The changing face of Harlem

Add OTR in Cincinnati to the list of gentrified places. The infamous Over-The-Rhine district is right smack dab in the middle of the gentrification process and it is a strange sight to see. On one block there is a progressive, environmentally-friendly marketplace store, condos and designer shops. Then on the next block there is the 'hood barbershop I would be afraid to walk into, check cashing place and a grocery store that doesn't sell tomatoes --all on the verge of being closed down I'm assuming. It's confusing to visit there; there has to be a better way to 'merge' neighborhoods, if we must.

Wow, well, I guess Harlem in 5 or 10 years will have a couple of thousand blacks at this rate. The same thing happened here in San Francisco with "redevelopment" of the main black district, Fillmore, which was known as the Harlem of the West, and a new "redevelopment" was just passed in the last election for the last area of the city that has a black population, the Bayview, and, it will all but wipe out any black population in this city. The same thing has been going on in LA and San Diego, and, the more they rid the cities, it means no representation in government.

either step up your game or get over it. negroes need to stop blaming gentrification or racism for their problems.

I agree with blkbandit on this. You have to step up your game or move out of the way. For any one to suggest living in a crime infested neighborhood is the black experience is crazy. African Americans can live in nice neighborhoods among each other with the constant discord. One would think that in 2008 the gang violence and crime in these neighborhoods would be gone, but it isn't what is going on? African Americans must start looking at themselves and uplifting each other before any serious change can come.

The same thing is happening in the Chicago in the Woodlawn community. We are seeing more whites and taxes are higher.

And, you can add LA to the mix, Watt's is now only 30% black and most of the other areas that were black are so riddle with violence between Hispanics and blacks, with blacks being the target, that the blacks with any way out are getting out of LA as fast as possible. As for Harlem, it is all about who has money and who doesn't, since, most of the blacks rent in NYC, and, don't have the jobs to by a $900,000 condo, and, if people are paying that much, the crime rate must not be as bad as some like to lie and say it is in the 'hood' if people are paying that much. Race and money are tied togather as usual and with bad schools and such, blacks still at the bottom of the rung.

race and money may be tied together in some instances but overall being black does not have to be synonymous with poverty and crime. a change in priorities is definitely in order within the black community. stop going to walmart at 5am to buy a flatscreen for a studio apartment. put down the gucci bag when your children dont have diapers. uplifting the race starts with better choices.

These are old issues our problem is even our black media are focused on successful black people and their issues ie...job appiontments,who they dating or their arrest.Over the last 15yr.to 20yrs.the black neighborhoods in the urban areas accross america has become really hip and an investment coup for young mostly white professionals. At the same time Arab & Asians have been buying up businesses in black neighborhoods. They are building,in black neighborhoods, motels,resturants and storage facilities in areas that not even blacks with money are doing. The sad thing about it is black politicians,educators and grassroot people aren't pooling their resources and investing in our communities. I'ts crazy,some banker tells you it's not feesable to build in your area then turn around and give a foreigner a loan to do just that. All I can say is they'll be buying barber shops,beauty shops and taking the seats we fought hard to get in state legislatures and federal courts. This is our future,unfortunately.PEACE

Well I think its good thing and a bad thing. Integration is very nice and all. But I am very afraid Harlem as most New Yorkers know it with in 15 yrs will be done away with and become another WHITE neighborhood. Why that is when Whites move into certain Black neighborhoods the names change. For instance Harlem has always been known as Harlem. Know it’s Harlem west, and Sugar Hill is no longer called Sugar Hill? What’s up with that?

Regentrification is nice. However to the following people (Blk Bandit and robjh1) be advised about something don’t think for one minute that these properties were offered to Blacks in Harlem that could buy them. They were offered to whites at a lower price to get them to move there. And I’m sorry to this when Bill moved into the Harlem State Office Building. All Bill did was told White America it’s safe come on over I’m here and that’s what’s led the exodus there and the culture of what we know as Harlem will be gone in a couple of years. If you think those non-black residents up the want to keep the culture there. YOU’RE SADLY MISTAKEN

and if you don’t think there are gangs in white neighborhoods you are sadly mistaken. Personally Hazel Dukes and Charles Rangel need to be VOTED OUT regardless of making Harlem hospitable to the white residents. They should have fought for affordable housing for working class Blacks and that doesn’t mean the projects neither so they all could live amongst each other comfortably

Blk Bandit said

race and money may be tied together in some instances but overall being black does not have to be synonymous with poverty and crime. A change in priorities is definitely in order within the black community. Stop going to Wal-Mart at 5am to buy a flat screen for a studio apartment. Put down the Gucci bag when your children don’t have diapers. uplifting the race starts with better choices.

