The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association

Neighbors united to improve the quality of life in Harlem

Tag: HNBA

Party-On-Park Volunteers Needed

Posted on by Harlem Shill

Hello Harlem Neighbors!

Uptown Grand Central is reigniting Party on Park – a Harlem celebration on a closed-to-traffic Park Avenue between 125th and 116th Street – on Sunday, October 1st.  

Party on Park will be from Noon until 4 pm and we need you to help staff a Harlem Neighborhood Block Association table.  We’ll have cards and flyers for you to hand out, and otherwise all you’d have to do would be to enjoy the vibe, listen to the great music, and say Hi to your neighbors.

If you could volunteer an hour or two on October 1st, at any time between Noon and 4pm, please email us to let us know at: [email protected] 

 We really hope you can help.

An Open Letter to NYC’s Commissioner Raine (Department of Buildings)

Dear Commissioner Raine,

I’m writing to ask that you stop the planned demolition of the Landmark houses at 66-68 W 119th Street in Harlem and work with the owner to have them redevelop the properties to their original splendor. I am the immediate neighbor at 64 W 119th Street.

The buildings are part of the Mount Morris Park Historic District, which remains one of New York City’s most vibrant African-American communities.  Preserving its historic buildings and streets highlights our rich and diverse history, and the social and cultural influences of our different communities. It is very important to the community that Harlem retains its culture through its architecture and people; as the world around us changes, we should try to retain a bit of Harlem’s history by preserving its landscape.

The owner should be allowed to restore the properties under the supervision of the DOB and the Landmark Preservation Commission. If the owner can perform repairs to the satisfaction of your agency, there should be no reason for the DOB to rush through an unnecessary demolition.

I and the other immediate neighbor at 70 West 119th Street are convinced that all safety concerns can be satisfied as a standard matter of course in doing the restoration.  

Best regards

HNBA and Harlem East Block Association Meet The New Precinct Commanding Officer

Posted on by Harlem Shill

From Kioka Jackson (the 25th Precinct Community Council President):

Good Morning Friends,

I just wanted to stop in and say thank you for making last night’s meeting a success.  There was a ton of things discussed and I am sending affirmation that all of your concerns were heard.  When we said that you wouldn’t hear a resolution last night, it didn’t mean that we wouldn’t be doing our best to find resolution for the things within the control that we have.  I am confident that the 25th Precinct’s Commanding Officer and his team are taking all things into consideration.  

The word of the evening was: ACTIVATE! One of the ways that we find resolve together is strategically creating an action plan and executing it.  Together we can make change!  
When we come together our voices are heard, and work can get done.  Our District Leader agreed to work with community members to help level your concerns up to those who need to hear and see it.  This is a great start! Because I know her well – I know she stands by her word.  

Let me thank Shawn Hill and his team for sharing the word for community members to come out and speak up!  Let’s have the same energy for our ENTIRE area!  The same community issues and grievances effect the whole neighborhood.  TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER! 

I have vowed for the last couple of months that if we could continue to have a vibrant, full group that I will continue to bring requested voices to the table.  Last night a huge request was for more resources, more Officers. Next month, I am inviting the a few Chiefs to the table.  Because of the large group, we will need a bigger space – location to be announced.  

Lastly, let me repeat that we may not all agree but we can respectfully disagree.  My team is empathetic to all concerns and is up for the challenge to foster positive change. We can’t do that without you.  We are also respectful to people’s personal grievances regarding elected officials but in this particular meeting it is not the place to address it.  We are a bi-partisan entity of the NYPD charted by New York City. This not being a part of our meeting doesn’t mean that we agree or disagree – it’s just not the space where we can allow it.  

I am looking forward to all the good work that is about to happen!  

Good Things!

Kioka Jackson

HNBA Members Notice Increased Police Presence

A number of HNBA members, particularly near Madison/126 have reported increased police presence after Wednesday’s meeting at the 25th Precinct:

Thanks for your help [25th Precinct]. Please let everyone know that their efforts are paying off. Let’s hope there is sustainability

Academy of St. Paul & St. Ann to Close

The Academy of St. Paul & St. Ann, located at 117 E 188th St. in Manhattan., is slated to close this school year along with 11 other Catholic schools in NYC.

Lessons from 2022

Join East Harlem’s Ny Whitaker tomorrow for a conversation about lessons learned from the 2022 elections:

NYDLC-Flyer-2023Download

HNBA Holiday Party (tonight at 7pm)

Posted on by Harlem Shill

Let’s usher in the holiday season with a Zoom HNBA Party tonight at 7:00 PM.

Subscribe to this blog: https://hnba.nyc/subscribe-to-the-hnba-blog/ to get the Zoom link and we’ll toast to the end of 2020 and (hopefully) light at the end of the tunnel in 2021.

Since 1970

It’s interesting to see how New York’s ethnic/racial composition has changed since 1950. This graph from https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/hpd/downloads/pdfs/wwl-plan.pdf does a great job of illustrating the evolution:

New York City is the center of the largest metropolitan region in the United States,
encompassing 22.6 million people living in 9.1 million homes across three states, 31 counties,
and nearly 900 hamlets, villages, towns, and cities. The combined economic activity of the
metropolitan region, which covers the Hudson Valley and Long Island in New York, southwest
Connecticut, and northern New Jersey, accounted for approximately 10% of United States Gross
Domestic Product and generated $1.9 trillion in 2017, which would make this region the 10th
largest economy in the world.