As the annual ritual of the New York Marathon approaches, the New York Times reports that not all in Harlem are looking forward to the main event on Sunday. We watched the enthusiastic crowds cheer on the athletes at
Mount Morris Park West last year but it seem that some churches in the area are not happy with the blocked streets that prevent many worshipper to head out to service:
LINK. All the complaints listed in the article are pretty much similar to any other inconvenience a major parade or street event imposes on a city neighborhood but the fact that the marathon is on a Sunday is the big rub. Should the iconic "every first Sunday in November" event be moved to Saturday? Photo courtesy of Richard B. Levine
I understand from the article that it's too much of a burden to have the world's elite runners come to your neighborhood, with cameras and reporters in tow, for one day a year of positive news coverage of your neighborhood and city.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to live in anonymous mediocrity, perhaps New York isn't the place for you.
As someone who lives along the route, it's certainly an inconvenience to not be able to go anywhere that day. But if you contrast that with the thrill of watching it all from my window combined with the improvements that are made to the neighborhood in anticipation of marathon day that live on long after the blue line fades away - i think it's a pretty fair trade off.
ReplyDeleteRev. Curtis (who is a pretty decent guy from what Ive seen) should worry more about his church's dwindling youth membership than the various parades/thons/whatever going thru the nabe. The city's functions have nothing to do with his real problems IMO.
ReplyDeleteI can see where it stings to not have the pull you think you should have as a church leader, but this is a clear case of the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few. They've got 52 Sundays in a year to work with. If they lose 10 or so it shouldnt hurt they much.
You dont see C. Butts complaining about stuff like this but you have to practically book ahead to get in his church.
I never get why folks don't turn what bothers them around to their advantage...what about a street service around the marathon?...blessing of the runners/sneakers/streets?...hand out water to the runners in cups with your logo?...approach the crowds and spread the message?...offer on site counseling and support for the ones who might give up? ...raise the spirit of the event...I could go on
ReplyDeleteWhat an opportunity for fund raising and to open the gates and invite new members.
I just find it all backwards, they are inconvenienced one sunday, I am inconvenienced 52 sundays when all the churches in harlem feel they are entitled to have all their members double park up and down every single street. I wonder what would happen if the city decided to do away with looking the other way. To me beggers should no be choosers. To complain about one day of inconvenience versus the other 51 when they are in the way of anyone else who wants to get around and wind up on one lane roads and even worse with barely room to move through the streets.
ReplyDeleteI have no issues with the churches just the blindness that goes on and that they actually would openly complain about one day of inconvenience.
Agree with all of the above comments -- it would really be better to try to get parishioners involved in some capacity, rather than just gripe about something really exceptional happening at their doorstep.
ReplyDeleteabelive, BRILLIANT ideas. Maybe this guy just needs somebody to point them out to him and give him a bit of direction? He is probably old school and modern marketing/innovative techniques are a new concept. If you are in the neighborhood, I suggest dropping by and speaking with the fella. He has the golden opportunity to become part of a much larger community.
ReplyDeleteAmen Michael - you beat me to the punch! All of Harlem is inconvenienced by the illegal double parking every single Sunday by church parishoners everywhere with no disregard for who they've blocked in or how much traffic they're causing.
ReplyDeleteA big pain Rev? Yeah, I agree with you so maybe you should meet up with other heads of churches in Harlem and find a solution to relieve the inconvenience of this which happens on every other non-marathon Sunday.
If it’s moved to a Saturday you’re going to have the big temples along Fifth, etc., screaming that their congregations are being inconvenienced. So just suck it up, says she who is wondering how the hell she’s gonna get herself and child down to Chelsea and back for her church’s 166th Anniversary.
ReplyDeleteI’m just looking forward to some publicity about NYC that doesn’t mention the word ‘bedbug’
Too many darn churches anyway and they double park and block me in every Sunday so I say turn around is fair play.
ReplyDelete