Here is your chance to have your say on what the future of Mart 125 should be:
https://nycedc.formstack.com/forms/mart125
Found On The Street
Sometimes the trash on the street catches your eye. This was seen blowing on the street last week
Mart 125
Category: Local Businesses
Mart 125
Harlem’s Mart 125: the American Dream is a documentary film about the history of Mart 125 on 125th Street and how it has served as a physical and imagined embodiment of Black commerce in the face of commercial, cultural, and political change in the heart of Harlem.
View the video with the link, below:
Also make sure to check out GothamtoGo’s blog post on the revitalization of Mart 125:
Booker T. Washington
As seen in Harlem.
Radio
In the photo below, a group of men listen to a radio, mounted on a box. Their semicircular gathering allows the camera to take in a vignette with the central object (the radio) in full view – all of which suggests a staged photograph.
The image was taken in the 1930s during the depression. This location on Lenox Ave. is now the Mother Hale Bus Depot.
PIX11 Report on East Harlem’s Clean Team
The nonprofit group Positive Workforce joined forces with Uptown Grand Central three years ago. It has been a job-training center in the community for 30 years.
The city has recently added funding and resources to bring on 30 workers. It’s part of Mayor Eric Adams’ “Get Stuff Clean” program.
“It’s making a big difference. People take notice and are getting on board. The lighting is up. They see people getting involved and they get involved,” said Ruben Thomas with Positive Workforce.
PIX11 has the report:
https://pix11.com/news/local-news/manhattan/clean-team-focuses-on-busy-uptown-manhattan-corridor/
Woman Walking
Another photo from the 1930s with a woman walking past a series of shops. This image is from the 1930s and is taken on 8th Avenu (Frederick Douglass Blvd.) at 143rd Street.
The clothing store advertises men’s suits and has everything from hats to shoes on display.
Note the hostile white man (a shopkeeper?) peering out at the photographer.
Here is the view of that block, today:
The Blacklining Foundation
https://www.blackliningfoundation.com/store
Blacklining Foundation gear is on sale and with the coupon code below, you can get a 30% off discount
Spatial Equality NYC – The Bad News
Unfortunately…
Spacial Equality NYC provides an easy-to-use online tool to explore how our community compares to the rest of NYC in a wide range of environmental, health, and infrastructure concerns. Here are the areas in which Harlem is doing better than the city’s average(s)
Harlem has a lot of traffic, and it’s worse than the traffic in most other communities in NYC:
Coupled with Harlem’s bad traffic is the linked high level of air pollution:
Permeable surface coverage (how much of our community is NOT paved over) is sadly lacking. Essentially, we have too much concrete and asphalt covering the ground:
In terms of bicycle lanes, Harlem is far behind the majority of NYC neighborhoods, forcing cyclists onto busy streets and discouraging seniors, children, and others from taking up a bike and going places with it:
Tree Selling Never Ends – Sleep Comes In Harlem
Christmas tree sellers work day in day out in 13-hour shifts to get New England trees into Manhattan homes. Working near Columbus Circle, but sleeping in Harlem.
Harlem Hellfighters Photo
A rare photo – turned into a postcard by a Newark photo studio – was put up for auction on Ebay for almost $1,000.
The photo shows WW1-era Black soldiers proudly displaying their insignia and medals.
