The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association

Neighbors united to improve the quality of life in Harlem

Tag: 5th Avenue

The Silent Parade

Posted on by Harlem Shill

Silent Parade, July 28, 1917.

Following a series of lynchings in Waco, Texas and Memphis, Tennessee in late 1916 and early 1917 and the vicious mob violence that killed 39 black men during a riot in St. Louis (though the actual number of dead and injured was likely much higher), the NAACP organized a demonstration. Called the ‘Silent Parade,’ more than 10,000 African-Americans marched slowly and silently down Fifth Avenue on Saturday, July 28, 1917. The women and children wore white. The NAACP sends out a notice for the event that included phases they hoped attendees might carry as signs. These included…

Make America Safe for Democracy.

The first blood for American Independence was shed by a Negro—Crispus Attucks.

America has lynched without trial 2,876 Negroes in 31 years and not a murderer has suffered.

Racial prejudice is the offspring of ignorance and the mother of lynching.

The great contradiction— love of God and hatred of man.

12-Story Building Coming to West 135th Street

Permits have been filed for a 12-story mixed-use building at 316 West 135th Street at St. Nicholas Ave. The building will be adjacent the B/C 135th Street subway station

The proposed building will have 22 residences and a ground floor of commercial space and be located in the vacant lot, pictured above.

Music In A Harlem Garden, Tomorrow

Harlem Renaissance Banner 2.0

Posted on by Harlem Shill

The Gatekeepers Collective (TGC), with West Harlem Development Corp and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council are launching HARLEM RENAISSANCE 2.0, honoring the Centennial of the Harlem Renaissance and SGLBTQ (same gender loving (SGL), gay, lesbian, bisexual, Transgender, Queer) S/Heroes: a public art and performance initiative including a series of Banners along West 125thSt. celebrating SGLBTQ Sheroes and heroes who pioneered the Harlem Renaissance, as well as a public performance created from the lived experiences of the heirs to this legacy.

The Harlem Renaissance 2.0 Banners feature SGLBTQ s/heroes: Singer Alberta Hunter; artist, writer and performer, Richard Bruce Nugent; actress, Edna Thomas; composer, arranger; Hall Johnson, choral conductor and writer, Dorothy West whose pursuits spanned the social, political and cultural landscapes, and advanced political and social change.

12:00 – 1:30 Tomorrow.

Click this link to learn more and register:

As Seen on 5th Avenue

Harlem Tax Protest

Posted on by Harlem Shill
Oversaturation Tax Protest
Join us on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 at 6:00pm for a 1-hour information session.
Hello Harlem Neighbors
Harlem has over 20% of NYC drug treatment and homeless shelters, the majority of which are concentrated within .4 miles on 125th street. This hyper-concentration of social services is having a deleterious effect on all who live, work, worship, and go to school in Harlem. Why is a community that makes up only 4.3% of NYC’s population carrying over 20% of the burden? We support fair share meaning every community in the city, including Harlem, should support the social service needs of their population within their community.
MMPCIA is vigorously working to force NYS and NYC to recognize the damage being inflicted on our community by sponsoring actions like the protest rally on October 9, 2021 that garnered media coverage from all of the major outlets and over 250 participants.
Our next protest is different. We are going to exercise our annual right to contest our real estate taxes using the exact same reason – our market and assessed values are 50% too high because of the concentration of social services programs in our community.
We need all property owners to join this protest, even if your taxes are low. Remember, we are protesting the oversaturation and the accompanying increase in crime, open drug sales and use, and poor sanitation. We may not experience a reduction in taxes, but if enough Harlem owners contest their taxes, it will be another successful effort in our quest for equitable distribution of services throughout the city.
ZOOM LINK
Meeting ID: 868 4723 49171 646 558 8656 (New York)
ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86847234917
Meeting ID: 868 4723 4917
Quick Facts:
1.               
Notice of Property Values is sent to each owner annually every January. The owners of 1, 2, and 3 family homes have until March 15, 2022 to argue that their taxes are too high. The deadline for all other properties is March 1, 2022. 
See https://www1.nyc.gov/site/finance/taxes/challenge-your-assessment.page for more information.
2.               
Property tax information is public knowledge. Everyone can find out how much tax any property is being charged by going to https://a836-pts-access.nyc.gov/care/forms/htmlframe.aspx?mode=content/home.htm
3.               
NYC cannot raise your taxes if you challenge the amount. They can only lower it.
4.              
 You still have to pay your taxes, in the same manner, you do now. This is not a withholding of taxes protest; it is an amount of taxes protest.
5.               
You may have other legitimate reasons to lower your taxes that you should pursue with our protest.
The information contained in this message is for general information purposes only, MMPCIA makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information, services, or related graphics. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

Black History Month – Day of Service

A Snowy Scene

The red door on this church (127th and 5th Avenue) is electric.

