Pizzeria 123 Followup

Some pix of the aftermath. Im glad everyone was ok, although in one of these pix, you can tell the owner was into concrete up to his hips by the residue on his jeans.


Hopefully no one has to go homeless over this...lets wait till all the facts are in before heads roll. I hope the prospective buyers at 2280 FDB are given the option of backing out. This story has legs, so I'll try to get info as best I can.
Packing up the firehoses (this is why false alarms can be such a bummer).


Impromptu press conf...

note tool taking cell phone pix in backround. Also note Ti-Hua Chang in lower right in taupe raincoat.
Night shots.

2280 FDB Building Collapse

I really want Harlem Hybrid to be a forum for positivity, but I just couldn't ignore the cavalcade of sirens, helicopters and fire trucks that interrupted my daily yoga. Apparently the building next to the 2280 FDB construction site suffered a partial collapse as they were shoring up its southern retaining wall. It does appear there are people trapped underneath the debris on the first floor occupied by Pizzeria 1-2-3. More info as it becomes available. Here's some preliminary pix...


They had been pumping concrete up against the building to shore it up. But I guess the pressure for the retailing wall was too strong...

and it pushed it into Pizzeria 123.


Closeup of the damage.



Another prompt and professional response by the NYPD, FDNY and DOB. I hope everyone is ok.

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!