The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association

Neighbors united to improve the quality of life in Harlem

Rally to Support Harlem’s Children

Posted on by Harlem Shill

And Their Right to Attend Schools Free of Drug Activity – Saturday at 11:00

Mayor De Blasio placed the nations first opioid injection site directly across from a Harlem Pre-School with no community involvement. The block where this injection site has been located is already completely oversaturatated with men and women in methadone treatment, and the drop-off point for the Wards Island shelter population – a process that leaves these vulnerable men with no support services at the corner of Lexington and 126th Street.

The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association demands that this facility be moved to a commercial or industrial zone, away from Harlem’s children. The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association believes that helping people suffering from addiction should not also endanger parents and children going to school.

If you can, please join us on Saturday at 11:00. We’ll meet at the south plaza of Park and 125th Street, across from the main Metro North entrance.

Please come out to support Harlem’s children, and to ask New York City, and New York State, to equitably distribute programs and services in all New York neighborhoods, and not simply pack the over and over again, in Harlem and East Harlem.

Harlem Night Market is Back

Guess who’s back! And bigger than ever! That’s right, the Harlem Night Market returns Guess who’s back! And bigger than ever! That’s right, the Harlem Night Market returns to the historic La Marqueta this December 17th, 18th & 19th.

Join us the last weekend before Christmas as we celebrate the best food, makers and music from across East and West Harlem. This year we’ve expanded to include family friendly activities at @urbangardencenter and more vendors than ever in the stalls at @publicmarketsnyc.
@tedsmooth & @storminnorman will be holding us down again on the 1’s & 2’s and there will be plenty of hot foods and warm sweets to keep the chill off as you shop our makers plaza for unique holiday gifts.

Be sure to bring your wallet, your appetite, and your friends, and come celebrate with us while supporting small and local businesses.

Don’t wait in long lines! Free “Priority Access” tickets are available right now on EventBrite so click on the link in our bio and get your tickets now.

The Harlem Night Market is brought to you through partnerships with @uptowngrandcentral, @tbo.harlem, @nycedc , @unionsettlement and @cmdianaayalanyc, in addition to, support from @poncebank, @urbangardencenter, @qupey, @shopharlemmade and @elmuseo

Vendors apply at link in bio!

Proof of vaccination and ID are required to enter. Face coverings must be worn at all times when not actively eating or drinking.

#Harlem#harlemworld#eastharlem#elbarrio#elbarrionyc#uptown#nyc#newyork#newyorkcity#tboharlem#igersofnyc#visitharlem#harlemnightmarket#nycnightmarket#shopsmall#shoploca

25th Precinct Community Meeting

Posted on by Harlem Shill

The last 25th Precinct’s Community Council for the year will be held on:

Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at 6:00 PM

Located at the 25th Precinct 120 East 119th Street, New York, NY 10035

This meeting maybe a little longer than usual as we will have a special guest presenter.  We will also have treats again for you so please RSVP to let us know your intentions for attendance.  If you would be so kind to fill out the link below to help us manage attendance.
https://forms.gle/iknNp8qF4ZLM5Ziq9

It is the Christmas Holiday so if you would like to donate new, unwrapped toys for ages 0-13 we would greatly appreciate it.
We look forward to seeing you soon.  

Best,

Kioka Jackson

Take Steps to Prevent or Manage Diabetes

Approximately 2 million people in New York now have diabetes. Many more have prediabetes and do not know. Prediabetes means your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be in the diabetic range.

Get a blood sugar and A1C test at a NYC Health + Hospitals location

Are you concerned that you might have diabetes? Talk to your primary care doctor about getting tested for diabetes. You can schedule an appointment with your primary care provider using your MyChart account or calling 1-844-692-4692.

Prevent diabetes

You can prevent Type 2 diabetes by eating a healthy diet and getting a lot of exercise.

Learn more | >Take the Diabetes Risk Test

Uncontrolled diabetes can cause:

Nerve damageStroke
Kidney diseaseHeart disease
Eye problems and blindnessEarly death

Let us help you manage your diabetes

  • Schedule regular visits with your primary care provider. You can visit your provider in person, or speak to them over the telephone or video chat. Call 1-844-692-4692 or make an appointment using MyChart. Learn more about telehealth.
  • Use MyChart to record your blood sugar levels. Ask your health care team to show you how. This is a great way for you and your health care team to manage your diabetes together.
  • Contact your primary care doctor if you need a blood sugar meter (glucometer) or blood sugar test strips.
  • Our specially-trained pharmacists will work closely with you to identify the best diabetes medications that suits you.
  • Get your annual eye-screening. Learn more about eye complications
  • Get your annual foot exam. Learn more about foot complications
  • Call 1-844-692-4692 to get connected with your health care team.

