Hunter College in East Harlem

Hunter College in East Harlem, across the street from one of the few 99 cent stores left in the neighborhood and a liquor store. There are also condo-looking apartments across the street just for Hunter College students.

Why East Harlem?

As I said in my previous post's, East Harlem is located next to Yorkville and the Upper East Side, two of New York City's richest neighborhoods. This is what made East Harlem an easy target for gentrification. Also, there are many abandoned buildings and vacant lots in East Harlem which creates free space for anything to be built in those spots. East Harlem in 2014 is now a place where outsiders come to visit. There are some cafe's, Italian restaurants, whole food super markets, and new architecture, not to mention a shopping mall on 116th street. East Harlem is now an attraction in Manhattan, no longer a "danger zone" for outsiders. My childhood was spent in East Harlem, and I can honestly say, I don't mind the new look of the neighborhood. It looks cleaner and more safe. But if you asked me 10 years ago if I could imagine East Harlem looking as it looks today, my response would probably be "hell no".

East Harlem est. 1970

Her parents moved here from Puerto Rico in the 50s. She has been here since the 70s and will not be forced out. If she leaves, it will be by choice. My mother.

Were still here

Were Still Here

Throughout the decades of drugs, crime and death, we are still here. It has been a decrease since 1990, when Puerto Ricans made up 40 percent of East Harlems population, but we still are the dominant race, making up 35 percent of East Harlems population.

Luxury Rentals

East 100th street

Decades after Bruce Davidson's legendary book, East 100th street and first avenue holds a Luxury Rental apartment that stretches through the whole block on first avenue. I was reading an article yesterday where a father of 4 stated that the luxury apartment building has caused the prices in Associated supermarket to raise and that he has to head uptown to buy meat and milk. This luxury apartment was my first glimpse at gentrification in East Harlem.

6 Train chronicles

Taking the 6 train uptown from anywhere, downtown Manhattan was always interesting, especially in the 90s. As a child, I noticed something. As the train approached 96th street, ALL white people got up out of their seats and rushed to the train doors. When I say "rush" I mean it. I have been riding the subway for years and there are times that I dozed off and missed my stop, but to these people in those times, missing their 96th street destination seemed to be a sin. The next stop would be my stop. 103rd street. I would observe the train and see no more whites. Now, nothing but Puerto Ricans speaking my mothers language, some Mexicans speaking spanish in their accent, and some blacks. One stop made such a huge difference. A difference in race, household incomes, and a difference in architecture.

Moving on up?

Luxury Apartment on the Upper East Side

After living in Clinton Houses for the first 12 years of my life my mother and I would relocate to another public housing, this time not in East Harlem, but in the neighborhood blocks away, the upper east side. I remember not wanting to leave Clinton when my mother told me about the move. By this time, it was just my mother and I living in the 1 bedroom apartment a few yards away from the metro north train that woke me up every night. When my mother and I walked to the new apartment I noticed a change. We made our way from 104th heading downtown to 93rd street. When getting to 93rd street I noticed the public housing development that I would be living in, but across the street was much different than what I was used to. Instead of a neighborhood full of small tenements and Projects, it was a neighborhood of tenements and luxury apartments. Earlier in my life I didn't consider myself to be low income, mostly because my surroundings did not suggest that. I was now living in one of New York's Highest income neighborhoods after living in one of New York's "poorest" for my whole life. When I was 12 I kind of got the feeling that my mother and I "moved up" but in reality we lived the same. I just saw people in this neighborhood living more comfortably. Keep this in mind. One of New York's richest neighborhoods (Upper East Side) is literally ONE block away from East Harlem, Manhattans lowest income neighborhood. This will be important when I get to the topic of gentrification.

Growing up in the projects.....Was I poor?

104th street, and park avenue, apartment 11 E was my childhood apartment. Dewitt Clinton Homes. It was a 1 bedroom apartment for me, my brother, my mother and for a short time my father. Statistically I grew up in a low income home. It didn't feel like I was poor or of low income though. There was always food on the table, clean clothes for me to wear, and a comfortable bed to sleep in. Growing up in the projects was not bad at all. The media portrays public housing throughout America as these small barricaded areas that are somewhat like small war-zones. To me, it was just regular. As I stated in the last post, East Harlem has the second highest concentration of public housing in America with over 20 housing projects. It especially didn't feel like I was poor because of this. Everywhere I looked, there were people living in the projects or small tenement buildings. They were just like me, I thought as a child. They were the same color, or the same race. Everywhere I looked. Blacks, Puerto Ricans and on 116th street, Mexicans. They spoke the same language as my grandparents. So no, I didn't think I was poor at all.