09 October 2007

Across 110th Street...

Two if by Curbed...

Harlem 'Losing Its Identity' to Gentrification?

"This morning, amNY ventures into Harlem to take a look at businesses being forced out by increasing rents and gentrification, and suggests the neighborhood is "losing its identity." It appends a "?" mark, but residents and business owners leave no doubt about their opinions. One says the neighborhood's character is "being decimated, just lost in the wind." The article suggests that "at a moment when the whole city seems to be morphing into one giant chain store, Harlem is perhaps the neighborhood most in danger of losing its distinctiveness." Guess all that stuff last week about 125th Street being one of the country's "great streets" for "bringing in 'globalized' retailers, such as Old Navy and Starbucks, without driving out mom-and-pop businesses" is subject to interpretation. "

· Is Harlem losing its identity? {amNY}
· High rents displacing small businesses {amNY}
· Harlem Gentrifiers Rise Up, Demand Chipotle {Curbed}

After $1 Million Repair, Willie B.'s Watch Still Can't Tell Time

"The clock on the old Williamsburgh Savings Bank Building, aka One Hanson, is costing Magic Johnson a lot of money, and it's still not working. Today's Daily News reports that the clock project at the 189-unit luxe condo project is behind schedule and over-budget. So far, fixing the clock has cost $1 million. For that price, one might expect to be able to look up and see what time it is. Not so old Willie B., because the clock "is still not expected to tell the correct time for several more months." Apparently, there was "a lot more deterioration than anticipated." The watch repair was originally supposed to cost $410,000. About half of the scaffolding that went up last September has come down in the last two weeks--about to the top of the clock. The lobby sure looks great, though."

· Renovation on clock tower over budget and out of time {NYDN}
· One Hanson Finally Shedding Its Skin {Curbed}

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