5th Ave. Fire

Not wanting to dull the euphoria of the past few days, I've been holding off on this post of a fire that I perchance witnessed on Election Day. Located on the 8th Floor of Schomberg Plaza, which is on the corner of 110th St. and 5th Ave., the FDNY response was rapid and well co-ordinated. Having experienced the terror of a buidling fire in 2000, I cannot overstate how important the job these courageous men and women do for us on a daily/nightly basis. Here's a bit of the action...
Heavy smoke pours from an 8th floor bedroom,


Loads of firefighters respond,



and make their way up to the fire.



Evacuating all of the residents.

Here, now its finally out!


While some of the firemen were milling about, I overheard them talking about a past fire at this same location that sounded truly terrifying. Apparently the fire was so out of control that people were jumping out of their windows. I guess this is why there response to this incident was so on-point. In the words of one resident..."You go FDNY, Control your area!!!"

Across 110th St.

"I was the third brother of five,
doing whatever I had to do to survive.
Now Im not saying what I did was alright,
trying to break out of the ghetto is a day-to-day fight."
--Bobby Womack, "Across 110th St."
Living across from Central Park for eight years, I saw a lot of things go down. On more than one occasion I found crack either just in the Park or in front of my lobby. Alot has changed since then, but the spectre of drugs lies still lies just below the surface. Much of the recent violence in the area is due to rival drug gangs. Such activity seems at odds with the new crop of million dollar lofts. This cognitive dissonance can be hard to get one's head around, but I vividly remember the day that this neighborhood forever tilted in the direction of gentrification. It was a rainy night early 2002 and I had to get up before sunrise to go to my shitty job. I noticed the chicken place on 111th and Lennox was taped off with yellow police tape, as I ducked into the 2,3 station. Later that day I read that two dealers where shot by undercover DTs when they pulled out on them during an undercover buy. One of the dealers died, and the wounded one was tried and convicted of attempted murder of a police officer. After that, this block chilled way out, and paved the way for this next and second wave of gentrification...culminating in 111 Central Park North.
Breaking all records for apartments sold above 96th St., 111 CPN stridently boasted on its barricades, "Condos starting at 1.5 Million." I heard more that one derisive comment regarding that phrase while waiting for the bus.
Still, it is a purty buidling...
a little to shiny for my taste. Im sure the views are killer.
Here's a spot that about to be developed next to the one remaining SRO on the block.
And the venerable Lincoln Correctional Facility!
I think this traffic circle is still 1 year from completion!
Now people only sell fresh produce in Morningside Park!
Avalon Bay...rents starting at $3000
The views are amazing!
My current buidling, The Dwyer, from Avalon Bay 14th floor.
Crazy amenities too...great life if you can afford it!