Paying for your health care

NYC Health + Hospitals takes care of all New Yorkers regardless of their ability to pay or immigration status.

  • No health insurance? We can help you enroll in an affordable insurance plan.
  • If you do not qualify for health insurance, we can help you become a member of NYC Care. NYC Care is a health care access program that works like health insurance. Learn more
  • Call 1-844-692-4692 to learn more.

Food Resources

Your diet is an important part of taking care of your diabetes. Having trouble paying for food?

  • You can visit certain NYC public schools to pick up food for you and your family. Text FOOD or COMIDA to 877-877 to find the nearest school.
  • Call 311 and say “GetFood” or visit nyc.gov/getfood for information about the closest food pantry, or to find out if you can receive free meal delivery.

Cafe Ollin

Posted on by Harlem Shill

Cafe Ollin, one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, has opened an annex on 2nd Avenue.

While the standout item at the 339 E 108th St, New York, NY 10029 location is the massive cemitas, the annex (on 2nd Ave, between 108/109 Streets) is focused on smaller fare and desserts in particular.

(212) 828-3644

[email protected]

https://www.nycgo.com/restaurants/ollin/

https://www.yelp.com/biz/ollin-restaurant-new-york?osq=cafe+ollin

Thinking About Solar? Want to Join A Community Internet Provider?

Our neighbor, John McGuinness (a broker with Compass [email protected]) invites you to join an info session about installing solar panels on private homes in the city and breaking free from the major internet providers. 
The event will be held on December 9th at 6:30 PM at the Monkey Cup coffee shop on 7th Ave and 118th Street. This session is free and will be led by Brooklyn Solar Works who will be on hand to talk logistics and answer questions from the audience. 
Also speaking that evening is the non-profit NYC Mesh, which will bring valuable information about how to gain access to a new community-owned internet network.

Refreshments will be served.  Please see more info and sign up at the event page HERE. Space is limited to 30 guests.

2020 Census Data on White New Yorkers

Posted on by Harlem Shill

A view of Zip Code 10035 from the 2020 Census. You can see that over the last 30 years, the percentage of white residents went up from 1% to 10%.

In this map of northern Manhattan (above) you can see the grayer areas where the percentage of white New Yorkers went down, and the pink areas, where the percentage of whites increased.

(what on earth is going on with Central Park in pink, census people?)

For more, see:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2021/racial-makeup-census-diversity/?geoid=36061018200

Holiday Toy Drive

The Boriken Health Center is holding an East Harlem Toy Drive.

Unwrapped toys will be accepted through December 16th. Please see the flyer below for details.

David Richard Gallery

Posted on by Harlem Shill

If you’re curious about art and interested in visiting a consistently good gallery, head over to the David Richard Gallery at 211 E 121st St, New York, NY 10035 (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues).

The gallery leans to hard-edge abstraction painting but never ceases to surprise.

https://davidrichardgallery.com/

And, while they currently occupy 2 floors, plans are afoot to open the basement as exhibition space as well. Check their hours and make sure to take in their ~6 week rotating exhibits.

Chaiwali Closing

Very sad news. The innovative Indian restaurant Chaiwali on Lenox/124 is closing.

Chef Anita Trehan writes:

I Love Chaiwali, 

And to love is to hold on.  

Truly I have done everything that I could do to keep it going but I am writing with the sad news that we are no longer able to stay open since I find that for several weeks now, we are not meeting our expenses. 

To set up this restaurant it took substantial personal investment, sweat and tears, today it is recognized as a jewel. Many of you know that I am the sole investor, owner, and Chef of Chaiwali, a hard job but one that gave me great joy, from innovating “My Indian” food and drinks, creating a beautiful setting, working to create a harmonious team and genuinely nourishing customers with loving food and caring about their health and well-being. 

This has not been enough.  

I am not sure what the reason for reduced customer traffic is; we keep hoping that every week it will be better, but it’s not. I have been told that we are still in a Covid related lag or that there are not enough businesses in the area to support my kind of cuisine, or other reasons?  

It’s hard to put these words in writing. I am hoping that Chaiwali is not gone forever and that this is a hard RESET, but in all honesty, it is too early to focus on next steps. I am grateful for your support and your love, and I hope our friendship and respect for each other will continue in a new journey. Finally, I do not have enough words for the strong foundation and rock that Natalie and my team has been for me, without her and them I would not have gotten this far. Our last day will be December 12th, and if you are in the neighborhood stop by before that and be on the lookout for a later date to be posted for our “yard sale” as we clear out our inventory closets. 

