Daniela V wrote:
So...last night I was scheduled to go to a swimsuit fitting in NY..Harlem to be exact...this was a fitting for a swimsuit fashion show at the end of January. So I made my appointment and across the GWB, down the FDR I go...right into the middle of Harlem.

And I finally get to this designer's studio apartment..whatever it is- and there's NO PARKING. Anywhere. It's like NYC on New Year's without parking garages.

I called the designer and said, "hey, I've been driving around your block for ten minutes now and there's no parking- what do you suggest (i.e. do you know of a parking garage that I missed? do you know where I could find additional parking? I'm not from Harlem and I'm not leaving my car in a remote area etc.)?"

She says: "Oh well- I don't know what to tell you- it's usually not that busy- maybe you could keep driving around or just park you car in the street and wait until someone gets out?"

....um.....

I say: "The streets are one way- I can't just park and wait- it's rush hour and people are using the streets to drive on them..."

She says: "Um...I don't know...maybe you could find something 5-10 blocks away and walk?"

Without being rude...

"Um- I'm not familiar with this area, and I'm by myself- I'd rather not walk 10 blocks to your apartment (thinking maybe she'd offer to walk with me)"

"Ok- well call me if you find parking" *click*

**dials James Graham**

"Hi- I can't find parking- where are we meeting in midtown?"
"Why are you in Harlem?"
"Yeah....bout that."

K- that's all- just wanted to share my story of my adventure to and out of Harlem last night. Hope you enjoyed.

-D-

Curious was it the ten block walk or the fact that it was through Harlem?

Tony Lawrence wrote:

Curious was it the ten block walk or the fact that it was through Harlem?

The fact that I had no idea where I was- was by myself and knew that there wasn't parking even within 10 blocks...

Model Sarah wrote:
Unfortunately people associate Harlem with "mean streets of NY".....whatever that is.  It really isnt that bad. I actually thought it was rather nice when I was there.

Yes, it is unfortunate.  Things have changed a lot.  At the corner of MLK Blvd. and Malcolm X Blvd, there's a Starbucks...

But yeah, parking blows, and the designer should have been more helpful.

Model Sarah wrote:
Unfortunately people associate Harlem with "mean streets of NY".....whatever that is.  It really isnt that bad. I actually thought it was rather nice when I was there.

I just wasn't comfortable being there for the first time, by myself, at night.

Brian Diaz wrote:
Yes, it is unfortunate.  Things have changed a lot.  At the corner of MLK Blvd. and Malcolm X Blvd, there's a Starbucks...

"What did Martin Luther King stand for? Non violence. I dont care where you at in America if your on MLK blvd. there is some violence going down. Like you call 9-1-1 'i'm lost and i'm on MLK' and the dispatcher says; 'RUN!!!' " - Chris Rock

This is about the only place I have seen that statement wasnt true. Funny though.

Niesha Studio wrote:
NYC now would get its ass kicked by NYC in the 80s.  Badly.

Totally.

The thing about Manhattan is, you're never alone.

Harlem has some of the most beautiful architecture in this city.  I've thought about moving to that area myself.Yes, Clinton does rent an office there, thereby driving up the rents all around him. Bastid.

And, yeah, damn those 19th century archtiects not planning for your SUVs!

rp_photo wrote:
Doesn't Clinton have an office there?

Yes.

Model Sarah wrote:

"What did Martin Luther King stand for? Non violence. I dont care where you at in America if your on MLK blvd. there is some violence going down. Like you call 9-1-1 'i'm lost and i'm on MLK' and the dispatcher says; 'RUN!!!' " - Chris Rock

This is about the only place I have seen that statement wasnt true. Funny though.

Word.  In Milwaukee, 3rd st turns into MLK just as it starts to get rough... that's funny stuff.

Star wrote:
Hey, I could be in Smallville and if I don't know the area, it is late at night, and I am expected to walk a mile in the dark. I probably will say no...

Daniela V wrote:
I just wasn't comfortable being there for the first time, by myself, at night.

Good. What a relief to know that society had adequately brainwashed 2 more women into being helpless potential victims, fearful of muggers and rapists around every corner.

Eric Muss-Barnes wrote:

Star wrote:
Hey, I could be in Smallville and if I don't know the area, it is late at night, and I am expected to walk a mile in the dark. I probably will say no...

Good. What a relief to know that society had adequately brainwashed 2 more women into being helpless potential victims, fearful of muggers and rapists around every corner.

Nope, I get lost easily

Also, what society has done is keep women from putting themselves into potentially dangerous situations. I am not model pretty, so I have never had any problems. BUT, to go somewhere alone in the dark kinda sounds like the start of a Buffy episode don't you think?

