Vanesa Vennard is a freelance journalist focusing on print and multimedia, specializing in arts and culture reporting. She has contributed to City Limits and the New York Daily News. She also posts, mostly music profiles, on her blog vsaid.wordpress.com.
Jaylene Clark was the mastermind behind the spoken word performance “Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale.” The play stemmed from a random Facebook status she wrote before she was on her way to a poetry reading. It read: “It’s time to stop dipping a toe in here/ Wading in a little bit there/I need to jump back into this Sea World of poetry like I’m Shamu/ Heavy/ Too much gentrification going on in Harlem to get light/ Time to spit killer lines, with killer rhymes, of killer tales/ Cuz Harlem is looking more and more like the belly of a killer whale.”
The play takes a look at gentrification as actresses Janelle Heatley, Hollis Heath and Jaylene play the roles of three different young women discussing the changes in Harlem. The most prominent change being how Jaylene’s character’s parents are struggling to keep their brownstone apartment because of the increase in costs with real estate.
As the play goes on, the three actresses play different roles expressing their feelings on how Harlem was, how it is now, and how they hope it will be. Mostly, how they hope Harlem will also be indulged in its culture and originality.
Jaylene takes a stroll through 125th Street, close to the National Black Theatre, speaking about how Harlem doesn’t need any fancy makeovers to be “trendy” because it is an area that is already rich in culture and history.
About a month ago I put out a survey both on my Facebook and Twitter asking for people to express their opinions on the Columbia University expansion throughout Manhattanville in West Harlem. I heard from Harlem locals that the expansion was causing a lot of small businesses to relocate or shut down completely. Many also feared that whatever resources Columbia could get with the expansion wouldn’t be shared with the community.
So, I put out a survey to see how others feel. In the survey, I asked two questions. The first question was what could be the worst effect of the expansion. The second question was what could be the best effect. This is the rundown:
The first question possible answers were:
Both had an “other” option for people to add in other possibilities. The general outcome:
1. For the first question, three out of the five people who responded chose “all of the above.” This tells me that with a project as big as the Columbia expansion, many feel that it is inevitable that there will be a plethora of effects, not just one. However, the other two people who answered were split, with one choosing the option that West Harlem will lose its originality/mom and pop shops and the other one choosing the option that there could be increased tension with locals and newcomers.
2. For the second question, there was a another three to five split with answers, and many believed the project will bring new employment opportunities to the area. The other two chose the all of the above option. Overall, I think many believe that the opportunities may be outweighing the negative effects that could come out of the expansion. It seems that the possibility of more employment is better than the risk of tension or the loss of old shops.
3. Another way I got responses were by comments on Facebook and by continuing to ask the general public in the West Harlem community.
A. Facebook comments: Three people responded and all believed that overall the expansion will give the area a better face value, however will increase the overall cost of living which would be trouble for locals who may not be able to stay.
B. Many locals say that this project is just another example of how gentrification works. The overall feeling is mixed: many like and appreciate that new businesses are coming to the area so that Harlem locals don’t have to travel downtown to shop. However, the main concern is the increase in living costs for the people who have lived in Harlem almost all their lives and the idea that the people of Harlem don’t have much of a say with what changes are made in their community.
In the end I felt I got better responses on the issue by physically asking locals rather than relying on social media, since many people who responded via social media aren’t even from Harlem.
Tents are completely occupying Zuccotti Park, and one could think that is to the benefit of all the protesters of Occupy Wall Street. But Josh Ehrenberg, 20, thinks otherwise.
Ehrenberg is from Rochester and has been a part of OWS for a month. He works in the comfort section of the park, which provides protesters with blankets, clothing and toiletries. As of now, he said they have a good amount of donations, but always need more warm clothes, deodorant and chapstick. What he feels the protesters don’t need is more tents. Ehrenberg said that the tents don’t really keep anyone warm, and that they pretty much only protect protesters from rain.
The biggest problem with the tents to Ehrenberg is that the tents take up so much space, making it hard for more protesters to try and occupy the park. Also, he worries that as the tents become people’s property, it is creating a sense of individual ownership and could cause segregation among protesters. But, he still believes the protesters will be sticking it out as long as possible.
