Harlem Bespoke: One of the famous speakeasies of West 133rd Street between 7th and 8th Avenue during the Harlem Renaissance years was The Log Cabin at 168 West 133rd Street which surprisingly still somewhat has a presence in modern days. There are not a lot of archival photos showing the distinct entrance that was actually a little cabin but some municipal city photos provide a glimpse of what was. Originally called Pod's and Jerry's, the club would eventually just be known as The Log Cabin and would be one of the last ones to still remain in the 1940s well after Prohibition ended. This block is not an official landmark district for some reason but the owners of the building have actually kept intact this architectural detail out front.
As can be seen in the current photos, a local church took over the townhouse many decades ago and has since maintained the unique structure on the garden level that most people walk by without knowing the history here. There are no signs on this street that talks of the history and the generation of uptowners who remember this era is slowly fading so now it will be up to the local community to make sure things historic preservation takes place in the future. More on Harlem's forgotten Swing Street can be found in our past post:
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