One can probably say that Harlem really had a lot of doubters in the media even a couple of years ago but New York magazine has just published a vast article on the undeniable upward direction of the historic neighborhood:
LINK. The comprehensive guide is really on point with old and new Harlem establishments since it also features interviews with a various range of proprietors. Unlike many magazine features that are dated by the time of publishing, this one is really current and even has Bad Horse Pizza's twit pic from last week mentioned:
LINK. There were a lot of articles back in 2009 about the housing glut of new construction in Harlem and this New York magazine coverage is probably the first big media source to feature a story on the contrary. Fourth quarter sales of the past 3 years have gone up incrementally from a low of 62 units (which many assumed would further plummet) to 98 units in the last months of 2010. At the end of it all, the article muses "Is this a fabulous new Harlem—or the homogenization of a highly distinctive neighborhood? Probably both."
!!LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!
ReplyDeleteA fascinating list of the old and new. A wonderful celebration of the institutions that made Harlem great in the past and those that will contribute to its future. I don't think there is any other part of NYC that has such an exciting and diverse community.
ReplyDeleteAs Cubano said let the games begin!!!
ReplyDeleteRecently, I spoke with a friend with whom I went to grade school with here in Harlem back in the 60's and as we walked along FDB around 117th Street(an area we were forbidden to walk through unescorted.) he exclaimed to me; "Damn Greg, remember when it was bad down here in the day-time and how 8th Ave was a bucket of blood? Look at it now; I can't afford to live here now! DAMN!
ReplyDeleteSo, with this spike of recent attention (2 books about Harlem's History up to the present with book signings come hither) and this NY Magazine attention, Red Rooster, Aloft, etc. I am with Cubano & Harlem BBC; "let the games begin"
Following what Greg said, FDB is probably the area that has come the farthest since most people say it was the worst part of Harlem with so many burned out or gutted buildings and empty lots. It is hard to fathom how far it has come, and yet it will - I believe - improve even more over time. Does anyone know if it was the whole stretch of FDB that suffered or just the part below 125th?
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who feels a certain unease that Greg’s high school friend, who was here during the bad times, cannot afford to live here now?
ReplyDelete‘Let the games begin’? Careful what you wish for. . .
MarkM: I think yes, FDB has made great strides and is now like other micro areas in Harlem.....great! I think that moving forward, FDBs issue will come down to the lack of physical space (ie. limited store fronts, narrow street, etc.). I think the wave of progress will continue to move on throughout Harlem and will focus on areas that can support larger scale businesses as well as promote and sustain continued growth for the next few years.
ReplyDeleteD: I for one will look forward to the day when FDB runs out of physical space -- meaning all the storefronts are filled, the handful of still-empty or mothballed sites are fully developed, and there is further pressure to move existing spaces toward higher use. We've still got some distance to go there.
ReplyDeleteBut I certainly agree that all of this contributes to the broader trend and momentum throughout greater Harlem -- which is a great thing.
I'm hoping that this year on FDB they will complete the unfinished developments (notably the one on St. Nicholas and 120th, which is currently in the middle of glassing). Also, the corner of 122nd & FDB has been sitting with a blue fence for over a year.
ReplyDelete