Protest in East Harlem against gentrification -

These people protesting are ridiculous. In the past 5 years Harlem has completely cleaned up and they are in better living conditions than ever. This protest is basically drug dealers who are asking for their turf back. No luck crackies. Go somewhere else. Manhattan is too valuable for your kind.

Welcome to Manhattan people! Did you think even Harlem (or any other predominatly minority area) would be able to avoid gentrification?!? Keep dreaming. Money talks, BS walks, especially in the most important city in America.

When the more downtown areas are done being gentrified, there's nowhere to move but UPTOWN baby!!!

I like how they set up their tents outside the agency building in protest...and they weren't even open!!! ROTFLOL

either pay the rents or GTFO the choice is yours! You have been on the rent control tit for so long your lips are permenently pursed! The money is in Manhattan ! The land owners don't want to hear that you always lived here! They want to open another Starbucks and Gap and Ralph Lauren etc!

ever go down 117th street, u need a bullet proof vest and an M1 Abrams tank. This is a war zone and will stay that way until the city raises taxes enough to make people move.

The protestors don't want the landlords who bought properties at market value to rent them at market value.....Do they expect the landlords to LOSE money so that they can stay?

A few years ago, there was a protest becuase there were no chain stores, banks, and national franchises in Harlem...Now people are complaining that there are too many?

Crime is down double digits in my precinct. I dont care how many rich white people move in as long as my wife can walk safely to and from the subway.

Finally, cultural heritage has nothing to do with economic prosperity....are these protestors trying to say that burnt out buildings, and drug fronts are the heritage of the Barrio?

Antonio,

If you are rent-controlled... you are safe.

If you bought when they were begging us to buy in the 80's and no whitey would come north of 96th....your rich.

If you are squatting for free...break out.

I am Life long in Harlem, but no one gave me nothing for free....And I aint giving no one anything for free now that I got some.

Perhaps if we did away with welfare housing, rents paid by working folk wouldnt rise quite as quickly?

Harlem Resident wrote:

The protestors don't want the landlords who bought properties at market value to rent them at market value.....Do they expect the landlords to LOSE money so that they can stay?
A few years ago, there was a protest becuase there were no chain stores, banks, and national franchises in Harlem...Now people are complaining that there are too many?
Crime is down double digits in my precinct. I dont care how many rich white people move in as long as my wife can walk safely to and from the subway.
Finally, cultural heritage has nothing to do with economic prosperity....are these protestors trying to say that burnt out buildings, and drug fronts are the heritage of the Barrio?

So refreshing, please run for some form of public office.....

It's a shame that these people feel put-upon by the city. More importantly, though, great article. Prize-worthy prose if ever I've seen them. Is this guy a freelancer or a novelist who deigned to work for Newsday on Sunday? They need more like Mr. Chayes in the newsroom, seems to me.

These are the issues that affect poor minorities the most, but our so-called leaders would not address them, they care about old white men who make not so funny comments and rich white girls who get themselves into trouble.
I walk around Harlem and observe all the new realestate going up and I must that I like it. It saddens me though, because I see the residents walking around aimlessly, not knowing whats going on around them.
If white folks can get things done in the neighborhood such as trash pick-up and taxi service I am all for it.

What has happened in recent times along with the gentification process there are a group of African immigrants that have done pretty well for themselves with the opening of street side cafes and other businesses. I find it very interesting because we hardly had any black owned busineses in the community.

why is there so much hate on the internet. perhaps the anonymity of a comment stream makes people more confident in spewing hateful, racist, intolerant and ignorant rants.

just a few thoughts and clarificaitons:

"General patton" - El Barrio is not that dangerous. At least the residents are not that dangerous. They are mostly working class families of color who are more likely to work their hearts out selling delicious tamales for a dollar than
committing a crime. In fact, I have been harassed on the streets of East Harlem more by police than by my fellow neighbors. Also, tenants are not being pushed out by government taxes. They are being pushed out by criminal landlords who break the law by purposefully neglecting building maintenance, pushing out current residents so that they can raise rents beyond the legal yearly percentage.