First of all there is no Wal-Mart in Harlem and all Blacks up there are not trying to spend their money to buy designer clothing that they cannot afford. That is not all of Harlem there are hard working people up there respectable folks who just cannot to pay 1500.00$ rent this is Harlem and not The Upper West Side

Sometimes it irritates me when you all try to do same damn thing white America does put us all in the same basket and then we get mad when white America says it. We are not the only race of people who have these problems. As a Native New Yorker living in Delaware I see (PWT) every day white gangs, poverty, drugs, and crime. However it’s not noteworthy to the news we are

Regentrify all you want. Just keep affordable housing. And don’t forget who built of HARLEM and gave it the legacy it has

REPOST

Well I think its good thing and a bad thing. Integration is very nice and all. But I am very afraid Harlem as most New Yorkers know it with in 15 yrs will be done away with. Why that is when Whites move into certain Black neighborhoods the names change. For instance Harlem has always been known as Harlem. Now it’s Harlem west, and Sugar Hill is no longer called Sugar Hill? What’s up with that?

Regentrification is nice. However to the following people (Blk Bandit and robjh1) be advised about something don’t think for one minute that these properties were offered to Blacks in Harlem that could buy them. They were offered to whites at a lower price to get them to move there. And I’m sorry to say this when Bill moved into the Harlem State Office Building. All Bill did was told White America it’s safe come on over I’m here and that’s what’s led the exodus there and the culture of what we know as Harlem will be gone in a couple of years. If you think those non-black residents up there want to keep the culture. YOU’RE SADLY MISTAKEN

And if you don’t think there are gangs in white neighborhoods you are sadly mistaken. Personally Inez Dickens and Charles Rangel need to be VOTED OUT regardless of making Harlem hospitable to the white residents. They should have fought for affordable housing for working class Blacks and that doesn’t mean the projects neither so they all could live amongst each other comfortably

Blk Bandit said

race and money may be tied together in some instances but overall being black does not have to be synonymous with poverty and crime. A change in priorities is definitely in order within the black community. Stop going to Wal-Mart at 5am to buy a flat screen for a studio apartment. Put down the Gucci bag when your children don’t have diapers. uplifting the race starts with better choices.

First of all there is no Wal-Mart in Harlem and all Blacks up there are not trying to spend their money to buy designer clothing that they cannot afford. That is not all of Harlem. There are hard working respectable folks who just cannot afford to pay 1500.00$ rent this is Harlem and not The Upper West Side

Sometimes it irritates me when you all try to do the same damn thing white America does put us all in the same basket and then we get mad when white America says it. We are not the only race of people who have these problems. As a Native New Yorker presently living in Delaware. I see (PWT) every day white gangs, poverty, drugs, and crime. However it’s not noteworthy to the news but we (Blacks) are

Regentrify all you want. Just keep affordable housing. And don’t forget who built up HARLEM and gave it the legacy it has

>>now it?s Harlem west, and Sugar Hill is no longer called Sugar Hill? What?s up with that?<< No. These have always been recognized "sub" districts within Harlem. I assume you don't live here, I do, South of 125th Street heading toward Central Park (mid town) is known as "South Harlem" or SoHa. This is one small aspect of the re-branding of Harlem to appeal displaced people from other parts of Manhattan. >>>Personally Hazel Dukes and Charles Rangel need to be VOTED OUT<<<< Now I know you don't live here. Hazel Dukes has not been in any office since the Dinkins administration. I know her personally, she's a crook but not bad. Rangel is still a crook. Harlem will be about 20% Black tops in about 20 years. And 90% of those Blacks will live in Public Housing and or have Sec 8 housing. The welfare class has secure in place housing and cannot be displaced. Teachers & Government workers, middle class workers will be priced out, many have already. It's very expensive to live in Harlem, just go to Craigslist and see how much a 900 Sq' 2 bedroom Condo will cost, $700,000 to $1,200,000. Keep in mind in NYC, most people devote 60%+ of their take home income to housing. A report last year stated a single person needed an annual income of $90,000 to afford to live independently in Harlem. Want to rent a decent 1 bedroom Apt in Harlem? $1,750/mo. is about the going rate. By the way, Harlem is the 15th Congressional district of NYC, and the majority of the voters are Hispanic, NOT BLACK.

Re Noname..and Rangel getting voted out. Why was he just voted back in???? All throughout Harlem I see that poster with his face and Obama next to him like he is somebody over Obama.Why are they still allowed to hang as if this is true. And don't just blame Rangel.also look at Perkins and Wright. When The Black Liberation BkStore was supposedly moved to uplift the area did it ever come back. Bkl Bandit is an idiot so I won't even bother with his comment. When we were thrown out of City Hall for loudly telling them not to vote Yes on the Rezoning Plans for Harlem there was even a Black minister who called us "hooligans" and labeled us "who probably didn't even vote in elections". We did vote and that is why we were there to say NO. but the fix was in. Al Vann, Robert Jackson, Inez Dickens (led the charge to sell out Harlem) etc. Walk around the upper east side and the upper west side.That is the plan for all of NYC. This city is a real gangsters' paradise and you can't have a den of thieves and come up with something that is survivable. So how do you fight City Hall? " The Bloomberg Administration has signed 88 rezonings into law and continues to thrust these developer driven models of planning on traditional working class neighborhoods." So here is a template of how it is done. Just pass new laws and rezone your block for the auction. And Bloomberg had help, the very elected officials who were supposed to look out for the community. So look out when eminent domain comes your way. "Acquisition by Dispossession"

UM No Name. Mister C and Chris I'm the same person. Maybe you should have read the one that says REPOST! Since your comments came after my second post......

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BOREd