Although Harlem is probably a distant memory in the mind of President Bush, Harlem residents are still seething about the details of his visit; everything from the lack of parking (resulting in towing) to the sudden appearance of pristine streets. The latest complaint is that a year old pothole was finally filled in only as a result of the president’s visit. In usual fashion, city officials deny that they were aware of the pothole and went so far as to say that never received any complaints about it:
Shawana White told the New York Post she complained about the 5-foot-long, 1 1/2-foot-wide pothole seven months ago.
“My little cousin came to visit me not so long ago — he is 14 and he fell in the pothole with his bicycle,” White told the Post. “About four months ago my tire burst and messed up the rim. It cost me $85 for a used tire.”
The pothole repair was just one example of municipal sprucing-up that Harlem residents said occurred as city workers prepared for the president’s Tuesday visit.
“They were sweeping the streets, they picked up all the garbage and they put up school crossing signs in a two-block radius,” John George told the Post.
A Department of Transportation spokesman denied that school crossing signs were erected Tuesday.
Read more: New York Post
And while we are on the topic of paving the way, perhaps having Bush and Rangel buddy up might offer additional benefits to Harlem; so far this new found friendship has given us cleaner streets and safer roads.
Watch: President Bush’s speech about NCLB in Harlem [video]
tl
April 29, 2007
14, As a newcomer, it would be very difficult for me to change anything by myself and that is certainly not my intention. I am just baffled by those that have been here much longer and appear to have given up
Allow me to generalize but Harlem is like the New York depicted in Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”. Everyone walks around accepting everything the way it is, good and bad. “Who is John Galt”
anon
April 28, 2007
TL,
Question, why anti-social behavior in Harlem does not improve.
Answer, it does improve, you just can’t see it. Believe it or not things have improved, it has come a long way from the bad old days, if you have only lived in Harlem a short time you would not know this.
An example of improving anti-social behavior and improving caring for property, an old timer visited and could not believe seeing planters on the stoops, his comment, a few years ago they would have been stolen.
A good piece of advice I heard, do not get into a relationship expecting to change the other person, and similarly do not move into a neighborhood expecting to change it.
tl
April 28, 2007
Everyone’s comments have been excellant. I particularly believe that 11 articulated the problem very well but yet no one has been able to explain to me:
a) Why comunities like Bushwick, which has the same problems and demographics as Harlem, have been able to begin pushing back on some of this anti-social behavior while Harlem has not.
b)What the rest of us are going to do about said behavior. It sounds to me as eveyone has already given up. “Just cast a blind eye. They have had bad upbringing. Just live with it”
Harlem Girl
April 28, 2007
#4 Said: “Now that’s passion about maintaining your property and community that I’m talking about. Why doesn’t Harlem have that passion? Why do we let people fowl our streets and property without any response?
There’s no passion because most of the people don’t own anything and the city didn’t care about the Harlem neighborhood until recently.
And, most landlords in Harlem are near slum lords. They don’t respect their tenants, they just take their money without putting anything back into the properties or the community.
I’ve always lived in Harlem and each time I’ve moved, I’m always amazed at the conditions in which some landlords try to rent apartments.
Only recently, since it’s been chic to live in Harlem, have landlords started to care about their property to attract “a different type of tenant”.
Anonymous
April 27, 2007
9, most harlem problems boil down to a fundamental systematic problem with a significant sector of the community, they land squarely in “the home”. the problems a rooted in poor self esteem, under-education, no to low expectations, no male role models in the home, an acceptance of cyclic generation poverty, public assistance & public housing.
there’s your problem as to why people litter, accept liberal usage of the N word and B word, “don’t snitch”, have sex without protection and spread STDs, have no goals beyond their block, and basically function as if they have no self-dignity – because they don’t. hence they’ll ride ATV vehicles down Lenox Ave and basically run wild.
kind of hard to get the masses to stop littering when they’re void of basic fundamental core character traits like positive esteem and self-dignity, respect of other’s property, etc.
Using the N and B = littering. Stop that and you might stop littering. It all starts in the home.