In peace and love and gratitude. 

Anita, Chef/Owner 

Chaiwali 

Harlem 

De Blasio to Visit East Harlem Today at 10:00 AM

Posted on by Harlem Shill

Back in 2018:

De Blasio said the centers will be located inside current needle exchange facilities in Washington Heights, Midtown West, Longwood, and Park Slope.

See: https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-plans-safe-injection-facilities-for-park-slope-washington-heights-midtown-and-longwood.

But somehow Park Slope, and Midtown got dropped from the program, and once again, East Harlem was chosen.

The Mayor will be at the East Harlem opioid injection site today at 10:00. There will be loads of media, so if you would like to amplify your thoughts on this site/issue, today is your chance. It’s located at 106 East 126th Street – between Park and Lex.

CB11 Protests The Mayor’s Lack of Community Engagement When Siting An Opioid Injection Program

Nilsa Orama, Community Board 11’s chair, has written a letter to the mayor to protest the complete lack of community engagement when he decided to change his plans from locating an opioid injection site in his neighborhood of Park Slope and instead moved the injection site to East 126th Street in East Harlem.

Supervised-Injection-Center-in-East-Harlem-12-1-21Download

You can read the CB11 letter to the Mayor, here:

Mayor De Blasio to Visit 106 East 126th Street And Tour the New Opioid Injection Site

Posted on by Harlem Shill

Tomorrow at 10:00 AM (but you know he’s never on time), Mayor De Blasio will visit the opioid injection site he approved for East Harlem in the waning days of his administration.

Please feel free to join the mayor at the facility and express your thoughts on this new site.

106 East 126th Street.

Studio Museum of Harlem Raises

Posted on by Harlem Shill

The Studio Museum in Harlem on West 125th Street, across from the Adam Clayton Powell state office building, is currently a hole in the ground. For over a year now, the site of the museum has been silent as fundraising has been going on behind the scenes.

And, that fundraising, has been extremely successful. Raising $210m for the construction, endowment and operating fund for its new building.

The proposed David Adjaye-designed building (the architect who designed the Sugar Hill Children’s Museum building – pictured below):

will total 82,000 sq. ft and will feature a site-specific commission by the celebrated artist Theaster Gates. The work by Gates will include building materials extracted from the former museum, symbolizing the legacy of the old building and keeping alive the hand of J. Max Bond Jr, the influential Black architect who designed the original building.

The museum’s celebrated director/curator, Thelma Golden, says the building “will be a physical manifestation of our mission, supporting and enabling everything we do for artists of African descent, for our beloved community of Harlem and for New York City and our visitors from around the world”.

The new building is expected to open in 2024. The new building will include expanded outdoor, educational and office spaces. There will also be a roof terrace and spaces for artists in residence.

The museum holds more than 2,000 works in storage, awaiting the new building.

The current fundraising goal is $250,000,000.

Discussion on Democratic Process & Role of the County Committee

Tuesday, December 7th, 2021 (7pm to 8pm)

ZOOM Registration Link

Hosted by State Committee Members Tamika Mapp & Ben YeeDistrict Leader William Smith 

Black Cowboys

Posted on by Harlem Shill

East Harlem has a riding center on Randall’s Island that is managed by a storied Black Cowboy.

Although more prominent in the South, there is a small but longstanding group of Black cowboys in NYC who have migrated from places like Texas, Virginia and Mississippi.

Dr. George E. Blair—a 90-year-old descendant of the buffalo soldiers—who produced an all-Black cowboy rodeo in Harlem for over 30 years and comes to the city every summer to continue to teach New Yorkers how to ride horses at his New York Riding Academy.

To watch a video of Dr. Blair, see:

https://www.nycgo.com/videos/the-freedom-to-be-black-cowboys-in-nyc?cid=NYCEM_News_MC_Local_20210922

155th Street Bridge

Posted on by Harlem Shill

In the image below it’s hard to imagine that this bucolic scene is looking at what will become the 155th Street bridge between Harlem and Yankee’s Stadium.

Note that the bridge in the background is the Croton aqueduct bridge – High Bridge – with it’s full complement of masonry arches (the central core of which, were torn down and replaced with a steel arch for Harlem River navigation in the 19th Century).

To see the ebay listing for this image, see Bass Fishing.

To look at the history of the Macombs Bridge, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macombs_Dam_Bridge