2020 Census Data on Hispanic 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 Hispanics went down from 62% to 54% – still the largest group by far, in this zip code.

In this map of northern Manhattan (above) you can see the grayer areas where the percentage of Hispanics went down, and the yellow areas, where the percentage of Hispanics increased.

For more, see:

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

Seen on 5th Avenue at 127th Street

Guardians of the connected world? Really?

Snowshoeing on Randall’s Island?

Stay warm with RIPA this weekend! RIPA invites you to join us on Saturday, February 5 from 3:30-5 PM for our free Hot Cocoa and S’mores event! Bring your family and friends and enjoy a tasty treat; there is even the possibility of snowshoeing for children (if there is still snow).　

Please note: Most of RIPA’s snowshoes will fit children between the ages of 6-15 years old. Adults are welcome to join if they feel they can do so comfortably without snowshoes.　　　

This event is free and registration is not required. Click here for details.

Location: North Entrance, Icahn Stadium, near Field 10

Marcus Garvey Park Tree Lighting

Posted on by Harlem Shill

December 8th, at 6:00 PM.

124th Street and 5th Avenue.

Join the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance in the lighting of the holiday tree.

Under the Stoops

Along 5th Avenue, between 129/128th Streets, there are 3 brownstones in a row that still have grills that allow light into the under-the-stoop space.

As a result, you can see 3 houses through and during the day, illumination is unnecessary.

Congressional Gold Medal Awarded to Harlem Hellfighters

Posted on by Harlem Shill

In mid-August, the Senate passed the Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act to award a Congressional Gold Medal to a Black infantry regiment known as the Harlem Hellfighters.

https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/BILLS-117hr3642enr

The Harlem Hellfighters, the 369th Infantry Regiment, are regarded as the most celebrated African American regiment in World War I, having fought against Germany’s forces longer than almost any other American WWI soldiers. The regiment was mostly made up of New Yorkers, with the majority of the enlistees hailing from Harlem.

“The Harlem Hellfighters served our nation with distinction, spending 191 days in the front-line trenches, all while displaying the American values of courage, dedication and sacrifice,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), the bill’s sponsor, said in a statement.

“The Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act honors these brave men, who, even as they faced segregation and prejudice, risked their lives to defend our freedoms,” Gillibrand added.

As noted by Gillibrand, the Harlem Hellfighters were assigned to the French army due to many white American soldiers refusing to go into battle with Black soldiers.

The Hellfighters are the third African American military group to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, after the Tuskegee Airmen in 2007 and the Montford Point Marines in 2011, both of whom fought in World War II.

The Hellfighters received their nickname from their German adversaries who called them “Hollenkampfer” for their strength. Their French comrades also called them “Hommes de Bronze” or “Men of Bronze.” Many Harlem Hellfighters received the Croix de Guerre, a French military World War I decoration awarded for valor.

Tito Puente to Face Duke Ellington

Patch.com’s Nick Garber reports that Manuel Vega has a new proposal (presented to CB11) for a Tito Puente sculpture at 110th and 5th, facing the existing Duke Ellington sculpture.

To read the full article and learn more, see:

https://patch.com/new-york/harlem/east-harlems-long-delayed-tito-puente-memorial-unveiled

Local Restaurants vs. Chains

Posted on by Harlem Shill

A dataset of nearly 800,000 independent and chain restaurants for the contiguous U.S. was used to examine the total number of restaurants with the same name and created an average “chainness” score, which measures the likelihood of finding the same venues in other parts of the country.

The paper that examined how “chainy” a community is, by examining how geographic, socioeconomic and infrastructural factors relate. It finds that high rates of chainness predominate in the midwestern and the southeastern U.S., especially in places that are more car-dependent, closer to highways, and with high percentages of people who voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election. 

A zoomed-in look at chainness in Montgomery, Alabama. The chainness score in this area is above the national average.

Independent restaurants were more prevalent in coastal cities and were associated with more pedestrian- and tourist-friendly environments, wealthier and highly educated populations, and more racially diverse neighborhoods.

A look at San Francisco’s low chainness. 

The analysis and maps show where chains proliferate, and where independent restaurants tend to thrive.

The View South on 5th Avenue

The view, looking through the old Bellevue Hospital gates (hence the BH mullions), south on 5th Avenue.