Harlem Proud
April 27, 2007
Litter is more of a problem here I agree. No, not everyone does it, but I have seen more people in Harlem completely ignore trash cans and throw their litter on the streets. It begins with the kids. Kids, mostly school aged kids on their way to middle or high school, go into a deli and get a bag of potato chips (nice way to start the day) eat the chips and drop the bag or to impress their friends smash the bottle on the street.
There must be some Parental accountability.
Again, not everyone does it and I am sure there are life long Harlemites who have been fighting people with these habits for years. It can start with a gentle communication to show kids, parents, etc. that it is not acceptable to treat our community like this.
For instance – When I see this happen, especially a kid, I don’t say “PICK THIS UP!” That is just negative. Instead I say “Hey, we’re trying to keep this area clean. Makes our neighborhood better – next time could you us a favor and use one of the trash cans? That’s cool”
Again, if parents start early and remind their children it is not acceptable to litter and are punished when their parents see it from their child or hear about it, it will curb the littering taking place.
tl
April 27, 2007
#8 Thanks for your passionate words of encouragement and for being a real sponsor for change. (No offense meant. Just trying to make a point)
Dee – If that isn’t proof of the lack of passion in people, what is?
Why can areas like Bushwick and Red Hook drive to make these changes but Harlemites believe it’s like curing cancer. I just don’t get it.
Anonymous
April 27, 2007
“We really need to change the accepted behaviors of the Harlem community.”
_
i’ll rank that right up there with curing cancer, pigs flying, and hell freezing over.
tl
April 27, 2007
Dee,
Thanks for your comments. I am absolutely sure not every Harlemite behaves badly with a total disregard for community and property. You don’t. I dont. But, unless we are willing to stand up to those that do, nothing will change.
So, do you?
anon
April 27, 2007
I think I have discovered a black hole in New York.
Regarding 311, yes they answer calls, yes the listen, yes they refer the caller to the right department, yes they take careful notes, yes they log it in the system, and then as if by magic it is sucked into a black hole never to be seen.
I’m not sure if this is a Harlem thing or just business as usual but the city is very quick to hold their hand out for taxes, litter fines etc but hopeless in holding up their end of the deal for these quality of life issues.
Dee
April 27, 2007
TL, since you are new to the neighborhood you probably don’t understand a lot about the underlying conditions that created what is quickly becoming “old” Harlem. People whine because hell, it’s New York and New Yorkers complain about everything. But Harlemites tend to “whine” because they have been ignored for so many years. That is the injustice of what just took place. Also, to make a blanket statement like “why doesn’t Harlem have that passion” is unfair. I don’t litter, I recycle and I know that my building’s super and the business owners near me are out every morning sweeping and washing down the sidewalk. Put the stereotypes aside and start seeing what else is happening in the community.
tl
April 27, 2007
Great posting right now on curbed.com about cleaning up after your dogs.
Now that’s passion about maintaining your property and community that I’m talking about. Why doesn’t Harlem have that passion? Why do we let people fowl our streets and property without any response?
We really need to change the accepted behaviors of the Harlem community.
tl
April 27, 2007
Apologies. Did not see that Ms. White called 311 but my point should be clear. People need to take ownership of some of these issues and stop whining.
I am fairly new to the neighborhood but have to tell you how shocked I am by people’s disregard for their community and property. It’s almost hypocritical. Bitching about the things that the city doesn’t do but yet tossing trash and litter anywhere they please. No where else in the city would you see someone walking down the street and just toss their trash in the middle of the street. Yet it happens in Harlem and no one says anything! It’s accepted behaviour.
Why should it fall on the City if the community is unwilling to help.
tl
April 27, 2007
OK let’s take the chips off our shoulders.
When is the city not encumbered by a visit by the President. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Harlem or the UES (where he had his fund raising dinner. Additionally, people need to speak up if there are issues of “quality of life” (potholes) and never has there been such an ability to do so. Call the number allocated for such complaints. Dial 311.
gingermiss
April 27, 2007
Sad but I’m not at all surprised. The entire city was impaired because of his visit, or at least affected. People were saying transportation was a nightmare partially because he was staying in town to “have dinner”. Rapture.