The 90s in East Harlem: The recovery from the 70s heroin epidemic and the 80s crack epidemic

My Grandmother on the right

The East Harlem I grew up seeing were streets paved with gold compared to what my mother grew up witnessing. The epidemic hit hard in East Harlem in the 80s. Everywhere, vacant lots, abandonned buildings, needles and crack pipes on the floor. Family members stealing from or even killing other family members just to get that stuff in their system. Unfortunately, it hit my Puerto Rican family hard, and many have passed before and after I was born due to over dose. It was a harsh reality my mother grew up with. Now I grew up in the 90s. The streets of East Harlem started to clean up. Vacant lots became gardens, and abandonned buildings were being renovated. On the contrary, I still had to witness some of the horror that the 80s left my 90s. Instead of hundreds of needles and pipes on the street, I would see 5 a day. While walking with my mother, she would tell me to never touch those things. I didn't know what they were at the time but she told me they were dangerous. We would walk around abandoned buildings and my mother would tell me to walk on the other side of the street. In the 90s, there were still people shooting in abandoned buildings. I witnessed the dope feins nodding there heads slowly while bending over so far close to the floor with drule coming out of their mouths. 125th and lexington avenue is where I witnessed it the most, while heading to path mark. Although less harsh than the 80s still harsh realities.

Rest in peace Alexandria Esquilin and Pedro Beauchamp