of Community District 8 residents are smokers , compared to the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In Community District 8, 26% of residents are obese , 13% are diabetic , and 33% have high blood pressure —compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. In addition, 19% of children are obese in Community District 8, compared to

1377-427: The citywide average of 20%. Eighty-four percent of Community District 8 residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is slightly lower than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 78% of Community District 8 residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", compared to the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket, there are 25 bodegas in Community District 8. Prospect Heights

1428-526: The citywide average of 75% of students. Prospect Heights contains the following public schools: German School Brooklyn , a German international school, was once on the fifth floor of the Union Temple of Brooklyn . In 2021 the school moved all levels to 9 Hanover Place in Downtown Brooklyn . The Brooklyn Public Library 's Brooklyn Central Library is located at Grand Army Plaza, on

1479-414: The cult show premiered. Living Single featured successful Black characters including an attorney, a stockbroker, and a business owner, in contrast to Friends , which featured white characters including a waitress, a folk singer, and an unemployed actor. Show creator Yvette Lee Bowser was disappointed that Warner Bros. did not promote Living Single nearly as much as it did Friends'.' Living Single

1530-477: The events of her day, to make sure that the girls' refrigerator wasn't overstocked, and to start trouble with Kyle, looking for any chance to make his life worse. Kyle Barker ( T.C. Carson ) lived in the second apartment with Overton Wakefield Jones ( John Henton ). Overton was the friendly but bucolic maintenance man for the owner of their (and neighboring) building, who held a deep affection for Synclaire and plenty of hilarious homespun wisdom for everyone else. Kyle

1581-418: The fans. Queen Latifah and Mel Jackson were unavailable to participate. The special featured clips and revealing secrets of the cast from the show's five-year run. From August 24 to 26, 2018, TV One aired a weekend marathon of "Living Single" to highlight the 25th anniversary of the show. Coles , Henton , Fields , and Carson reunited once again to share memories with the fans, to share their thoughts on

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1632-510: The fictional urban independent magazine Flavor , lived with her sweet but naive cousin Synclaire James ( Kim Coles ), an aspiring actress who worked as Khadijah's receptionist and had an affinity for Troll dolls , and her childhood friend from East Orange, New Jersey , Regina "Régine" Hunter ( Kim Fields ), an image-conscious boutique buyer who was on a constant search for a well-to-do man to spend her life (and his money) with. Later in

1683-589: The fourth highest-rated show aired on Fox among their 12 current series. Throughout its run, Living Single became one of the most popular African-American sitcoms of its era, ranking amongst the top five in African-American ratings in all five seasons. Newspaper critics contrasted Living Single with the NBC sitcom Friends which was inspired by the post-college experiences of Marta Kauffman and David Crane and in development around November 1993 after

1734-452: The local level fizzled out in 2006. Reruns of the series currently run daily on cable networks TV One , MTV2 , Bounce TV , WCIU and VH1 . As of January 11, 2018, all episodes began streaming on Hulu, and on HBO Max as of September 22, 2022. An hour-long retrospective special, Living Single: The Reunion Show , aired on TV One on September 22, 2008. Coles , Henton , Fields , Carson and Alexander reunited to share fond memories with

1785-505: The name "Gowanus Heights" with Prospect Park, Greenwood and Bay Ridge. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, the neighborhood experienced controversy over a development project by developer Bruce Ratner , initially designed by the architect Frank Gehry , for the portions of Prospect Heights and Fort Greene known as Pacific Park (formerly Atlantic Yards). This included the construction of the Barclays Center , an arena to serve as

1836-473: The neighborhood has been designated a New York City historic district . The Prospect Heights Historic District covers an area roughly bounded by Flatbush Avenue, Sterling Place, Washington Avenue, and St. Marks Avenue, though a section of the historic district extends as far north as Pacific Street. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The district was designated by

1887-404: The neighborhood. Defunct bakeries and factory spaces line Pacific Street from Vanderbilt Avenue to Carlton Avenue, and some have recently been renovated and converted into lofts; still others have recently been purchased by developer Bruce Ratner in anticipation of his Pacific Park project. Recently, a number of these have begun to be demolished. Ratner's company Forest City Ratner has planned

1938-627: The north side of the parkway, and the south side features the Brooklyn Public Library , Mount Prospect Park (not to be confused with Prospect Park ), the Brooklyn Botanic Garden , and the Brooklyn Museum . To Prospect Heights' north lies Fort Greene , to its south Prospect Park, to its west Park Slope , and to its east Crown Heights . Its portion east of Vanderbilt Avenue is under the jurisdiction of

1989-504: The population. The entirety of Community District 8, which covers Crown Heights North and Prospect Heights, had 97,130 inhabitants as of NYC Health 's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 79.2 years. This is lower than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are middle-aged adults and youth: 20% are between the ages of 0–17, 37% between 25–44, and 22% between 45–64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents

