Professor Prabal De, CCNY 2014
Blog posts
Harlem Tour
010 years
While the tour we took last Friday was extremely informative, it was almost as equally disheartening. Many of the stops we made on the tour of what should have been historic landmarks were no longer the buildings and the places they once were, save for the Apollo theater. We were met with run down buildings, chain restaurants, and hair salons.
The Tree of Hope was one site of particular interest for me. After we visited it during the tour, I couldn’t help but wonder why the tree had been cut, and twice, no less. I researched a bit and found that the first Tree of Hope had been cut down to be used as firewood and material for souvenirs, which was somewhat appalling, although I suppose there may have a been a lack of resources in that time period. The reason why the second tree was also cut down is unclear. Again, it’s saddening to see some of the culturally significant objects being made to seem like they were of no real significance.
Despite my disappointment at the lack of preservation of the historical sites in Harlem, it was, at the very least, interesting and somewhat astonishing to see how much these places and the culture in Harlem have changed within the past one hundred years. It also makes me wonder what these places will look like after another hundred years, and if tours like the one we took will still be going to these same places in the future.
A Tour of West Harlem
010 years
by Maxwell Berkow
in Blog posts
Our class tour of West Harlem covered ground that I thought I was very familiar with. I live only a few minutes from many of the places we were and travel to 125th street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard regularly, but I was surprised by how many historical sites there are in the neighborhood. I knew about the Apollo Theater but that was it. I didn’t even know about the library where we stated our tour even though I drive past it every day from practice; I had always thought it was an extension of the hospital.
An upsetting fact that I learned on the tour was how many of the historical sites we visited were in ruin or already demolished. Specifically, the decrepit site of the New York Renaissance Basketball team surprised me. After hearing about its history, I thought that there would have been more support to preserve it. Unfortunately, this theme of disappearing landmarks became a theme on the tour. The Tree of Hope, and the Lafayette Theater that the tree was located outside of, are both now gone. Only a few pieces of the tree have been preserved and construction has already begun on the site of the Lafayette Theater. The new metal Tree of Hope placed on the ground where the original tree stood is a nice sentiment, but it lacks prominence of a real tree. Ironically, what appears to have lasted the best are the townhouses that failed to sell when they were originally built.
Interesting Inwood
010 years
The most interesting I found about Inwood is how much of Manhattan it does NOT represent.
When you think of Manhattan, you think of skyscrapers. You think of business men in expensive suits traveling into the financial center of the United States. You think of thousands of tourists hustling and bustling their way through Times Square. You think of thousands of cars, if not the dozens of train lines that encompass the world under Manhattan. You think of the capital of the world.
The closest you may come to thinking about nature is Central Park. Yet, not many people think of Inwood. I have lived in New York my entire life and not even heard of this northern tip of Manhattan. That is why visiting this neighborhood was such a fulfilling and engaging experience.
The first thing I noticed was how ‘natural’ the community was. Being right next to the Hudson River, and encompassing so much forestry such as Ft. Tyron Park, Inwood Hill really gives off the vibe of being one with nature. Of course, my thoughts might be biased because our class strolled by the Cloisters in Ft. Tyron Park, but it should be noted that there are other parks in the neighborhood, such as the much bigger Inwood Hill Park. All in all, Inwood presents itself as green, which you really wouldn’t find in most other parts of Manhattan.
As for the Cloisters, I felt like the museum fit perfectly into the neighborhood. From what I understand, the Cloisters offers art and artifacts from the Medieval era of Western civilization, and it fits quite well with the antiquity that Inwood presents.
Speaking more on this ‘antiquity’, Inwood really does not seem to represent so much change as the rest of Manhattan does. Rather, it seems to represent the preservation of how Manhattan looked in the olden days. These ‘olden days’ could mean just a few decades ago, as some pubs that made their names in the 20th century are still functioning today. Or, antiquity could date back to as far as the 18th century, as farmhouses like the Dychman Farmhouse is still standing today.
What amazes me the most is how such a glance into Manhattan’s, and New York’s, past is so close by. Just a few extra stops on the A train seems to take someone through a time machine into the past. Really, Inwood should be commended for preserving history, as other neighborhoods of New York fail to do so.
Historic Harlem
110 years
The most notable aspect to note about Harlem is its history. Not just what is still left today, but how it’s remembered. In general, it’s safe to say that the history of Harlem can’t be determined by a stroll through the neighborhood — it can only be remembered by people that choose to remember certain aspects of the history.
To illustrate the point I’m trying to make, I will give a few examples. Take the Tree of Hope. This symbol is not present in the location it was several decades ago. Without the stories and the recollections of someone that remembers the Tree of Hope, as well as its significance, no one would really be able to tell the importance of what this tree used to symbolize. No one would really comprehend the meaning of the replacement tree at the Apollo Theater or the little plaque that stands where the tree used to stand. Clearly, the rich practices of Harlem are only remembered by people that choose to help retain history.
Next, we can look at present day nail salons. Back in the day, there were hotspots where people used to come to drink, dance, spend time together, and all in all have a good time. People used to come together at night to make these places just part of the vibrant community. Nevertheless, today, those hot spots that were a vital part of the night life have all disintegrated into nail salons and restaurants. I am not offering the statement that nail salons and fast food joints are not a community hotspot, but I am stating that night clubs are more vibrant than their current replacements are. Take the famous Big Apple Night Club. In the midst of a tenement building, this was one of the more popular places to spend the night in Harlem. Today, it is a Popeye’s. Even though this restaurant got an A, it’s still not the same thing as what used to stand in its place. Unless they are educated by people that choose to remember the Big Apple Night Club, the customers of that Popeye’s Restaurant probably have no idea of the importance of where they are eating.
