A Day Above 96th Street
My friends at Curbed have devoted an entire day to all things real estate north of 96th Street. One post in particular is bringing about quite the debate. It centers around the question of where Harlem's most "up and coming" area is located.
Here's a sample of comments:
Here's a sample of comments:
"I think hamilton heights has the best outlook. potential columbia expansion, hudson river park nearing completion, riverbank, ccny campus and convent avenue..."
"Here is my take on Harlem. It will never gentrify. The residents are largely too scary. The young, who can easily coexist with the scary people don't have enough money to buy in. The old, who do have the money are going to stay where they are, thankyou. The masses of middle people, largely coupled off, are not going to move to Harlem, because they can move to Brooklyn or Hoboken and get at least the same amount of room for the same money - sans the scary people. It is a perpetual cycle which will never end - leaving the scary people right where they are for the foreseeable future."
"...The gay community is embracing Harlem and that usually means good things for communities..."
"....They would be just about the only group of people who could turn the neighborhood around.Gay Harlem. I will love it if it happens."
posted by Rachel Natalie Klein at 8:49 AM
19 Comments:
are the "scary people" black people? who are these scary people exactly?
yeah whoever wrote that was retarded. i was reading that thread too yesterday but it's more for entertainment purposes. i dont think it's any kind of true reflection of what goes on in harlem or what the real residents of harlem think about their home. for example the "scary people" commenter said that the young people who live in harlem who arent afraid of the scary people cant afford to buy in...well im i living example of how false that is. my boyfriend and i are in our early 30 (not YOUNG young, but young enough) and we own in harlem. and every day more of our friends consider doing exactly the same. curbed is fun, but not exacty filled with facts.
Agreed, many folks in their 30’s and other age groups are moving into and making Harlem their home.
Disagree, I believe curbed does reflect some of the many wacky opinions of Harlemites
Harlem has a large population, with an even larger number of opinions.
At curbed we get to hear some of these ideas, including the good, the bad and the ugly.
Agreed, these opinions are not always filled with facts, but it is important to see what others have to say, however wacky.
you're right. but i just meant it's not a reflection of ALL of harlem, just one wacky segment of the harlem population. remember that guy last year who was calling for blood on the streets of lenox ave?
I agree, Curbed attracts the wacky extremists.
Harlem from what I know is filled with the silent majority.
In my experience, Harlem has mostly wonderful people that make for a great neighborhood.
Would also say that sadly Harlem seems to have a monopoly on racism from people who really should know better.
Harlem isn't where I want to raise my family and everyday I'm reminded of how annoyed I am with the area. Can't walk too safely around any given part of Harlem - my opinion.
If the scary people are black people, then I agree with that comment. I didn't read the entire thread at Curbed, but that comment alone speaks to a large reason why a lot of people are still saying "not yet" to the area...including my wife and I...and we live here!
We moved here with the idea that yea, maybe it could work, but the lack of places to dine, shop or enjoy a safe evening out with the baby just doesn't exist.
For us, it's not the adults entirely, it's the children that make this area unpleasant. The fighting, jr. thugs and baby mammas acting up on every corner doesn't seem to scream "happy place".
Just one opinion from a black family living in Harlem, please don't flame me.
cheers.
i guess i kind of agree with you. because i work downtown and do not have kids, harlem works great for my husband and i. we enjoy the shopping and dinning downtown during the week, and we enjoy our amazing apartment and nearby brunch spots on the weekends. harlem has all of the convienences we need (banks, supermarkets, quick places to grab food, etc) for our relaxing weekends around the house. but if i had a child, and couldnt move around the city as easily as i do now, i can see feeling trapped. once the sun goes down, i wouldnt want to be pushing a stroller through marcus garvey park.
I am a soon-to-be new homeowner in Harlem, and regularly hit the Internet in search of all possible information about the neighborhood that I'll call home. As noted in other comments above, the 'information' I find is often, if not mostly, subjective and carries its own biases. Knowing that, I still find it difficult to slough off some of the sensational comments I read in various blogs and comments about Harlem and its inhabitants.
I understand the only way to know a neighborhood is to live there, and I have already made the decision to buy in Harlem. I guess I keep looking for positive signs of renewal and change in Harlem to support my investment. I have been up to Harlem many, many times since signing contracts on my new place last November, and I have different opinions of the neighborhood and the people I meet each time I visit-- sometimes sunny and exciting, sometimes creepy and dangerous. I keep telling myself that any uneasiness I feel is not a result of the people I meet or the neighborhood itself, but a function of the fact that when I visit I do not have anyplace to be. And as such, I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb-- like a tourist or a trespasser. I am confident that once I have a home base in Harlem, it will all seem comfortable and familiar and I can blend into the fabric with my neighbors.
Those who troll the blogs posting random, sensational comments seem to me to be unfamiliar with the neighborhood, or are preying on the insecurities of people like myself who have chosen Harlem as a new home. Too bad there's no way to know who's behind the words so we can each decide whether or not to trust what they say, or how much they know about the topic. Welcome to the world of blogs!
Nex time I remember, I'll take pics of our neighborhood so you can get an idea of the trashiness we see.
And I'd like to know of some of these places to shop. There is a Pathmark on 125th that we frequent out of necessity. But we wish there was a Commodities or something cleaner in the area. And the places to eat, we'd like to know of a few too. All we see is fried, fried, fried and general tso's. Can we get a decent food joint? Forget a bagel, can a brotha get some sushi?
=]
Sure, some agenda-driven folks paint too rosy a picture of Harlem(often while experiencing pangs of buyers remorse).
While others pay too little heed to just how far things have come (while spouting anonymous nonsense).