2040-415: The same time period. Community District 8's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is higher than the rest of New York City. The proportion of elementary school students who missed twenty or more days per school year was 28% in Community District 8, compared to the citywide average of 20% of students. Additionally, 71% of high school students in Community District 8 graduate on time, compared to

2091-412: The series, Régine became a costume assistant for the soap opera Palo Alto . When the soap was canceled, she became a wedding planner and left the apartment to move in with her fiancé Dexter Knight ( Don Franklin ). Maxine "Max" Shaw ( Erika Alexander ), a sharp-tongued Attorney and Khadijah's best friend from their college days at Howard University , frequently stopped by to share her unique insights and

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2142-919: The showrunner on the Starz original series Run the World , created by Leigh Davenport . Yvette Denise Lee was born in Philadelphia in 1965. She lived in the city's Carroll Park neighborhood until age 5, when she and her mother moved to California. Bowser graduated from Santa Monica High School in 1983. She attended with Holly Robinson , who was a part of the Hangin' with Mr. Cooper cast and later starred in For Your Love . She also attended with her friend Lori Petty , whom she later cast in her sitcom Lush Life . After high school, Lee attended Stanford University where, in spring 1986, she pledged

2193-475: The southern side of Prospect Heights. Five New York City Bus lines serve Prospect Heights: Several New York City Subway stations are located in Prospect Heights. The IRT Eastern Parkway Line ( 2 ​ and ​ 3 trains) has stations at Bergen Street , Grand Army Plaza , and Brooklyn Museum , while the BMT Brighton Line ( B and ​ Q trains) has

2244-416: The western border with Prospect Heights rather than Washington Avenue. However, most residents continue to consider Washington Avenue the border, and Washington Avenue remains the eastern border of Prospect Heights as recognized by major New York City media such as The New York Times , The New York Post , and The Wall Street Journal . The name "Prospect Heights" can be traced as far back as 1889 to

2295-536: Was 19,849, an increase of 194 (1.0%) from the 19,655 counted in 2000 . Covering an area of 237.30 acres (96.03 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 83.6 inhabitants per acre (53,500/sq mi; 20,700/km ). The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 47.2% (9,359) White , 30.1% (5,979) African American , 0.2% (34) Native American , 6.6% (1,316) Asian , 0.1% (12) Pacific Islander , 0.5% (106) from other races , and 3.9% (768) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.5% (2,275) of

2346-519: Was a stockbroker whose constant verbal sparring with Max did little to mask their obvious sexual attraction to each other. Kyle and Max pursued a sexual relationship, but when he decided to take a job in London and invited Max to join him, she turned him down. Maxine subsequently became distraught over her decision and, after defending a man who claimed to be the second coming of Jesus ( Harold Perrineau ), she began to take her life more seriously. Through

2397-443: Was created for Queen Latifah. Khadijah is an entrepreneur who started an urban-lifestyle magazine, much as Latifah is an entrepreneur who started her hip-hop record label. Fox changed the show's name to Living Single three weeks before its television debut. Creator Yvette Lee Bowser 's initial goal was to develop a show about herself and her friends that would change the portrayal of young Black people on television. Her overall goal

2448-443: Was developing. Along with trying to make Flavor a success, Khadijah also looked for Mr. Right. She eventually found him in childhood friend Scooter ( Cress Williams ), with whom she left the brownstone for the final time in the series finale. Warner Home Video released the complete first season of Living Single on DVD in Region 1 on February 14, 2006. The entire series is also available for digital download on Amazon.com and

2499-460: Was lower, at 9% and 12% respectively. As of 2016, the median household income in Community District 8 was $ 60,107. In 2018, an estimated 21% of Community District 8 residents lived in poverty, compared to 21% in all of Brooklyn and 20% in all of New York City. One in eleven residents (9%) were unemployed, compared to 9% in the rest of both Brooklyn and New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent,

2550-522: Was never one of the highest-rated programs among audiences during its run from 1993 to 1998. Indeed, the show had struggled to break into lists of top television programs viewed by larger audiences and never broke into the Top 50, though it was a higher performer for the Fox network itself. Those who loved and watched the show regularly have told show creator Yvette Lee Bowser that they connect with its characters, love

2601-478: Was to portray Black characters positively and less stereotypically. She also noted that the women represented on Living Single are four different sides of herself, saying in an interview, "I've been as ditsy as Synclaire, as superficial as Regine, as bitter as Max, and as focused and driven as Khadijah." In May 1997, Fox announced that it had ordered 13 episodes of the fifth season of Living Single but would be delayed until January 1998. Three months later, Fox made

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