Month: July 2023
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Shoe Polish II
Back in April 2021 I posted this: If you’ve walked north on Madison from 125th Street you might have seen the faded ad on the side of an east-side building: Looking carefully, you’ll see it’s an ad for shoe polish. The brand of which I can’t make out: Shoe Polish Improves your Appearance Shoe Polish…
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Dawoud Bey in Seattle
The photographer Dawoud Bey was recently featured in a photo exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum. One of his works on display is likely familiar to most Harlem residents: The work is centered on a vacant lot on 125th Street and 5th Avenue (south-east corner) that has been vacant for decades now. As you can…
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Lasik? That’s from Harlem
The procedure known as Lasik Eye Surgery was developed and patented by the ophthalmologist Dr. Patricia Bath, who was born in Harlem in 1942. Bath was the first African American woman doctor to receive a patent for a medical purpose and was also the founder of the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness in…
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Randall’s, Ward’s, and Sunken
In 1885, there was Randall’s Island, Ward’s Island, and Sunken Medows, all separated by channels joining the Halrem and East Rivers with Hell Gate and Long Island Sound: The map, for sale on Ebay, shows fascinating details on buildings, orchards, groves, and marshes that are no more: Midnight In Harlem Another white rock group with…
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Church to Church+Hotel
74 West 126th Street (just behind Red Rooster) has been a Lutheran church since this part of Harlem was Scandinavian. Word is that the property has been reimagined (including the vacant lot), and a hotel will be built above a new church. The church will have a brand-new sanctuary and two floors of space. The…
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Ginjan Cafe in Brooklyn
The New Yorker mentions East Harlem’s Ginjan Cafe has expanded to Brooklyn in an African food in Brooklyn review: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/05/22/west-african-suya-akara-and-more-in-brooklyn Half a mile north, at Ginjan Café (333 Nostrand Ave.; $10-$20), a new Bed-Stuy outpost of a Harlem spot opened by two Guinean brothers, you can further explore West African beverages, plus an astonishing array…
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Democratic City Council Primary Winner, Yusef Salaam Talks To Spectrum News
Erica Brosnan interviews the winner of this week’s city council primary for Harlem, Yusef Salaam: With a potential victory in Harlem’s 9th District in the City Council on the horizon, Yusef Salaam, a political novice and member of the Exonerated Five, is expressing gratitude for the support he received throughout his campaign. “As I walked…