The ALL CAPS description from the Ebay seller is as follows:
THIS IS AN EXTREMELY RARE WW1 REAL PHOTO POSTCARD OF 2 AFRICAN AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN THE 369TH US INFANTRY KNOWN AS THE HARLEM HELLFIGHTERS,THEIR RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.THEY APPEAR TO BE BROTHERS BOTH ARE WEARING CROIX DE GUERRE MEDALS.IF YOU COLLECT WW1 IMAGES YOU KNOW HOW RARE THIS PHOTO IS.IT WAS FOUND WITH THE OTHER AFRICAN AMERICAN SOLDIERS PHOTO I HAVE LISTED,THAT ONE HAS A FAMILY NAME BARTOW.THIS HAS A NEWARK N.J PHOTOGRAPHER STAMP ON THE BACK.BOTH ARE WEARING COILED RATTLESNAKE PATCHES AND THEIR OVERCOATS IN FRONT OF THEM HAVE THE COILED RATTLESNAKE PATCHES.YOU WILL NEVER FIND ANOTHER ONE OF THESE POSTCARDS.THIS HAS BEEN IN MY COLLECTION FOR MANY YEARS
As Seen In East Harlem
NYC Election: Who Won and Voter Turnout
Estey Piano Company and the 3rd Avenue Bridge
An Ebay posting of the 3rd Avenue Bridge in stereoscope:
And while it’s hard to see in the photo above, there are horse-drawn wagons on the right, and pedestrians on the left, all waiting for the perpendicular center span to repivot back to allow passage for terrestrial forms of transportation (clearly a boat of some sort must have prompted this swing bridge to swing open.
Below are the pedestrians waiting (note the safety railing separating them from a plunge into the Harlem river):
And below, a close-up of the horse-drawn wagons:
Note, the building popping up above the bridge’s arch, on the Bronx side of the Harlem River. This building, now known as the Bronx’s Clock Tower (and currently a residential and commercial building), was at the time of this 1890 stereoscope, the Estey Piano Company’s building in Port Morris.
The Estey Organ Company was an organ manufacturer based in Brattleboro, Vermont, founded in 1852 by Jacob Estey. At its peak, the company was one of the world’s largest organ manufacturers, employed about 700 people, and sold its high-quality items as far away as Africa, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.
Estey built around 500,000 to 520,000 pump organs between 1846 and 1955. Estey also produced pianos, made in The Bronx in what was known as the Estey Piano Company Factory – now the Clock Tower Building.
Harlem Arts Stroll
ART, FOOD, AND CULTURE.
NOVEMBER 12, 2022, 1PM TO 6PM
It’s about Harlem from 110th to 155th Streets with its galleries and businesses welcoming you.
Spend time with:
CALABAR GALLERY @calabargallery
CLAIRE OLIVER GALLERY @claireolivergallery
KENTE ROYAL GALLERY @kente_royal_gallery
UNDERGROUND GALLERY @reginaldrousseauarts
HEATH GALLERY @heathgallery
ILON ART GALLERY @ilonartgallery
L’ SPACE DE REVE @lespacedereve
DIASPORA NOW @cafaartfair
ARTISTIC NOISE @artistic_noise
JVS PROJECT SPACE @jvsprojectspace
AHL FOUNDATION @ahlfoundation
FACES OF HARLEM @facesofharlem
ART & FOOD will be at:
NBHD BRULEE COFFEE SHOP @nbhd_brulee
It’s very much local and global. Come experience of Harlem culture. Email [email protected]
An HNBA Conversation With The Safe Injection Site On East 126th St.
Make sure to join the Tuesday, November 8th, HNBA monthly meeting at 7:00 PM. We’ve invited the Executive Director of OnPoint – the organization that runs the safe injection site on East 126th Street near Lexington. This injection site has been in operation for almost a year, and this is your chance to learn what they do, who they serve, and to offer your thoughts on how this site has impacted our community.
Tune in, ask questions, and offer your insight.
Topic: HNBA Meeting
Time: Nov 8, 2022 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88910978488?pwd=dzdiTjdpaHJFTnBQeHFZWEVEaUF2UT09
Meeting ID: 889 1097 8488
Passcode: 629964
Uptown Grand Central’s Been Busy
Just look at this gorgeous light display under the MetroNorth tracks:
Uptown Grand Central never ceases to amaze viewers/visitors by routinely proving how amazing East Harlem is.
Pathmark
Patch’s Nick Gaber is reporting that Extell (the developer that owns the property at Lex/125 where the former Pathmark used to be), is proposing a mixed commercial and residential building for the 3rd Avenue side of the block.
The west side of the block – the Lexington Avenue side – would be used by the MTA to create a new/larger station to handle the 4/5/6 trains and the Q (2nd Avenue subway).
The new Extell building would include a supermarket below and rental units above.
Trunk or Treat, TODAY