"Harlem Resident" - This protest was not about fighting 'market rate' rentals. This protest was about fighting rent increases that are above the legal yearly percentage. There is a good reason why rent increases are regulated. Because HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT and we must protect low income people's right to have stable and sanitary housing. Just because you have a low paying job does not mean you should be homeless or have to move once a year. If rent hikes were not regulated our society would be burdened with higher rates of homelessness, crime, poverty and drug abuse (all results of the desperation of displacement).

"Shadow1" - You forgot the 'white men' part of your gentrification definition. Not all of us can become white men by going to college. In fact a lot of us can't afford the leisure time or financial means to get this 'college education.' We all know it is important but - in a privatized education economy - we don't all have the resources. And if we did all get an education, than the value of a college degree would deflate. The Coup said it best, "If everybody in the ghetto had a PhD, you'd say 'that doctor flipped that burger hella good for me.'"

"Paul" - I get the sense from your question that you are very confused. What is this connection you are trying to make between 'well-fair housing' and rent increases? I believe the official neo-con analysis criticizes high taxes not high rents. Maybe you should play closer attention to Bill Oriely.

frown wrote:

why is there so much hate on the internet. perhaps the anonymity of a comment stream makes people more confident in spewing hateful, racist, intolerant and ignorant rants.
just a few thoughts and clarificaitons:
"General patton" - El Barrio is not that dangerous. At least the residents are not that dangerous. They are mostly working class families of color who are more likely to work their hearts out selling delicious tamales for a dollar than
committing a crime. In fact, I have been harassed on the streets of East Harlem more by police than by my fellow neighbors. Also, tenants are not being pushed out by government taxes. They are being pushed out by criminal landlords who break the law by purposefully neglecting building maintenance, pushing out current residents so that they can raise rents beyond the legal yearly percentage.
"Harlem Resident" - This protest was not about fighting 'market rate' rentals. This protest was about fighting rent increases that are above the legal yearly percentage. There is a good reason why rent increases are regulated. Because HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT and we must protect low income people's right to have stable and sanitary housing. Just because you have a low paying job does not mean you should be homeless or have to move once a year. If rent hikes were not regulated our society would be burdened with higher rates of homelessness, crime, poverty and drug abuse (all results of the desperation of displacement).
"Shadow1" - You forgot the 'white men' part of your gentrification definition. Not all of us can become white men by going to college. In fact a lot of us can't afford the leisure time or financial means to get this 'college education.' We all know it is important but - in a privatized education economy - we don't all have the resources. And if we did all get an education, than the value of a college degree would deflate. The Coup said it best, "If everybody in the ghetto had a PhD, you'd say 'that doctor flipped that burger hella good for me.'"
"Paul" - I get the sense from your question that you are very confused. What is this connection you are trying to make between 'well-fair housing' and rent increases? I believe the official neo-con analysis criticizes high taxes not high rents. Maybe you should play closer attention to Bill Oriely.

Rent Control, During WWII the city was crowded with people working for the war effort. New people needed for the jobs were not able to afford the rents in N.Y. The government came up with the temporary plan to freeze rents. That plan is still in effect in N.Y.! the landlord is stuck with subsadizing his own housing! This led to the wholesale abandoning of the apartment buildings in the marginal neighborhoods.Harlem, Bed Sty, South Jamaica, South Bronx etc. etc. The price of fuel went up and the landlords weren't making any money, In fact some of them begged the city to take them off their hands! So rent control for the landlord is poison! But the tenant loves it 60 years later!

FAT TONE wrote:

HARLEM RESIDENT...REMEMBER ONE THING
I DO CARE HOW MANY RICH WHITE FOLK MOVE IN TO MY NIEGHBORHOOD.
GENTRIFICATION=RACISM
AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMEONE TRY TO GET ME OUT OF MY HOUSE.
THANK YOU
ANTONIO

Tone, by the same though process, couldnt "Whitey" say the same, IE "No blacks in my hood"

Then we'd have sharpton protesting.

If the words of Charles Barkley " I can move whereveer you can"..

Segregation ended, get over it

FAT TONE wrote:

THIS HAS BEEN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD FOR YEARS AND NOW ALL OF THE SUDDEN ITS COOL AND THEY ARE TRYING TO PUSH US OUT.
I WILL SAY IT AGAIN ONE MORE TIME. TRY AND MOVE ME OUT OF MY HOUSE. PLEASE TRY.
VERY TRULY YOURS
ANTONIO

It's called eminent domain, and the government can do it whenever they like.