Roy DeCarava – Photographer

Posted on by Harlem Shill

Roy DeCarava was an African American artist who received early critical acclaim for his black and white photography.

Initially engaging and imaging the lives of African Americans and jazz musicians in the communities where he lived and worked, DeCarava was a regular presence in Harlem and documented a number of local scenes and people.

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

This image of a sidewalk, a boy, a car, and a stoop, stands out because the building it is centered on, still exists.

2083 5th Avenue, today, has the same recognizable building/stoop design, and is located almost directly across from the home where the Collyer brothers once lived in their hoarding squalor.

I love that in the DeCarava image you can zoom in to the polished hubcap of the car, and actually see the streetscape on the west side of 5th Avenue between 128th and 129th Streets:

In reverse, of course (note that the rooftop extension on the white building is ‘new’, as is the gap between the white building and the larger apartment building to the north):

And while hidden by the trees in the left of the photo (above), the Collyer’s brownstone is clearly absent in the hubcap reflection. Torn down and made into a Harlem park.

Build the Bench: Why Black Representation Matters

Join Build the Bench on Thursday for a celebration of their first anniversary and to tune into a conversation about increasing Black voices in the halls of power.

To register: BuildTheBench.eventbrite.com

National Black Theater Confirms Demolition and Redevelopment

Posted on by Harlem Shill
As we say farewell to 2020, we want to update you on the seeds we have planted during a year that has been marked with tremendous transition and proactive fortification of NBT’s future. NBT has recently formulated a plan to ensure our facility is positioned for Harlem’s future, one that will anchor and recapitalize the institution for generations to come—transforming our current home into a 21st century creative laboratory for Black artists in Harlem and a world-class destination for Black culture.

As you have come to experience in our work and programming, NBT’s unique approach to self determination through art, entrepreneurship and place-making are values seeded by NBT’s Founder, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, further demonstrated when she secured a landmark home for NBT by purchasing the 64,000 square foot city block at 125th and 5th Avenue (named National Black Theatre Way). 

For the past three years with the enthusiasm and support of our community and New York City officials, NBT has been preparing for this historic new building project. Earlier this year on Dr. Teer’s birthday, NBT finalized our redevelopment partnership to formally begin the public facing process of redeveloping the city block Dr. Teer bought in 1986. The new building will help NBT better serve our artists, audience and community in Harlem and around the world. To begin construction on this new building, we must first gradually dismantle the existing structure at 2031-33 Fifth avenue. Beginning mid-December 2020 through April 2021, you will begin to see shifts as we move out of the building, prepare for demolition, say farewell to our current space, and prepare to transform our new home.

During our itinerant phase, NBT’s presence will still be very much felt here in Harlem through ongoing programmatic partnerships with neighboring institutions. Starting next fall 2021, we will partner with the Apollo Theater to utilize their office space and two new flexible performance spaces at the new Victoria. In addition, NBT Beyond Walls and NBT @ HOME, two new programmatic initiatives, will help deepen NBT’s impact by producing continuous and collaborative local, national, and international programming.

Though we acknowledge the emotional weight of closing this incredible chapter in our history, we are embracing a new period of growth in NBT’s life cycle. One where we will continue to have enough. One where we will have what we need to thrive. One where we will work in partnership to manifest our wildest dreams—together! 

We will have more updates to share in the months to come. If you have any specific thoughts or questions about this transition or if you would like to support NBT with a tax deductible donation, please contact [email protected] or visit our website.

Wishing you a safe, healthy and joy filled holiday season,

Sade Lythcott,
Chief Executive Officer

Property for Sale

Residing on a tree-lined block with homes converted to single family dwellings and condos. The authentic trimmings from 1900 remain intact, presenting an irreplicable charm. 536 West 150th Street connects to Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue in the landmarked national historic district of Hamilton Heights. The up and coming area has tons of services and trendy restaurants. Close to Columbia University, City College, NY Presbyterian-Columbia University Hospital Center, great parks, Yankee Stadium and just one block to the nearest subway, as well as easy access to multiple highways.

Feel free to view and share this google photos link.https://photos.app.goo.gl/fYgPx5kx7y1Yrmnx7

Block / Lot: 02081/0046
Lot Area:1,499 sq ft
Lot Depth:99.92Ft
Estimated Sqft: 3,240
Year Built: 1900
Building Class: C5 		Condition: Needs workNew gas lines all up to code
Rooms: 8Stories: 4
Zoning District: R6-A
Yearly Taxes:  $5,600 (estimated)

Stephanie Tomlin

212 996 2661

[email protected]