harlem

The feel on the streets of Harlem has been a bit different these past two days. It is not one thing in particular that I have seen or heard, but things are different.

Walking on Frederick Douglass Blvd, or passing the Harriet Tubman statue a few blocks away, or noticing afresh this morning that 125th Street is alternatively named Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Blvd... led me to pause and reflect just a bit more on the significance of November 4, 2008. My thoughts went to young Harriet Tubman- beaten, whipped, and sustaining a lifelong head injury at the hands of a slave owner- on US soil... a woman who then went on to live her life, sustained by the merciful grace of God, to rescue dozens of slaves through the Underground Railroad. My mind went to the thousands upon thousands who were whipped, cast down, spit upon, and mistreated in so many ways because of the color of their skin. It made me wonder what they dreamed of, what they hoped for, and what a brighter tomorrow looked like in their mind.

The hour and a half that I spent waiting in line with other Harlemites on Tuesday to vote was time well spent. I learned that typically there are between 5 and 6 people in the school gym voting at any given time of the day. This election, there were too many to count. Young, old, black, brown, white, dressed for the office or dressed for the streets- all of us waiting our turn in one gymnasium to be a part of the democratic process.

Tuesday evening, we went to sleep when it looked like the election was decided, although it would still be a few more hours until everything was official. The way we figured, that night there would either be riots, or there would be celebrations.

Being in a sports arena when the crowd roars is an exhilerating experience. Being awoken from your sleep by the roar of elation of an entire neighborhood is unforgettable.

For a neighborhood where many still view themselves as the cast down of this country, it was a big day. A triumphant day.

What a place to be, at this particular moment in human history.

Since all of the ruckus on Wall Street started, I've been hearing conflicting reports about how it has affected New York's insular real estate market. Of course, I primarily have my attention fixed on uptown neighborhoods. While I have heard elsewhere, and as reported here, that even booming Harlem has slowed, it still seems to me that they're throwing up buildings I can't afford faster than an uptown 3 train.

Last night, in one of my nonsensical ever-dreaming moods, I looked up real estate for sale in Harlem on Trulia. I was encouraged, sort of. We can almost afford a one bedroom. Almost. Seems like prices are coming down. Then I stumbled on to some interesting statistics:

According to Trulia's Real Estate Overview:

• Median Sale Price for homes in central Harlem is actually up 3.5% since Sept.
• Median Sale Price for homes in Morningside Heights is down 26.1% since Sept.
• Median Sale Price for homes in Hamilton Heights is actually up 6.4% since Sept.
• Median Sale Price for homes in Washington Heights is down 33% since Sept.
• Median Sale Price for homes in East Harlem is actually up 130% since Sept.

So Harlem's still going strong (for the moment), someday we might actually be able to afford Morningside Heights (what?!?) and we most definitely wont be able to afford to move to East Harlem (WHAT?!?!).

Here's a New York Times article commenting on the impact of the current economic disaster on Harlem. Turns out all these big banks and investment firms going under played a big part in the recent growth in Harlem.