Welcome to Harlem’s Newsletter
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60 Years Ago
60 years ago (admittedly in the summer) Robert Kennedy came to Harlem. He spoke at Columbia, visited a summer reading program for youth, and then walked with children in the reading program along West 125th street into the heart of Harlem. Jet covered the visit and put this image on its cover: Summer Plans? Broccoli…
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Storefronts
Harlem, 1930’s. Storefronts that may be on a street (not an avenue), given the strong noontime shadows. Note the postman with cap, in short sleeves: Resolve to Start 2023 By Joining Your Community The Office of Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine has announced the opening of the 2023 Manhattan Community Board application period. Applications are…
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Africans in Harlem
A new book – Africans in Harlem – by is highlighted in an interview with the City College of New York professor and author, Boukary Sawadogo on France 24: The book focuses on the experience of immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Boukary Sawadogo, associate professor of cinema studies at the City University of New York, explains that three…
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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…
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Two Women
This photo of a Harlem Street scene has almost no clues to where it was taken. The only thing I can speculate on is that the photograph likely shows the south side of a street, as the reflection in the storefront window indicates that only one of the many windows across the street has a…
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The M35
Depending on how long you’ve lived in Harlem, you may remember different iterations of bus access to Randall’s or Wards’ Island. Here are the 3 (former) ways to get to the island by MTA bus: Today, with less than 200 people riding it per day on average, here’s the route: The Business Side of Sylvia’s…
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Harlem 2 Trailer
It’s coming! Release in 2023.
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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…
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Christmas Sleighing in Harlem
Sleigh riding on Harlem River Drive, under the Highbridge, headed south. The text is, as follows: The New York Speedway, which was built and is maintained exclusively for the trotting horse, is bordered by the Harlem River on one side and a major bluff on the other, which shuts out the wind. It could hardly…
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Sleighing in Harlem 1873
From the magazine, The Graphic. February 8th, 1873.
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Holidays and The Flu
As many of us gather with family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors, it’s important to be aware of how much flu is currently circulating and to remain vigilant for ourselves and others. This flu season’s ferocious start has given way to record-shattering levels of transmission — and massive strains on the American health system. In the…
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1975 Madison For Sale
The site of the former church at Madison/126th Street is being promoted as an investment opportunity. No word on the price. See the full sales brochure, here: https://f.tlcollect.com/fr2/722/54368/1975_Madison_OM-2_v4.pdf Metropolitan Hospital and Nursing Burnout and Shortages Our district leader William Smith also serves as the chair of the Metropolitan Hospital’s Community Advisory Board. In that capacity,…