For what it's worth, I've lived in E. Harlem for 7 yrs. "Bad things," still happen regardless of all the changes. Not sure how many new folks with money and jobs will change that considering the high concentration of projects and other low income housing. People point to the Lower East Side as an example but I'm skeptical. It may all be relative, but I'd say E. Harlem has a long way to go before it has turned the proverbial corner. For better or worse, when the larger NYC rental market finally begins to cool there will be a trickle down effect decreasing the demand to live in "less desirable" neighborhoods.
Just my two cents.
To the brotha looking for more than just a bagel (and fried chicken)-
--Ginger. Healthy Chinese. Nice restaurant/atmosphere. On 116th and 5th.
--Food. Part diner, part bistro, part bar. On 100th and Lexington.
--Settepani. Bakery. On 120th and Lenox
--Native. Lighter fare Carribean food on 118th and Lenox.
--Harlem Tea Room. Light food and (obviously) tea. On 116th and Madison.
--Rao's (good luck, though, getting a reservation). Italian on 114th Street.
--Itzocan Bistro - French/Mexican. On 101st and Lexington.
Haven't found sushi yet... will let you know if I find that... or a bagel for that matter.
w00t! Thanks BiH. I'll make a stop at one of those tonight for dinner.
You know, a thought occurred: maybe we are in the wrong neighborhood? We walked down a few blocks (actually a lot of blocks) on the west side. You know where the NYSC and Magic Johnson theatre is? That's where we were, heading south. Saw some nice loft/condo building going up (dwyernyc.com) then ended up at this nice wine shop that had recently opened.
We liked that area. Very nice, changing, sorta seedy, but more tolerable than where we are now.
Cheers from your #1 lurker reader.
there's a new supermarket that i just tried yesterday on lenox btwn 116th and 117. nice, wide isles. good produce. nice selection. better than pathmark and so much better than the gristidies i used to have in my hood downtown. depends on if you live close to there, but fortunately that's closer to me than pathmark. that stretch of lenox btwn 125th and 116 is actually pretty nice. that's where you'll find setipani and native...and the caviar bar. harlem is so much about pockets-good pockets and bad pockets. stick to the good, and you'd think you were living in the west village, venture into the bad and that voice in your head saying "maybe i shouldnt have" starts to get real loud...
on another note-i heard native was closing, but was just there for brunch on sunday. does anyone have the inside scoop?
South Beach Cafe and Juice Bar
Lenox and 124th
Sushi and Sashimi
Pier 2110
126th and Adam Clayton
Just tried Pier 2110 tonight. Surprisingly pretty good, if not a little pricey ($7.50 for spicy tuna...6 pieces...ouch!).
Ordered the Dragon, Red Dragon, Spicy Tuna roll, and the deluxe sashimi and sushi mea (5pc sashimi, california roll, spicy tuna roll).
The spicy tuna was some of the best we've had. Everyting else was about average. Don't expect a full sushi menu; most of it is beginner sushi.
Still thanks for pointing this out!
Cheers!
Totally agree about the pockets. My partner and I (gays to the rescue!) have lived in Harlem for about a year and a half. We are on 127tn btw Lenox and 5th and while we have seen more whites, guppies, Asians, hipsters, etc on our blocks the retail has not followed. Three of four corners on the intersection of 126th and Lenox have had retail space avbl as long as we have been around. Dont know why. Anyone wanna go halves on a Jamba Juice franchise??
Meltron -
Look to some of the restaurants up the hill for delivery. My husband and I found a variety of delivery places; Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, and Indian. We live near Mt. Morris Park and these restaurants have no problem coming down the hill to us. Now if only I could find a Thai restaurant.
Hey Racheal, If you are looking for a bagel shop outside of harlem ... seek no more, I currently live around the corner from one of the most incredible bagel shops in the city "Ess-A-Bagel" 831 Third Avenue (between 50th and 51st Streets)
212/980-1010
Well that was my neighborhood for the past 4 years, but after this month (February - black history month LOL) I am faced with paying $350/month more in rent or move to a more reasonable area. I have grown to absolutely love this area. I mean this its accessible 8 blocks from Grand central, literally around the corner from the 6 train and two more blocks from the E and V train. 8 block walking distance from Times Square and Central park East. Its 4 blocks from my job - AND my girlfriend can walk all hours of the night and I don't worry much about her safety. Which brings me to this blog.
Is Harlem a viable option for me and my girlfriend to cohabit? My parents are utterly opposed, my friends say YES and that its up in coming, the critics have mixed views... so who do you actually believe?
Another gentleman on here said something about experiencing the neighborhood for yourself. Well I took a walk to a handful of pockets of Harlem.
1). 124th and Broadway. Loved the location next to the University and the access to the 1 train. Hated the rundown building and shady actN superintendent.
2). Broadway between 135-150 - Curious about seeing the apartments west of Broadway.
3). 110th and Lexington. Lets just say that we got there early and didn't want the realter to show us any place in that area. Ruled out the east side.
4). 116th between 8th and Lenox - didn't see a home but not sure its what we are looking for.
5). 125th between 5th and 8th... It looks like we may have a winner.
Now don't get me wrong I'm not lookN down on harlem or even tryN to say that my perspective is accurate... but everyone has specific needs, and it appears that my needs are met in this location...
however I would like to get some peoples opinion on that area within the block of 5th and 8th between 125th - 126... is it safe for my girlfriend to be walking home at late hours she works major late hours like after 12AM sometimes .... or am I being naive thinking that she will be fine. I would appreciate honest thoughts.
regards
Dr. Ben
Post a Comment
<< Home