Star wrote:
Nope, I get lost easily

Also, what society has done is keep women from putting themselves into potentially dangerous situations. I am not model pretty, so I have never had any problems. BUT, to go somewhere alone in the dark kinda sounds like the start of a Buffy episode don't you think?

Harlem is constantly crowded and well-lit.  Unless she managed to wonder to somewhere in the Bronx, she'd have been fine.  And I think she'd have noticed the large-ish body of water before that happened.

Eric Muss-Barnes wrote:

Star wrote:
Hey, I could be in Smallville and if I don't know the area, it is late at night, and I am expected to walk a mile in the dark. I probably will say no...

Good. What a relief to know that society had adequately brainwashed 2 more women into being helpless potential victims, fearful of muggers and rapists around every corner.

You should really be careful with conclusions you jump to...did you ever think there might be a reason behind a fear of walking in a dark area that I'm not familiar with? Course you didn't. Clearly the designer didn't. I think it's highly inconsiderate to expect anyone to walk around in a neighborhood they are new too, in the dark, by themselves.

theda wrote:

Harlem is constantly crowded and well-lit.  Unless she managed to wonder to somewhere in the Bronx, she'd have been fine.  And I think she'd have noticed the large-ish body of water before that happened.

Well where I was- it was *not* well lit.

"I just wasn't comfortable being there for the first time, by myself, at night."

Greetings,

I have a buddy from N. Philly who feels the same way when he travels to the suburbs.  Go figure!

Take care,
AJ

theda wrote:
Harlem is totally safe.  The streets swarm with Columbia students 'round the clock.

uhhhh that is the beginning of Harlem... walk around the 140's late at night and I guarantee you will never say such silliness again!

Model Sarah wrote:

"What did Martin Luther King stand for? Non violence. I dont care where you at in America if your on MLK blvd. there is some violence going down. Like you call 9-1-1 'i'm lost and i'm on MLK' and the dispatcher says; 'RUN!!!' " - Chris Rock

This is about the only place I have seen that statement wasnt true. Funny though.

oh its still very true, there, very true.. i take nobodys on this forum doesnt buy drugs in that neighborhood?

Digital Al wrote:

uhhhh that is the beginning of Harlem... walk around the 140's late at night and I guarantee you will never say such silliness again!

You're right. Unless we know where in Harlem we're talking about, we really can't draw any conclusions.

Tony Lawrence wrote:
Ummm.  What about a cab?  I've taken a cab when I had to park far away
from where I wanted to be.

There are hardly any yellow cabs in Harlem, except for 125th Street. It's not like the rest of Manhattan.

Tony Lawrence wrote:

Curious was it the ten block walk or the fact that it was through Harlem?

Okay here comes the racial twist.  Ya knew it had to happen.  maybe it was the fact that she was alone, in a strange neighborhood, in New York City and was facing the prospect of walking ALONE!  Man doesn't matter if it was Harlem or the good old Mid-West, I doubt that she would feel safe walking alone at night regardless!

Star wrote:
Hey, I could be in Smallville and if I don't know the area, it is late at night, and I am expected to walk a mile in the dark. I probably will say no...

Star

Exactly, but the race card has to be played, you know that.

Jay Bowman wrote:
Lost in NYC?  They make it easy for you by numbering the streets...

Honestly, I can understand the apprehension and caution felt when in a place with which you are unfamiliar.  But I've never found parking in NYC to be a quick or pleasurable experience or Harlem to be particularly more dangerous than anywhere else.  I'm actually slightly more comfortable parking on the street with plenty of potential witnesses walking around as opposed to a parking garage out of sight.

If you get out of your car looking nervous and afriad, you're more likely to attract the attention you fear than if you simply walk around as if you belong there.  People are probably more concerned with their own business anyway.

I have visited NYC often and found parking to be almost impossible to find anywhere.. I also agree that if you walk like you are scared then people around you will feel it... conversly if you walk around like you know where you are going (even if you dont) and belong there then they wont bother you... they usually have too much of their sh*t to worry about other than u.

theda wrote:
Harlem is totally safe.  The streets swarm with Columbia students 'round the clock.

do they still have the globetrotters???

Harlem is totally safe.  The streets swarm with Columbia students 'round the clock.

since columbia university doesn't encompass the entirety of harlem that is a bit of an overstatement. even they know which areas are chill and which are not.

i think if anything, we should be saying, "hey, the neighborhood you were in was actually okay, but you were smart for trusting your gut rather than not."

all that said, daniela, what was the point of your original post?

Niesha Studio wrote:
NYC now would get its ass kicked by NYC in the 80s.  Badly.

lmao!