A Heavy Black History Month in Harlem

Monday night was the third annual Trailblazer Ceremnony, at the Alhambra Ballroom, including Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. Scott said he will fight for Harlem turf, but does he really mean it? See Columbia Spectator for more.


Award recipients Charlie King, Rodney Leon, and Muriel Petioni were honored for their commitment to the Harlem neighborhood in the spirit of the month’s celebration of community identity. Petioni, 94, chair and founder of the patron organization for Columbia affiliate Harlem Hospital, was met with a standing ovation in recognition of her lifelong work for medical care in Harlem.

“We’ve been fighting for a long time,” Petioni said. “Things seem to be getting better, but we’re still in for a lot of sadness.”

ATLAH World Church minister James David Manning shed light on this sentiment Thursday evening.

Standing before a packed house at his church’s Black History Month celebration less than five blocks away from the ballroom, Manning chose not to laud local black politicians, but to lambast leaders who he claims have undermined Harlem’s history and the issues that impact its residents.

At the helm of a pale green pulpit with slogans like “That’s What God Said” and “All Jesus, All the Time” written on the walls, Manning named Stringer, City Council member Inez Dickens (D-Morningside Heights), and City Councilman Robert Jackson (D-West Harlem) as among those who have betrayed aspects of Harlem’s culture.

“Not only do we have a large number of activists, but political appointees that are nothing more than puppets of ‘the Man,’” Manning said. “They’re all approaching the problem of this community from sometimes and oftentimes disingenuous objectives.”

“The business of the dark-skinned, kinky-haired people, the sons of great leaders, kings, and builders, doctors and generals and engineers of antiquity, will begin here tonight,” Manning said.

“It won’t take but a day to bring this community to its knees,” Manning said. “What have you people been thinking about? Who are your leaders? ... The business as usual in this community ends.” Time to wear your I Love Harlem Apparel.

So obviously, the tension continues in Harlem over the various mega-projects. These include Columbia University's expansion to West 133rd St., and the office building planned for Park Ave and 125th St. And don't forget to "Save the Record Shack," threatened now at W 125th St., across from Apollo theater. And don't forget the appropriate Apollo, and Save the Shack t-shirts.

The real estate bubble is dying anyway. Why destroy Harlem to create some more bad mortgage paper?

Afrocentric is In at the T-Shirt Queen

Nice is know that Afrocentric is back in at the t-shirt queen. She is selling the new items at the I Love Harlem store. The new shirt, for Black History month is here, the Malcolm X t-shirt. Note that you can get the Malcolm X shirt, the I Love Harlem Shirt and the Apollo Theater shirt, as well as other items in bulk (low prices for over 100 pieces) at the T-shirt Queen Store.

Another sad theme that shall make it to t-shirts soon, is the threatened imminent shut down of such landmarks as West 125th St, the Record Shack, see the link. Other possible themes for soon to come t-shirts are: The Cotton Club, Bobby's Happy House, and the Adam Clayton Powell statue by the Harlem State Office Building.

New Apollo Theater Image at the T-shirt Queen

Hi. This is the new image to be featured on T-shirt Queen products, now available at I Love Harlem
. Now that CD, the T-Shirt queen has hired a new t-shirt designer, the I Love Harlem fever will only increase and multiply.
What other classic Harlem images could soon be on t-shirts. There are so many sites that may soon be wiped out, that we must start right away, to see these t-shirts be created and to BUY BUY BUY !!!!!!

Rumored to be the next targets of the Harlem Fever are: the Cotton Club, Harlem Hospital, the remnants of the theater where Malcolm X was assassinated, and many more.

Hey kids, shake it loose together, and let's have fun!

Baton Rouge Restaurant- Great Harlem Hangout

Baton Rouge Restaurant, on 458 West 145th St is a great place to hang out in Harlem, and not cheap but a reasonable place to dine. Even better is to have a party there. I know because I have been there twice at Christmas Parties. Chitra D. had her I Love Harlem stuff and T-Shirt Queen stuff there as well.

The food is a lightly spicy mix of lots of shrimp and other seafood, with some pork, beef, and chicken as well. Plenty of wine and whiskey too.

