If we had to choose a common theme for many of the blog posts that we have written over the last two years, mixed feelings would be it. Our whole mission is about highlighting the flavor Harlem offers that simply cannot be found in other neighborhoods. Opinions range from Harlem’s originality being consumed by Big Box Stores and flippers taking advantage of an increasingly gentrified area to said newcomers being excited about the middle America marketing of Harlem.
A couple of days ago, the New York Times published a piece titled, “Mixed Feelings as Change Overtakes 125th Street.” Naturally residents are happy that the streets are relatively cleaner and there are more conveniences than there were, say about 7 years ago; the fact that the familiarity of the area is being lost is most disconcerting to long-time Harlemites. One resident laments the loss of 99 cent stores and bodega:
“The majority of the stores, the 99-cent stores, they’re gone,” said Gwen Walker, 55, a longtime resident of the General Grant Houses in West Harlem, giving one view. “The Laundromat on the corner is gone. The bodegas are gone. There’s large delis now. What had been two for $1 is now one for $3. My neighbor is a beer drinker, and he drinks inexpensive beer, Old English or Colt 45 or Coors — you can’t even buy that in the stores. The stores have imported beers from Germany. The foods being sold — feta cheese instead of sharp Cheddar cheese. That’s a whole other world.”
In my experience, many of the former businesses mentioned by Ms. Walker did not offer quality products. The 99 cent stores were small, dirty and disorganized, as were the bodegas. What I keep hearing from residents is that there is no middle ground in the increasingly rapid gentrification of the area. Nicole Moore, who blogs for UptownLife.net, recently wrote about not fitting into the model of “old and new Harlem.”
It’s either bargain basement Conway’s or Tracy Reese selling N (both on 116th St.); fried chicken wings and fries at New Dragon or 21-Spice Coconut Chicken and decadent pineapple rice at Ginger (also located on 116th).
My friend, plus size model Sharon Quinn, also recently touched on the issue of liquor licenses being pulled from local bodegas, which Ms. Walker also mentioned as a concern in the Times article. While it is probably a good thing that malt liquors like Colt 45 and Old English have been pulled, Harlemites should be able to choose to drink Coors or Pabst Blue Ribbon on a hot summer day. Guinness and Heineken aren’t always in the budget with increasing rents and living expenses.
The disparity is most evident when we see statistics like, “the average price for new condominium apartments in Harlem hit $900,000, although average household income remains less than $25,000.” Whenever something new goes up in Harlem you can count on hearing the following from long-term residents, “This ain’t for us.”
What are your thoughts and feelings about the gentrification of Harlem. Tell us about the pros, cons and things that you still are not quite sure about.
Photo: Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times
Related: Agents of Urbanism
krik
June 16, 2008
even thought theyv’e been slow and incremental, there’s a tendency to get hysterical over the changes happening in harlem. but when they appear in print, they seem kind of pathetic. the woman quoted in the article can’t find cheap beer and cheese? cry me a river. if she were being evicted a replaced by a wealthy tenant, then there’s a reason to get upset. plus, i don’t believe her. there are still plenty of delis and bodegas around. the same goes for af-am hair products, which are available everywhere: i just saw a whole row of them in a duane reade at 89th & columbus.
it seems that people are unable to take a nuanced view and can only discuss the issue in extremes. walk around harlem. are the majority of people of african descent? i’d say so. can i get a pbr at a local deli. uh-huh. do i have to walk far to get my hair braided? no.
are there a bunch of new buildings? yes. do the inhabitants of these new buildings make up even 1% of harlem’s population? no.
so there’s a little more cream in the coffee. it’s not that big of a deal. people need to relax.
123uptownside
June 15, 2008
I am with KoKO
I have lived in Harlem for 10 years now and frankly, the changes I see are not for the better. Where the thriving Knox hat store was is an empty lot for 2 years. Vacant buildings are still rampant. Buildings on 125 are vacant. Where there once was a reasonably priced Chinese restaurant. I can no longer find hair care products for “my type of hair”.
