One Busy Bagel

There’s been an uptick in web traffic to this blog over the past 24 hours. Is it an outpouring of empathy for the bagel that's missing in East Harlem? Perhaps. But the more likely story is that readers came across an article in today's NY Times that referenced this site.

I have received dozens of emails today — mostly from men looking for some hot bagel love; but I’ve also collected messages from people expressing a real curiosity about East Harlem and the changes occurring in the neighborhood. I’ve heard from couples who are considering moving their families here, young professionals looking to leave their Lower East Side haunts and current residents with tips on where to find a bagel. The one recurring message in all of these emails is that there is serious interest in my neighborhood.

“Harlem is the last great frontier of Manhattan real estate,” emailed one blogger who recently bought a brownstone with his wife.

I have no doubt that his assessment is correct. Unfortunately, as someone else noted, “The changes are going to be hard on the residents here who have rented for decades.”

I feel mixed about my part in these changes. My desire for a fresh bagel reflects a craving for goods and services that I’ve come to expect as a New Yorker. But my expectations (along with my pocketbook) spell trouble for some of the residents who might well be priced out of East Harlem; residents who have raised families here and whose only home they’ve ever known is Harlem.

Milo Meed, the café director at the upscale BOMA Coffee & Tea Company on East 126th Street and 5th Avenue, said he recognized that some long-time residents are angry about the changes driving rent prices up. But he was quick to add that it all boils down to opportunity.

“People who have been living here for 20 years and didn’t buy when they had a chance are kicking themselves,” he said. “Every one of us is given an opportunity in life. It’s the person who can recognize an opportunity who comes out ahead.”

Judging by the amount of email I’ve received today, I’d say a whole lot of people hope to come out ahead in East Harlem real estate… Let's keep each other posted.