Also, it's a great place to here a retro black soul 70s sound. I don't know if it was Shee Grove or what, but when the band went into its 1978 flashback routine, it was pretty heavy. You know, Prince, Michael Jackson ( I do know that I want ya) was a real trip.

pix at http://mobayrestaurant.com/batonrouge/map.htm

Overview of Harlem's 125th St- Development Plans

A very nice website to look at to get a sense of what is happening, or could happen to Harlem, NYC, NY is www.harlempark.com. This is the website of the new Vornado Realty project to put up a 30 or more story building with a total of 630,000 square feet, or which about 500,000 square feet is planned to be office space. It's address is 1800 Park Avenue, and it is right by the Grand Central RR station on 125th St., and a couple of block from the Lexington Ave. line subway.

In addition to the Columbia University mega-project on the West side, between 125th St to 134th St, and west of Bway to 12th Ave, there are other projects planned.

At Frederick Douglas Blvd. (8th Ave) and 125-126th St., a 100,000 square feet office and retail project is planned. This is the one scheduled to nuke Bobby's Happy House, the age-old record store on that block.

One block north of there is the club/restaurant or whatever, called "Revival." One block south on FDoug, at 123-124th St, is planned the "Aloft Hotel."

Slightly further east, directly adjoining the Apollo theater, already a 115,000 square feet office/retail complex has its hole dug out for its foundation. Around the corner, to the northeast, next to the State Office Bldg, is the complex called "Pier 2110."

Passing the "Studio Museum", at the corner of Lenox and 125-126th is planned another 32,500 square feet of off/ret, probably at 126th, because CVS, Marshall, etc are already constructed on the corner of 125th St. Around the corner, across the street is soul food emporium, "Sylvia's" and further east on 125th is "MoBay's."

The Harlem Hotel is slated for 5th Ave and 125th, which I believe is the big hole there already. On the southeast side of that corner, scheduled to be is the "National Black Theater," Harlem Park, the big daddy of them all is slated for 125th and Park Ave, 1800 Park, while for now, the mega-plan for 125th st and 2nd to 3rd avenue is nix nix nix. So that is the real estate round-up for 125th St, at the moment.

And don't forget the t-shirt queen, and Iloveharlem. Peace.

Action at the Cotton Club, in Harlem NY

The Cotton Club has been since 1978 at West 125th St., by the West Side Highway. You can go there for a musical performance or just to buy some souvenirs. See their website at the Cotton Club.
Every Monday night is Swing Dancing night, where you get to do original swing dancing to a 13-piece jazz and swing ensemble, the house band, the Cotton Club Allstars. They play 3 50-minute sets, with 20-minutes breaks in between, and a music charge of $15.00 a head. The Cotton Club is also known for its Southern style cuisine.

And don't forget your I Love Harlem t-shirts, and other apparel.

New York is Nuts

New York is nuts,
too expensive,
That's why it's come that they're after us.

The dudes can't afford downtown.
Now to Harlem, they come roun'
Wanna force us out of the ghetto.
Loneliness is mo' and mo'

Harlem Love, Baby Love,
God is Love, don't you forget now,
So don't throw Harlem away.
Don't throw our love away.

(Supremes: baby love)

Wishing you a happy holiday from Harlem and New York. Don't sweat the small stuff.

Harlem Mall and Harlem Sprawl

Harlem Mall and Harlem sprawl are striking again. It is not necessarily a bad thing that lots of construction is going on in Harlem, but isn't it premised on making $150,000 a year or so. This is in a community where family income hovers around $35,000/year or less. Even if it was $80,000, you can't afford rents over $2,000 a month really, or maybe barely.

So let's just list "the new projects'. Across the river in the South Bronx, the Gateway Mall is slated for 2009, along the Harlem River and the Major Deegan, starting at East 149th St. You have the construction of the East Harlem Auto Mall at East 127th to East 128th st. There is the East Plaza Mall, to have Home Depot and Costco, at 116th St and the East Side Highway.

On the West side, you have Columbia University's projects. You have the land grab around the Apollo theatre area. It seems like this is going to be big box store heaven, but where do the indigenous residents live, if they can't hit the $150,000 a year income?

So, show your Love Harlem Forever and I Love Harlem pride, at the Tee Shirt Queen. Peace and love.