A final example I want to make concerns the building where the Harlem Globtrotters used to play. That building, before it was a part time basketball stadium, was also know for being a ballroom hall where musicians used to fill the building with jazz and with life. People all the way from Chicago would perform for entertainment and for comedy. The basketball team garnered so much support and had fun playing for decades at this location. And today this edifice is scheduled to be demolished. Most people that walk by that building today have no idea of the rich history that it represents. But those who choose to remember and study the history realize that the scheduled demolition is actually a travesty.
To hammer the nail through the coffin, take what the founder of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture did. Someone once told him that African Americans do NOT have any [memorable] history. He made it his life mission to prove that person wrong, by collecting hundreds of pieces of African American literature and memories. He understood the maxim of life: history is only remembered by people that choose to remember certain aspects of the past. He chose to remember. Will people of our generation do the same?
Our Connection to History
010 years
After living on campus for so long, I feel like many of us do overlook the historical significance of living in Harlem. Sure, now we often hear rumors about certain neighborhoods to avoid, but it wasn’t always like this. We first started at the Schomberg Center, which we learned was one of the first research libraries dedicated to African descent culture and contained one of the largest archives of African American works. However, one of the more overwhelming facts was hearing that when Langston Hughes first came to NYC, his prime destination visits were to this library and the YMCA down the street. It’s astounding to think that we are visiting the places that so many significant historical figures contributed to. As we stood outside and marveled over the rustic architecture, perhaps Langston Hughes and countless others were feeling the same?
Another memorable location we visited was the construction site of the former Lafayette Theater, which was the first theater to desegregate. I just couldn’t believe how all these areas with such historical and cultural significance could be torn down. That eliminates the connection we have to the great figures who contributed and fought so hard to establish that significance. So many of the former popular nightclubs and ballrooms and social centers have all been closed and all that remains are the skeletal remnants that people pass by without realizing all the stories that have happened right there in front of them. I appreciate our opportunity to walk and get a glimpse of some of these stories even though there wasn’t much to see at first glance.
It feels rather sad to see how, as Rick put it, Harlem has passed its heyday. It’s very hard to find that same spirit of a flourishing, cultural community. It’s such a shame that Harlem now brings up a negative connotation rather than the memories of a thriving birthplace for African American culture.
Oasis
010 years
The subway held no wonders for me and the Dunkin’ Donuts breakfast had started the day off on the wrong foot. I mean hash-brown. The wrong hash-brown. Perhaps if I had devoured deviled eggs at the tea room…
The bustle of the the city had vanished. There was no clear pollution in the air, there were crisp breaths in and out of my lungs as I saw middle aged couples jog down their routine paths. How do I know it was a routine path? I had absolutely no discernible idea, it was the place itself, their run looked practiced, worn over. The run had become part of their relationship and for my curious pair of eyes, they were ingrained into a landscape painting of Fort Tryon Park’s slanting path.
Retracing my steps I found myself in a European landscape. An early birth had separated Hudson Heights from its midtown neighborhood brethren and made it the quiet one in the family. And I for one had found my favorite in the family. A welcoming vibe ushered me through its winding walkways and uneven terrain. The family trait of a grid structure was diminished in Hudson Heights and this metropolis as I knew from innumerable movie introductions turned around to reveal an unseen facet… and it was beautiful.
Nestled cozily within the semi-ultra-urban neighborhood lay Dyckman House, peacefully resting as visitors walked by, peering in but unable to quite disturb an old established silence. A blanket of history kept the silence intact as the woman ushered us through it’s hallways and proudly pointed towards the remnants of a life style that led the world centuries earlier. It was beautiful for what it was and the fire crackled a warmth as I imagined a well deserved evening’s rest in the armchair. The weather was in perfect sync to keep things at a cool slow pace, nothing to jump and surprise the bejabbers out of us. The walk was a trip into the past while consistently reminded of the present and the people of New York revealed yet another side to them. And it was beautiful.
Eyes on Bangladesh
010 years
Eyes of Bangladesh did an amazing job presenting a variety of images all displaying different aspects of the country. Different styles of photography combined with different subjects, such as Old Dhaka, independence, economic classes, and environmental damage, kept the viewer interested at each instillation. The first installation, telling the story of one man’s mother, also helped to keep the exhibit interesting as it incorporated sound and framed its pictures differently.
That being said, I preferred the way that most of the exhibit was presented to this first installation. The absence of frames accentuated the photographs where a frame would have distracted. The use of a frame would distract even more from some of the many smaller photographs that were displayed. This would have directly affected my favorite installation in the exhibit: the second installation about Old Dhaka.
I thought that the many photographs of Old Dhaka provided the viewer a good perspective of the area. The photographs displayed many different scenes from celebration, to shaving, to a child alone in the street. This assortment of subjects made the installation extremely interesting, urging the viewer to look at each image individually rather than the group of photographs as one piece of art. In addition to the subjects, the framing of the images and the fact that they were all in black and white were two aspects of the art that I enjoyed. These characteristics made the images more powerful to me as well as making them interesting to look at. My favorite image was the one of a solitary man with a water basin surrounded by crows. Although it is difficult to understand everything that is going on in this image, it is just an amazing photograph. From the way that it is framed to the positioning of the animals I like everything about this picture.
I thought that the exhibit was well done and well rounded. The different installations had a variety of subjects that anyone could find appealing. It is incredible that it was put together with such a low budget.
