Welcome to Harlem’s Newsletter
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KRJ Interviewed by The Nation
The controversial tweet and statements by City Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan – sending condolences equally to the family of the killer of Officers Mora and Rivera, has led to increased media coverage. The Nation interviewed KRJ – “Harlem’s new city councilwoman is finally getting media attention—and death threats—for sending condolences to the family of…
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East Harlem Was Harlem
In 1880, Central Harlem was just starting to be filled in with residences and people. West Harlem, and the Upper West Side, for that matter, was nothing but farmland. In the map (above) of populated blocks, note how much of Manhattan’s development was east-side based. The East River, not the Hudson, was the waterway of…
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James Van Der Zee
The Studio Museum in Harlem holds a 50,000 item plus archive of negatives and prints of James Van Der Zee Having held the archive for decades, the Studio Museum will now partner with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to manage the prints and negatives by the Van Der Zee, as well as his ephemera and photo equipment. In…
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Harlem Street Scenes
The National Archives has outtakes from METROPOLIS 1939 with scenes from central Harlem, Harlem River Houses, and the building of the Queensbridge Houses. The incredible vitality of the Harlem scene (Harlem was much more densely populated then – due to racially restrictive housing policies and practices) comes across clearly in this film. Ginjan Featured in…
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Officer Wilbert Mora Saves 5 Lives Through Organ Donation
USA Today Reports: A New York City Police officer, who died following a shoot out in Harlem, has saved five lives after donating his organs. Officer Wilbert Mora, 27, donated his heart, liver, two kidneys, and pancreas to five patients in need of life-saving organ transplants, according to a statement from LiveOnNY. Three individuals lived…
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The Last Fireplaces
On Earth Day in 2014, as part of a clean-air initiative, Mayor Bill DeBlasio announced that as of July 1, 2014 the construction of new wood-burning fireplaces would be banned in New York City. Under the new regulations, residents who already have wood-burning fireplaces or who have reconstructed their fireplaces prior to that date, would…
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The Marcelle
One of the big disappointments of American aesthetic trends is that this country never caught Art Nouveau fever in the late 19th century. Yes, we have Tiffany, but any keen observer in NYC is hard-pressed to list more than a handful of Art Nouveau treasures in the 5 boroughs. Here in Harlem, where so much…
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Crime
There has been a lot of conversation regarding crime, and violent crime in particular recently. It is instructive to look at the data. New York City’s NYPD, reports on the 7 major felony offenses and makes this data freely available on its COMPSTAT portal. The seven major felonies include murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery,…
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Candlelight Vigil
Dr. Keith Taylor, a neighbor and friend writes: Neighbors,If you are able, I ask you to attend a community candlelight vigil at the 32nd Precinct tonight at 6:30 pm to show support for our officers at a time of great loss to the NYPD and to the Harlem community. Your presence will mean a tremendous…
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Florence Mills
At our January HNBA meeting, we heard from Savona Bailey-McClain about her effort to name the plaza at St. Nicholas Ave and 135th street after Florence Mills. Savona is looking for letters of support from you. Below are the email addresses for letters of support as well as a draft letter that can be modified.…
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NYC Speaks: Tell the Mayor What You Think
Concerned about what’s been going down in our neighborhood? NYC Speaks is an epic effort to amplify the voices of New Yorkers as the new administration of Mayor Eric Adams begins: https://nycspeaks.org. Speak your mind on issues including:— Public Safety— Housing & Neighborhoods— Youth Development & Education— Economy & Workforce— Health & Wellbeing— Arts &…
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Jelly Lived Here
On this beautifully articulated brick facade is a glass (plexiglass?) sign noting that in 1939-40, the famous Jazz pianist “Jelly Roll” Morton lived here in Central Harlem, on West 131st Street. Born sometime around 1890 in New Orleans, Jelly Roll began to play the piano in a brothel at age 14. He took the nickname…