West Harlem participated in its second annual Oktoberfest on Oct. 25 with a restaurant and bar crawl featuring some of the more upscale restaurants in the area. For $20, participants were able to stroll from bar to bar and enjoy the specials available. The restaurants in the crawl included 5 & Diamond, Harlem Tavern and 67 Orange. Cedric, the French bistro that opened on Aug. 15, 2011, was the newest restaurant in the mix and another addition to the trending restaurant scene booming in West Harlem.
At Cedric’s bistro, the DJ was playing a mix of R&B with a hip hop beat. Cedric Lecendre, the owner, discussed his excitement for being a part of the event which he said was a great way for the restaurant to mesh with the neighborhood.
Rashawn Austin, a resident of Harlem since she was three and photographer was at the event and discussed Oktoberfest. Kysha Harris, Harlem native and food columnist at Amsterdam News was also at the event and discussed the restaurant trends in West Harlem.
In light of Uptown Restaurant Month, it’s easy to remember the originality, history and prominence associated with Harlem eating. One of the first restaurant that come to mind is Sylvia’s- “Queen of soul food,” which has been around since the 1960s.
Now, West Harlem in particular is trending in the restaurant scene, and is becoming a hot spot for culinary expertise such as with Chef Marcus Samuelsson from the Zagat-rated restaurant Red Rooster which opened in October 2010. Red Rooster’s prominence inspired the opening of Cedric, a French Bistro on St. Nicholas Ave. and 119th Street. Zagat-rated Cedric first opened in August 2011. Like Red Rooster, there is an old school charm that collide with a new school renovated feel.
Dard Coaxum, General Manager of Cedric and Harlem native, said that Red Rooster “puts character back in Harlem.” “Harlem is becoming sexy again,” he added.
Two other notable restaurants include bar and grill, and a beer garden Harlem Tavern, which opened in late June 2011, and Food For Life Supreme, which is almost three years old and offers healthy dining, deriving its novelty with its Bio-coffee. Harlem Tavern offers outdoor seating reminiscent of the type of restaurant one would find in downtown Manhattan. Harlem Tavern along with Cedric will be participating in Harlem Oktoberfest with the Bar and Restaurant Crawl on Oct. 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Food For Life Supreme has a more “family” vibe compared to the other three and offers an array of healthier foods such as carrot fries and Bio-coffee, which consists of wheatgrass and bears the slogan “the healthiest coffee in the world.” Food For Life Supreme is the only restaurant that carries it.
As West Harlem changes over time, and in light of Uptown Restaurant Month it keeps its charisma and overall taste in good food with good atmospheres. The following photos are of these four restaurants, which are four examples of the innovativeness and sexiness affiliated with West Harlem.
Columbia University has been in the process of a major expansion project that will weave the university further into its West Harlem location. The expansion, called The Columbia Project, has been underway since the final public approval was made by the New York State Public Authorities Board in May 2009.
According to the Columbia University site that focuses on the project, the plan will result in 6.8 million or more square feet of space for teaching, support services and underground parking and the growth can also create new jobs. However, one Columbia University site about the expansion explains that negative results would be the closing of an estimated 80 or more businesses and destroy 132 affordable housing units, the influx of Columbia University affiliates to the area could increase housing costs and the new businesses that derive from the expansion could cater more to new residents.
Basically, the expansion most likely will change the original character of West Harlem.
Community Board Manager of district 9 Eutha Prince said that there is practically no commercial space, and with the school expansion, people and businesses are being displaced. “Businesses are closing, there are not as many ‘mom and pop’ shops,” she said.
Let’s face it, New York is crowded enough. Columbia University is already taking on a global expansion, Phase One, to Rio de Janeiro and Nairobi, which is explained more in four separate YouTube videos . There isn’t a lot of room for a well-known school to expand so the neighborhood has to put itself in a position where it would sacrifice small businesses.
However, Columbia University as mentioned before suggests job possibilities, or 6,000 as a result of the expansion. Jobs include administrative assistant jobs, cooks, lab technicians and mechanics, which are open to various ages and skill levels, retired or new to the workforce.
Please fill out the survey to express your thoughts on the pros and cons of this expansion and for me to continue researching possibiities.
Well, I sort of blamed the lack of participation for anyone answering my questions on Twitter on my lack of popularity. So starting with Twitter, it was a complete fail.
