The New York Times had another feature on FDB/8th Avenue recently that provides a concise update on the state of things. In the past, headlines such as the condo glut, restaurant booms or displacement seems to have been the message for this section of South Harlem but now the area is just becoming a quite desirable New York neighborhood that has shed the stigma of a not so bright history. One prominent restaurant owner along the boulevard mentions that drugs destroyed the area in the past but now Harlem has finally become a community again:
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Great article but I take exception with two positions from the owner of Melba’s where there is an attempt to rewrite history. 1) the original people, a place that they built. Harlem was mostly built over a hundred years ago, the so called original people, I think she means the last generation, for the most part treated Harlem very badly, they did not build it but neglected and abused it. 2) Drugs destroyed Harlem, it would be more accurate to say, the people who chose to use drugs destroyed Harlem, not the drugs themselves. Otherwise an accurate article on the current lower FDB corridor.
ReplyDeleteAll places/neighborhoods undergo change as waves of people come and go. This place is no different. As a "newcomer" I have been living in the area for the last 7 years. Initially I could sense the hostility of those who saw as newcomers coming to take over the area. The reality is that harlem was not always black and it is with us moving in that the place is attracting new businesses and new life. I completely agree with "westsider". I love the area and we see us here for a long time to come
ReplyDeleteI suspect that Melba Wilson was referring to the people who built the culture of Harlem, rather than the bricks, mortar and brownstone. The fabled Harlem Renaissance gave the world famous literary stars such as Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, Lorraine Hansberry and more. Far more recently, The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater and The Dance Theater of Harlem and the Studio Museum of Harlem have attracted global attention. Along with The Apollo Theater, gospel and jazz music have attracted millions of tourists and dollars to Harlem. It is a well-known fact that Hrlem was once home to the Dutch, Italians, and other ethnic groups. My building was once a Finnish Community Center, but it was the vibrant and towering contributions of African Americans that created the place the world knows as Harlem. That same group also suffered most when the scourge of drugs decimated the community. Speaking of re-writing history, let's not.
ReplyDeleteRecently I have heard this expression often, referring to “those who built Harlem”, the term built is usually applied to buildings, the term “those who built Harlem” also implies the buildings of Harlem where built by recent generations which is misleading and leaving the door open to rewriting history. The truth is the built environment of Harlem was in fact mostly neglected and abused by recent generations. As to those who created the culture for which Harlem is famous, now that is certainly recent black generations and that culture is of Jazz, literature, food and dance, however another major part of that culture of which Harlem is famous is crime and drugs. That culture of crime and drugs have been in decline since recent arrivals and the recent improvements in Harlem attracting many tourists. Many of those tourists venture into the new Harlem where the guide books now recommend visiting Harlem, conversely, years ago the guide books advised against visiting Harlem due to crime and drugs.
ReplyDeleteWestrider when i purchased my brownstone in 1995 there were tour buses and tourist in Harlem. This is not a new thing. II found it very funny opening my door on Sunday to go to church and people out front of my house taking pictures.
DeleteIt would be better for all of Harlem if newcomers and longtime residents could respect each other's contributions to the rebirth of the neighborhood. But for the vigilance of law-abiding citizens and watchful neighborhood block clubs, who suffered the ravages of the heroin and crack epidemics only to be accused in a sweeping generalization of having "neglected and abused" the neighborhood, there would not be the wealth of wonderful buildings that have been preserved or left in a condition that can be rehabbed. Without the newcomers, greater safety, commercial development and racial diversity would have been a very long time coming. The comments of Melba Wilson reflect the wishes of many Harlem property owners, including relative newcomers like myself, that the classic culture of Harlem be retained for the enjoyment of all who choose to live here. Many of us think it would be a tragedy for Harlem to become an unremarkable extension of the Upper East and West sides. Whatever we wish for Harlem, this accusatory tone needs to stop.
ReplyDeleteMy point is, I think it important that history be told in its entirety, the good, the bad and the ugly, and most certainly not to be rewritten or huge parts of it conveniently ignored. The historical fact is that very recent generations of Harlemites were part of a community where many, not all, chose crime and drugs that resulted in a world famous ghetto. If there were more Sylvia Woods in Harlem it would have been a very different story because she did actually build something, but she was an exception. The legacy of the recent generations has not been one of building (with a few exceptions, Sylvia Woods, RIP) but one of crime and drugs, neglect and abuse. I you want to know how sweeping the crime and drugs where in Harlem, just look at the old photo archives that have been posted here, a picture speaks a thousand words. The recently used term of “those who built Harlem”, conveniently fails to acknowledge a huge part of Harlem’s history that many suffered through, and with that I take exception.
ReplyDeleteAs for Harlem’s future, I hope it retains its uniqueness, and that is happening on upper Lenox, but some of the bad stuff can go, generational welfare, etc.
