Tell Me Your Story!
With all the talks of rezoning, gentrification, and outsiders there has been a lot of emphasis on fighting back and taking sides. There’s been little talk about the new connections that people have been making in Harlem.
The other day a friend of mine told me that in his building there was a party going on. Now, this wasn’t a new condo building or anything. Just a building whose apartments had been gutted, re-walled and rented out at market value. Many students have moved in to the building as well as the building next to it. The party was being held by one of his new neighbors and he invited my friend over for some drinks and music. My friend brought another friend along with him. His friend kept feeling awkward at first being surrounded by so many caucasians and finding no real connecting points in their conversations. However, a couple drinks and a puff later everyone seemed to be having a ball. People were exchanging ipods putting on some rock, then some rap, then some merengue. My friend also told me he had fallen for this one girl who moved into the building next door. Last update I got is that they’re going out.
At that point a question came into my mind? What kind of connections have people been making? Between Curbed and some commenters here on UF, it seems that people are comfortable fostering this “we vs. them” mentality instead of dealing with building relationships. That’s not to say that every person who is new to the neighborhood is now bound to bake cookies for the building or have rent parties in their homes. However, I am sure that there are many who have made new acquaintances, friendships, and even love connections in their new surroundings. Or maybe you have been living here for a long time and now have been able to make some new connections. I am curious to find out!
I’d like for you to email me your stories so that I can feature them in an upcoming piece. These submissions are open to any stories of connections in Harlem whether it be new friends, neighbors you admire, or even romance. We need these positive stories to balance things up.
Send your submissions to hugo@uptownflavor.com.
Me
June 9, 2008
If the Dutch were a discrimintad against, poor and vulnerable people as we Blacks are then YES, they WOULD!
Your comparison is very silly, and simply indicative of the selfish and vapid nature of you people!
t
May 9, 2008
“other people where here before you”…… what does that have to with anything? So the Dutch who settled Harlem 1st should have the right to toss out everybody else and take back Harlem? Silly comment.
anon
May 9, 2008
My experience has been when people share a block and become neighbors and friends, we see people as individuals and divisiveness melts away (on both sides) and it is a positive thing. There are some, usually the older generations, who bitterly refuse to acknowledge any newcomers. There are others who are accepting of change. Also some old timers complain of newcomers not wanting to engage the long term locals. I think the newcomers have to remember, no matter what rent you pay, your education, profession or lifestyle, other people where here before you.
illoquentgent
May 9, 2008
Friend, while I am not one to trample on people’s opinions i have to make a few clarifications in response to your accusations. Particularly because if you run a simple search for my comments on this blog you’ll see I have always been very vocal about the real estate situation here in Harlem. Very few people have the insight into the problems going on with housing in Harlem as I do. I am a cofounder of a tentant’s advocacy group in Harlem. We have been battling since September ’06 against a slumlord who in every sense of the word preyed on the defenseless. I have been to housing court more times than I can count battling alongside tenants being evicted, harrassed, and bullied out of their apartments. I have seen their children go to the hospital with nasty bedbug bites and complications from mold infection. Nonetheless, we as a group fought back to assert our rights.
Our tenants group recently celebrated a Cinco de Mayo party in honor of the progress we made and the victories we’ve achieved. We were able to bring the entire community together (black, white, mexican, salvadorian, dominicans, puerto ricans) when the slumlords were banking on the fact that our diversity wouldn’t allow us to organize. They hoped our situation would become a scene from the Tower of Babel bible story where no one could work together because they couldn’t understant each other. Yet we all came together. The point is the successes must be told along with failures and injustices.
No one here is trying to rewrite the narrative. Information is too accessible and easily disseminated for us to fool ourselves into thinking that is even possible. The hubris of such a notion is beyond laughable. There are however many stories to be told in Harlem. Guess what? They’re not all bad. Even out of stories of struggle and pain comes beauty much like the process of a diamond. That is one of the most unique narratives particular to Harlem. And on a professional note it is our journalistic duty to not just highlight the blight but also the stories that can inspire and bring people together. So, yes, here we do try to strike a balance. Therein lies truth.
On2
May 9, 2008
“We need positive stories to balance things up”?
Sounds like you have your agenda and are seeking content to support and fill in the picture you’ve already got painted.
Why do “we need positive stories to balance things up”? What if the truth, what if reality ain’t so pretty? What if the truth is very divisive? What if the tactics by landlords are underhanded and exploitive, what if the politicians are in the pocket of the developers? What if the uprooting & erasing of Black Harlem is a pervasive truth & Black Harlem is dying on a vine? (producing anger & frustration.)
Looks to me that Uptown Flavor is seeking to fiddle while Rome is burning. Of course, let’s craft emotional anastesia, heart warming stories that mask and divert the reality on the ground. Why you’re taking a page from the George Bush playbook, diminish the casualties and focus on the new school that’s being built in Iraq.
Look, cross cultural friendships, exchanges, social events, etc. is nothing new or note worthy, it’s been happening in Harlem forever at the many jazz clubs.
Good luck in crafting your predetermined narrative. Perhaps you can follow it up by some heart warming stories of NYPD and young Black men working hand in hand, not being harassed, profiled, pulled over, stereotyped, victimized, no, we need to “balance things up with the NYPD”, consider it an extension of your very agenda.
Never matter the pervasive reality, let’s get some heart warming stories of NYPD and Young Black Men having a lovely time together.