How 'Bout an I Love Harlem Tote Bag?

We at I Love Harlem Apparel have the generic messenger bag, I Love Harlem, for more, click on the pix. There is also the "Save the Shack" bag, which is a very timely message, since the Record Shack is threatened with immediate closing. Also, see the Malcolm X messenger and tote bags, as well as the Apollo Theater, Live at the Apollo messenger and tote bags.

Harlem Sportswear, and Valentine's Day

Don't delay, we can still get you some quick shipping for Valentine's Day, especially from the T-Shirt Queen.There are still a lot of nice things to get for Valentine's day, from I Love Harlem apparel and the T-Shirt Queen. Show your sweetheart that you love Harlem, NY, and all things Harlem. Then you can try the talent show contest at the Apollo Theater.

In the Real Estate Collapse, is there Homelessness?

There is much said about homelessness, but many think that the Bloomberg Administration is doing their best to conceal it. Bloomberg keeps protesting that he is not running for President, but the lady may be protesting too much.

The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) conducts an annual survey of the homeless in the city, known as the Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE).
The annual survey helps to reach out to the homeless. Volunteers will be offering people a way into the shelter system, and other programs available to them. HOPE 2008 serves as a gauge to determine if measures currently in effect are working to help the homeless.

Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Commissioner Robert Hess said "It’s unacceptable for so many of our fellow New Yorkers to be living on the streets." The department recruited volunteers, who received a special HOPE 2008 T-shirt. HOPE 2008 employed the same methodology used in previous counts. Volunteer teams canvassed all areas identified to likely have street homeless individuals. In addition, a random sample of those areas not identified as likely to have street homeless individuals also will be canvassed.

"Decoys," or trained individuals posing as homeless individuals, are planted as a quality assurance measure. This shadow count helps to gauge the accuracy of the total estimate and allows adjustment of the final count estimate accordingly. This is the fourth year HOPE has included a shadow count.

The count is part of the city program called "Uniting for Solutions Beyond Shelter." HOPE is critical to helping evaluate the effectiveness of current strategies to overcome street homelessness as well as developing appropriate housing resources for the most vulnerable New Yorkers currently living without shelter. The count of homeless out on the street is in addition to those New Yorkers who already sleep in shelters. In an average night, 35,000 people are in city homeless shelters, according to the non-profit organization, the Coalition for the Homeless. According to a Coalition spokesperson, they give out 1,000 meals a night, free, to the homeless and the needy. The homelessness problem is made more difficult by an average 8-percent increase in rents over the last 3 years, and declines in median income.

Now if only we could have some more public housing, or as they call it these days "subsidized housing." This post brought to you by those ultra-fab fashionistas at T-Shirt Queen and I Love Harlem Apparel. Peace and Love y'all.

The Tee Shirt Queen Means Business

Now, the T-shirt Queen was on web tv at http://blip.tv/file/576910, I Love Harlem Show, or actually, with Debbie Howell on the Fashion Fever show on Blip.tv.

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.

I Love Harlem Y'all

Stevie Wonder tune, My Cherie Amor



I love Harlem y'all.
We don't want to give it away,
Wear your Harlem hat;
From here until the Milky Way;

Adam Clayton Powell;
Showed us the true spirit;
Of the General welfare;
So, now let's here it,
I love Harlem Y'all,
Our Harlem is here to stay.

The T-shirt Queen is doing her best to rally the troops with her "I LOVE HARLEM" line of appaarel.

It's unbelievable, even the Record Shack on 125th St. is slated to close in March of 2008. This is after years of fights and riots, including a strange incident which left the perpetrator and 8 others dead in 1996. It's like the wall of money coming in is just so huge. It's up to the politicians to protect Harlem with zoning laws and the like.

Start of my Blog about Harlem

There's lots happening in Harlem. Like on December 20th, Thursday 8 pm, Dominic Carter is speaking about his new book, "No Momma's Boy." This is being held at the Pelha Fritz Recreational Center, 18 Mount Morris Park west, at 122nd St., Harlem, NYC, NY. The event is free and open to the public, see NY Parks
While you have Harlem on your mind, get your Harlem T-Shirt, with the I love Harlem logo on it, eBay link here.