ReplyDeleteSince I have read enough of your posts to know that we will never agree on this, this will be my last word on this subject. Most African American residents are fully aware that the buildings of Harlem were here when our group arrived. That is not what they mean by "built", which certainly has a broader meaning than bricks and mortar. To "build" a business, for example, does not imply having built the structure that houses it. Large numbers of Harlem residents protected Harlem through turbulent times. I challenge you to produce any figures to back up your assertion that most Harlemites chose to engage in crime and drugs. It doesn't take a huge percentage of drug addicts or criminals to wreak havoc on a community. Not to mention the fact that a huge number of drug customers came to Harlem from below 110th St. and from the suburbs, including children of the Kennedy clan. Most Harlem residents, then and now, are hardworking people struggling to make a living in a very expensive city.The old photographs you reference also display the disregard and neglect of the city of New York for an unfashionable area with many low income residents. Under the administration of David Dinkins, attention began to be paid to Harlem, including encouraging new ownership pf many buildings that were owned and abandoned by people who did not reside in Harlem. This is actually when the turnaround of Harlem began.
ReplyDeleteWestsider, you sound suspiciously like Mitt Romney in his fabled "47%" comments. Maybe you ARE Mitt, with some extra time on your hands these days?
ReplyDeleteFull disclosure, I am not Mitt, or a republican, but Mitt does have a point that people do not like to hear, there are some who make and some who take. That can be seen in Harlem, on one end there is the new blood investing and fixing up Harlem, paying taxes, on the other end there is the generational welfare who want nothing but a free ride.
DeleteBoth west and valgb have very valid points. I think that the one thing we can all agree on is that we want this Harlem uptick to not only be successful but to stick. I would love to see a Harlem 25 years from now that is the most vibrant neighbourhood in NYC.
ReplyDeleteWith the passionate people we have on this board and throughout Harlem this is completely possible. Let's keep it moving on up!!
Hear, hear! It's nice to see people acknowledge that Harlem was assaulted by many factors that made it the dangerous, run-down, ignored neighborhood it became during the '70s-90s. As a life long resident who knew people working to fight drug dealers, slumlords, and a negligent City government, I can tell you that there were many who were trying to make Harlem a better place, in the face of many obstacles. Let's stop with the "It's all the old-timers fault now it's our turn" nonsense.
ReplyDeleteI just read this story, and Melba said "the original people." She did NOT say "who built Harlem." We all know what she means. She means original over the last few decades. She means African Americans. I don't understand what's so controversial or "wrong" about her statements. She didn't make any claims about who physically laid down the bricks and mortar. She's saying she hopes the original (over the last few decades) people will still have a place in the 'new' Harlem, and I couldn't agree with her more. If they lived through some tough times when the neighborhood had more crime than now, why shouldn't they enjoy living in a safer Harlem, too?
ReplyDeleteEveryone deserves a place at the table, especially the folks who stood by the neighborhood during harder times.
Everyone at the table should pay the check, not expect others to pay.
DeleteWhat did the recent generations actually build, the most significant thing created was a world famous ghetto, although some here would like to pretend that never happened.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things discussed here is Harlem’s history, and Harlem is again going through a historic change. I think it important that the history be told in it’s entirety and welcome others first hand experiences of the recent Harlem.
ReplyDeleteIf we're honest about Harlem's history we have to acknowledge that many of the people who could have made a positive difference in Harlem ran off to Queens and only came back on Sundays to go to church (if they came back at all). Even Malcolm X left Harlem for Queens. The people who stayed often chose not to stand up to the problems that they saw around them or they felt powerless to do so. As a result what was "built" in Harlem was a culture of crime and drugs. Sure there were good things that happened, but they were eclipsed by all the bad stuff. Unfortunately that culture of drugs and crime continues today. I'm new to living in Harlem. Unlike many of the "old timers", I say something when I see something. I'm sorry, but it's not OK to take a piss in front of our house. It is not OK to rip the copper pipes out of our house. It's not OK to throw your garbage on the ground. It's not OK to walk into our house and steal tools from the construction workers who are fixing things up.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the history of those who have lived here for decades, trying to make Harlem a better place? Are those stories and their continued hopes to live in the neighborhood they fought for not significant? Do you think that Harlem lived in a vacuum, and wasn't influenced by a host of other factors-lack of education, lack of police presence, lack of concern by government? And why assume that a lot of people who live here don't "pay the check"? Do you really think that every long-timer is on welfare? There are plenty of taxpayers in Harlem who give a damn. You may not know them, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. No, it's not okay to steal, or throw garbage on the streets-do you really think that's the majority in Harlem?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Guest. When drugs and crime exist in a neighborhood, there are many factors at work. And of course not every resident in Harlem was part of it...in fact people who live in crime-ridden neighborhoods are its biggest victims. And certainly they deserve to enjoy the benefits when a neighborhood becomes safer and more dynamic. I still agree with Melba - the goal should be for all residents, new & old, to feel they belong.
Delete@Beating Upwind: The only time I encountered a man urinating in my doorway was in Greenwich Village. Washington Square park was home to much drug sales activity. During the years I lived there, two members of the Neighborhood Watch were shot and killed, yet the neighborhood remains, as it should, highly desirable. Thefts from construction sites are not right, but they are as common as construction sites themselves. Why is it only in Harlem that residents are blamed for things that happen everywhere in the city? Could it be your perspective is skewed by preconceived notions? In 25 years I have lived all over Manhattan, and except for the littering problem being more pervasive, (except for the village on a weekend morning) Harlem is no worse than anyplace else. A taxi driver was actually murdered in front of my Battery Park City apartment and a mafia-owned restaurant was shot up by automatic weapons. The only difference is that no one blamed the residents.
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