Category: Culture

  • Kristin Jordan Interviewed by Patch

    Kristin Jordan Interviewed by Patch

    Our new council member talks about her goal to preserve the Black plurality of Harlem, her concern that Eric Adams is trying to be a one-man show, and sanitation issues: Read the full interview by Nick Garber, here: https://patch.com/new-york/harlem/kristin-jordan-central-harlems-new-council-member-shares-plans As Seen at Pleasant Village Community Garden

  • The Washington

    The Washington

    Until the late 19th Century, New York’s middle class identified with the single-family home – a house that was only occupied by one family (servants were not considered in this calculation). Part of this strong class identification with the single-family home was a reaction against the crowded conditions in the tenements of the time. Multiple-family…

  • Bx15 To Be Split

    Bx15 To Be Split

    Say hello to the new M125 bus route. Bx 15 will be split into a new M125 bus routeThe M125 is a new route that will replace the southern portion of the Bx15 that runs along 125 Street in Manhattan and to the Hub via Willis Avenue. The new routing will preserve an important interborough…

  • Subways and Rubble

    Subways and Rubble

    With the 2nd Avenue Subway getting (theoretically) closer and closer to becoming a reality for East Harlem, it’s interesting to ask where does all the soil and rock that used to take up the space the tracks, tunnels and trains now occupy. First of all, it’s important to note that Donald Trump held back funding…

  • They’ll Come To Your Home

    They’ll Come To Your Home

    Flanking Cranes The details you see on some Harlem buildings can often bring a smile to your face. This pair of heads – male and female – flank the entrance to an otherwise nondescript apartment building: But look at the panels below. On the left the crane or stork has a webbed frog in its…

  • Testing Sites

    Testing Sites

    Harlem River Houses Because Harlem River Houses has been designated a historic site, the Historic Districts Council has weighed in on a renovation plan for the grounds of this NYCHA property. What does the HDC do? Well…The Historic Districts Council (HDC) reviews every public proposal affecting New York City’s landmarks and historic districts and provides…

  • Even Bigger

    Even Bigger

    Fast Company is reporting that the urban critters we see (yes, a euphemism for rats) are getting bigger. So it’s not your imagination: Researchers at the Florida Museum of Natural History are expressing surprise at the results of a new study showing that urban mammals are growing. A quartet of scientists analyzed over 140,000 measurements…

  • Elizabeth Jennings

    Elizabeth Jennings

    On July 16th, 1854 – a young black schoolteacher named Elizabeth Jennings was on her way to the First Colored American Congregational Church. Elizabeth was the church organist, and needed to catch the Third Avenue streetcar. Although slavery had been abolished in New York in 1827, New York City was heavily formally and informally segregated.…

  • East 129th Street Renamed: Ann Petry Place

    East 129th Street Renamed: Ann Petry Place

    After years of work, petitioning, and navigating bureaucratic morass, the renaming of East 129th Street has finally been approved. East 129th Street (at 5th Avenue) will be renamed Ann Petry Place. Ann Petry was a celebrated Black author whose novel, The Street, became the first novel by a Black woman to sell over a million…

  • The Holiday Spirit on East 126

    Children’s COVID Vaccine Event Harlem Pride is hosting a children’s specific vaccine event happening this Saturday, December 18th from 10am to 6pm at 215 West 125th Street. The event is sponsored by NYC Health & Hospitals and National Black Leadership Commission on Black Health. HarlemPride.org 42 Macombs PlaceNew York, NY  10039 West Harlem Festival of…

  • Harlem’s Night Market Returns

    Harlem’s Night Market Returns

    The Harlem Night Market returns to the historic La Marqueta this Friday, December 17, to Sunday, December 19: https://www.instagram.com/harlemnightmarket. Join us the last weekend before Christmas to celebrate the best food, makers and music from across East and West Harlem. This year we’ve expanded to include more vendors than ever in the stalls at La Marqueta…

  • Durst Sues the MTA

    Durst Sues the MTA

    If you’ve ever wondered about those vacant lots, south of 125th Street, on both sides of Park Avenue that Uptown Grand Central works so hard to beautify, Durst Organization owns them. According to The Real Deal, Durst is suing the MTA for stonewalling and failing to clarify what is required (or not) to develop the…