There's a series in the New York Times about the clients of a particular Christmas tree vendor on Broadway and this week's feature was on a special delivery to a longtime customer who lives in a Harlem brownstone. Michael T. Johnson and his partner Michael Roberts have been ordering a large tree for their home located on 5th Avenue between 124th and 125th Street for the past 20 years and have made the delivery event a sort of tradition. Even though they were told back in the day when the "neighborhood was not in as good shape as it is now" that the large front yard tree would probably be stolen, it turns out now that the tree has been embraced as part of the neighborhood landscape for each holiday season. The article also talks a little about the slightly eccentric decor of the former SRO that the couple has restored over the years which includes a Sistine Chapel-like painting on the ceiling of the parlor:
LINK
What a nice story. And of course I am now yearning to see photos of the interior.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a pretty block, that strip from MGP to 125, very big front gardens, important-looking brownstones.
I think one of the brownstones on that block was owned by DMX not too long ago.
ReplyDeleteSM: After searching a bit, I think the following links correspond to the four paintings referenced in the article:
ReplyDeletehttp://charlesfoster-hall.com/images/MuralCeilings/LedaPg.htm
http://charlesfoster-hall.com/images/MuralCeilings/VulcanPg.htm
http://charlesfoster-hall.com//images/MuralCeilings/CastorPolluxPg.htm
http://charlesfoster-hall.com/images/muralceilings/AchillesPg.htm
CBR: thanks. Yowza. Speechless.
ReplyDeleteCool Blue Reason, lol, I see why there was no pics of these striking murals in the NY Times.
ReplyDeleteI'm delighted that these gents are there -- and hope that gays and lesbians continue to move into Harlem. They always make a neighborhood cleaner, safer and more pleasant!
ReplyDelete