I moved to Harlem, from Forest Hills because I loved the culture and color of Harlem and yes even the drummers in the park. As an African American I felt the need to be near my people and my church. Not because housing was cheap… Very few people that I talk to or read blogs from say the same thing.
I feel like the next morning after having bad sex, you thought it would be different but it’s just more of the same.
It saddens me even more that those persons that purchased the houses for a song are now trying to sell, most within 5 years of purchasing them.
Frankly the way things are going the only thing that will be missing are the bus tours because they will have nothing to say, besides “that was the site of…”
koko
June 15, 2008
Harlem is one of the few areas of Manhattan that still feels like a neighborhood — but it’s not crime, drugs, lack of services and dirty bodegas that make it special. It’s the people. Gentrification can make life more pleasant for us all but there has to be compromise.
As a resident of Upper Harlem, I would like some nice restaurants that serve something besides fried chicken or Dominican food. What about Thai? What about Italian? I mean sit-down places that don’t cost a fortune. How about a traditioinal NYC coffee shop with good food and low prices? And I’d like a deli that doesn’t sell expired milk. I hope the rumor about a big home store moving to 145th St. is true. Those are not unreasonable requests. Hopefully, Harlem can preserve its flavor while it becomes safer, more beautiful and provides more services.
As for Mr. Hunt’s remark — it’s frightening that he would think that crime is a good thing to keep the gentrifiers away, espcially the killing of kids.
anon
June 15, 2008
I want to thank you for waiting a bit to post on this article. It gave me time to cool down so that I can comment rationally.
Most of this article is simply rehashing what has been said before. Even using Settepani as an example of new Harlem businesses is tired. Most restaurants don’t make it more than a couple years in this city, and Settepani has been here nearly seven. It is about time we start calling it a neighborhood institution.
What made me angry about the article is the quote from Calvin Hunt on the Memorial Day shootings. 10 children were shot, and Calvin Hunt thinks this is a good thing for Harlem.
“I was praying something like this would happen to keep them out,” Calvin Hunt, 45, a longtime resident with a drastic view, said of the newcomers the morning after the shootings. “When crack was happening, you could have bought these brownstones for $1. Now they cost $1 million.”
This comment is so insulting to every working class, middle class, upper class, and even bougie black individual and family living and working in Harlem. To insinuate that Harlem can only be original if it has children shooting children and people’s lives ruined by drugs is insulting.
Shame on Calvin Hunt for saying this, and shame on the New York Times for printing such ignorance.
stalherz
June 15, 2008
What I can’t understand is why people are so bent out of shape when a neighborhood changes. I live on one of the last blocks in Harlem (St. Nicholas Place just below 155th street), which is also the name of the book I am writing (the Last Block in Harlem).
Now, this block is still pretty old school. However, my father was born in this area. My Grandfather came here from Germany during the war. I have as much right to be here as anyone. Also, I am working class. My wife is working class. I made it all on my own. I want to live in area where families are everywhere and there is not the madness of downtown. I like it here.
However, neighborhoods change. The people who live in the buildings do not own the neighborhoods. Each neighborhood undergoes a change in its lifetime. Once German. Than Italian. Then Black. Then – well, my wife is Mongolian, so soon – well, you see what I mean.
As far as new places to eat and shop here – that’s a good thing. The diet of the children around here was too long filled with sugar and fried foods. That is not cultural but genocide and poison.
I don’t like to see people coming in this neighborhood and changing the feel to it. I don’t. However, if the trash thrown on the ground doesn’t show a disrespect for the neighborhood, I don’t know what does. That is done by the residents here. More money coming into the neighborhood means more opportunity for those who live here. It is true.
What we need to keep the flavor of it all as well. How is this done? Evolution. All Humans must evolve to their changing environments. Just the way it is.
Still, I am conflicted too, because I enjoy this being a working class neighborhood as well, and don’t want that changed. Can you have it all. Never.
What does anyone else think?
-Stal