Category: History

  • Black Women Bicycling

    Black Women Bicycling

    Photo: Baltimore Afro-American newspaper, 1928. Addison Scurlock, photographer. Photographcourtesy of the Smithsonian Institution. NMAAHC historian, Marya McQuirter, uncovered this amazing story about five black women who biked cross-country in the mid-1900s while working on her PhD dissertation.  Nearly 87 years ago, five friends; Marylou Jackson, Velva Jackson, Ethyl Miller, Leolya Nelson and Constance White biked from New York to Washington, DC during Easter weekend. …

  • The Lee Building

    The Lee Building

    Founded in 1900, Lee Brothers Storage & Van Co. – a furniture, storage, and moving company – was initially located on 125th Street near 3rd avenue. In 1913 they moved to the northeast corner of 125th Street and Park Ave. into a building they did not build but leased. However, after 9 years in 1922 they purchased…

  • Mosaics

    Mosaics

    When you think of mosaics and ecclesiastical architecture, Harlem does not come to mind. However, the Shiloh Baptist Church at 131st and Adam Clayton Powell has a remarkable, 3 story high external mosaic on its facade. Note the hair styles of the people looking up to the central cross. And those turned away in shame:…

  • Borough President

    Borough President

    A borough president is an advocate for their borough in a number of ways. First, they have a sizable chunk of change at their disposal to fund local initiatives, groups and projects like buying technology for public schools, renovating local parks or spearheading community health outreach. Borough presidents share about 5% of the city budget…

  • The top three tips for ranked choice voting are…

    The top three tips for ranked choice voting are…

    Vote for your genuine favorites, in your order of preference. Don’t try to game the system and guess who has the best chance. Just vote for whom you like in the order that you like them. There’s no risk of losing your vote, because if your favorite is knocked out, your vote will go to…

  • The Triboro and Dapper Pedestrians

    The Triboro and Dapper Pedestrians

    A lovely 1935-1940 postcard with dapper pedestrians and depression era cars taking in the Triborough bridge with Manhattan in the background. This painting (then turned into a postcard) shows the fashion (and hats) of the day. Note the hatless man on the right who appears to be the only one without a suit on a…

  • BLM+COVID-19 in 2020

    BLM+COVID-19 in 2020

    The Museum of the City of New York has a new exhibit about the New York response/experience of COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter protests. This timeline is worth watching and remembering just how fraught 2020 was (oh, and it had, perhaps, the most consequential presidential election in our lifetime…?). To order tickets to the…

  • Fair Share?

    Fair Share?

    I was recently able to get data on the homeless shelter populations by community board. Looking at the big picture (at the borough level) it is clear that one borough is not pulling its fair share: As many political observers have noted, Staten Island scares the bejeezus out of elected officials who are loathe to…

  • Black Baseball

    Untapped Cities has a great article on Black baseball teams, stadiums, and history: https://untappedcities.com/2021/02/18/black-baseball-sites-nyc/ The image (above) of The Lincoln Giants is not only a powerful photograph of athletic confidence and poise, it also shows a team that played here, in Harlem. In New York, the Lincoln Giants (1911-30), became a barnstorming juggernaut, going 108-12…

  • East River Plaza

    East River Plaza

    Most Harlem residents have visited East River Plaza (Target, Costco, Aldi, etc.) at 117th street and Harlem River Drive at least once over the years. The site – owned by Brookfield Properties – was once a wire factory that made springs, musical wires (think pianos), and industrial and commercial wires of every sort. I recently…

  • Pop-up Vaccinations Today and Friday

    Pop-up Vaccinations Today and Friday

    Cayuga will be hosting a pop-up COVID vaccine clinic at our location on Third ave location. Here are the details: When:  Thursday 05/06 and Friday 05/07 When:  8:30 am – 5:30 pm Where:  Cayuga Centers (2183 Third Ave, New York, NY 10035) Brand:  ModernaWalk-ins will be accepted on a limited basis. If interested in being vaccinated…

  • Mom Pics

    Mom Pics

    Here’s something you can do beyond flowers for mom on mother’s day. The tech nonprofit Urban Archive this week launched “NY <3 Moms,” a new crowdsourced campaign in celebration of Mother’s Day. Urban Archive wants you to submit photos of your mom or caregiver. The caveat is that the photo has to be taken across the five…