Harlem Fashions

This year I totally avoided downtown Fashion Week, but luckily I had a chance to experience the Uptown version, which was a Salon-style soiree. Hosted by Donna Dove and featuring numerous Harlem designers such as The Grandmaster Taijay, Phillip Deccu and some offerings from the crew at Bebe Noir, this was a refreshing experience full of creative and warm people.
On the way, everyone was preppin' for Friday night.

Some of Donna's wonderful creations...







Nykhor and Papa discuss all things African!




The Grandmaster himself!

Dreamcoat,

detail.

Paco is the happiest man alive!



Deccu, master of the handbag!



Detail of stitching and fabric.


The amazing 4x reversible bag (2 shown here).




The beautiful and ebulient Nykhor!


Stay Classy, Harlem!

Church Barbeque

I doubt this is what they had in mind...

Nearby is the perhaps the oldest sign still in Harlem!


Sorry posts have been spotty...Ive been spending a lot of time over at Origin of Species, stalking hawks and such. I will return in a week or so with some updates on Harlem, cheers!

Northern Manhattan Bike Tour, Part Deux!

I have long been fascinated with Broadway Bridge, which is located at the Manhattan terminus of Broadway. Aside from its magically levitating road-deck and magestic span, this Bridge is a crossroads of trains, cars, boats, airplanes and even peregrine falcons!

Heading back south from here, one can still encounter the last vestiges of industrial Manhattan be it the 1/9 maintenance yard, or the sanitation depot.


This stretch of Bway is also host to many great graffiti murals including the fading Tats Cru 9-11 Memorial Wall and numerous old school dedication pieces.

Along the Harlem River, one can find a faded marina, now being revamped, known as Swindler's Cove.

From here, the journey continues along the bottom of Highbridge Park...




At this point, the last remaining piece of the Greenway is yet to be completed, so one must exit at the 155th St. ramp, which goes past the Polo Grounds.

Technically this is still Harlem, but the nabe here foreshadows the elements North in WaHi. They even have their own version of the Harlem Smartcar!

Still, there is great architecture...

courtesy of you know who!

125th St. and North Bike Tour (Part 1)

Because walking 5 miles on Saturday wasnt enough, I decided to bike all of Upper Manhattan on Sunday. The Nature part of this trip can be found on Harlem Hybrid's sister site, Origin of Species, while here I'll stick to the Arts and Architecture. As part of a joint State and City effort, there is now almost a continuous greenbelt surrounding Manhattan. Starting at the newly opened Harlem Piers, I then traveled North to Inwood, over to Broadway Bridge, and then down the Harlem River. Here's a shot of the ice flows on the Hudson, looking South at Riverside Church.

Some random manifesto along the way...

and the Love Shak finally caves in.

View North towards the GWB.

Random shot from under the West Side Highway.

The GWB itself...




A bit north along the treacherous Henry Hudson Bikepath,

The Pumpking House. North from there is Ft. Tryon.

While across the River is St. Peter's.

Amazingly from this point, there's still 30 blocks left of Manhattan. That is the hilly domain of Inwood.


Up next, "Part Deux, the journey Home!"