The first question I put on Twitter was from my question blog. The question was: Does the lack of employment for adolescents in NYC increase the threat of their involvement with gun violence? (Sept. 22, 2011).
On Twitter, with the 140 character limit, the question looked like this: QUESTION! Do lack of jobs in NYC for adolescents cause more gun violence? http://bit.ly/nFQLRyWhat do you think? (Sept. 22, 2011).
For the newest question I’m working on, I put it on Twitter on Oct. 4, 2011 like this: Will “Columbia Project” (expanding of Columbia University) cause positive/negative effect for West Harlem residents? #westharlem
I thought that using the hashtag “West Harlem” would solicit moe responses. It didn’t.
I think the problem is the character limit. On Facebook, I got responses. Not a lot, but it was better than the Twitter effect. And maybe people are just more opinionated and sassy on Facebook?
Back to the question blog in September, here’s how I presented it on my Facebook:
Speculations arise whether the lack f employment for NYC youth is causing them to become more involved with crime, especially involving gun violence.
I think I got more responses on Facebook because I was able to explain the question more, and maybe also because I have more friends on Facebook than I have followers on Twitter.
Here’s the latest question I posted on Facebook, Oct. 4, 2011 on my Facebook wall:
Hey everyone! Here’s a question I’m hoping to turn into a survey for my interactive class: your responses are greatly appreciated!
In West Harlem, the “Columbia Project,” which is the expanding of Columbia University, has caused the closing down of some small businesses in the area, according to my CD board manager. Do you think the expansion of the university will be cause a more positive or negative overall effect for West Harlem residents? Here’s a link on the project:http://neighbors.columbia.edu/pages/manplanning/proposed_plan/DesignElements.html
New York City and the world are very different places than when Columbia built its Morningside Heights campus more than a century ago. Today, an urban campus isn’t defined by gates and walls, but by weaving the university into the fabric of city life. As a result, certain planning principles for Col…
Employment has been difficult for many since the recession. And despite Harlem being listed as one of the top 10 safe neighborhoods in Manhattan, there is still violence, especially gun violence. A New York State Mission Society organization, Operation SNUG, is working to halt gun violence throughout the state of New York while implementing employment program experience that NYSMS has.
In West Harlem, Operation SNUG Project Director Robin Holmes said that she works with summer internship programs, and this past summer she had around 1,300 applicants when only 300 jobs were available. According to Holmes, the gun violence could be related to the lack of employment for younger individuals
“Even though a lot of people think crime is down, murders and shootings are not,” Holmes said.
Operation SNUG (“guns” spelled backwards) was launched by the NY state senate in 2009 and has been working toward reducing gun violence mostly with adolescents.
The most recent shooting was of a young girl, prominent is basketball, named Tayshana Murphy, 18. She was shot and killed on Sept. 11 in the Grant House in West Harlem between Morningside and Old Broadway. According to an article on the NY Daily News, she was killed by other teens because of mistaken identity during a “turf war.”
Ray McLaughlin, who works as a community assistant at the CD9 board, located by the Grant House, said that he feels most violence in NYC is community based and lack of money for desired lifestyles cause violence. “People within the communities are fighting. People try living above their means in Harlem and it causes tension and crime,” he said.
According to an article on Patch.com, unemployment dropped from 6.9 percent in August 2010 to 6.6 percent last month and the labor force also dropped from 17,500 to 17,100 workers from 2010 to 2011, according to a recent New York State Department of Labor report.
This poses the question, does the lack of employment for adolescents in NYC increase the threat of their involvement with gun violence?
President Obama’s speech on Sept. 8 addressed how Congress can prevent more layoffs and create more employment opportunities for Americans. One of the aspects of the $300billionplan is that it aims to stop the teacher layoffs, specifically, and improve schools and the educational system as a whole by retraining teachers and/or rehiring them.
Here are some examples of how the teacher layoffs and school budget cuts have affected New York City public schools:
According to the huffingtonpost.com article on how the plan will affect teachers, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said “A couple hundred thousands of teachers have lost their jobs.” This could cause the morale of the teachers who didn’t get laid off to go down because they could be worried about being next which would affect their effectiveness as teachers.
