Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Finding Myself in Harlem - Cookout Style

DAY SEVEN (Interviewing Trip #2)

Memorial Day 2007
Started off with a ride from West Orange, NJ to Hoboken, NJ - home of baseball and Frank Sinatra. Stopped by a friend's place that I hadn't visited since my last trip and then made our way into the city via the Lincoln Tunnel.


After picking up a friend we headed back uptown to Harlem to have a cookout at the park. Actually, we had to cook everything at home and then carry it to the park. A far cry for those of us used to throwing everything in the back of a vehicle and driving somewhere for a holiday. Anyway, it was another perfect day. Sunny skies, a nice breeze and a nice shady spot in St. Nicholas Park, started out our little picnic.

All around us other families were cooking, talking, playing games, riding scooters, buying ice cream from the Mister Softee truck and just being happy. It really made me glad to be in Harlem.

Later we returned home and had a few drinks in front of the fans, (No A/C here folks)before heading downstairs to sit on the stoop. A few days earlier I met a neighbor, a large guy, goes by the name: "Teddy Bear" who was having a cookout/block party. He had a DJ, a huge grill, a radio station, and a bubble machine. We sat and listened to the music on into the night and had our picture taken on the stoop - sorry I don't have a digital copy. Again it was a great time.


I have to admit that before I came here - I was a little scared of Harlem. There is certainly a stereotype about the place. When I told people back home that this is where I was going to be staying they would say things like. "Don't get shot!" But honestly after spending a week here I have completely changed my mind.
Harlem is a great community, the people are strong, friendly, open minded and seem to want to know every body. It is truly a place where an individual is encouraged to express themselves. If you have a voice people want to hear it and they want you to say hello, have a good day, how ya doin?, etc. It is not a place to put your head down and try to walk by without greeting anyone.

And really I think it is a place that I will enjoy as I start my New York adventure.


Expenses:

Beer $8 (I think perhaps I should question why the largest chunk of my budget went to beer)
Photo with friend on the stoop $6

Total $14

4 comments:

Brittany said...

As a fellow recent grad eagerly awaiting my move to NYC, I just thought I would say I am enjoying reading about your experiences. Thank you for the earlier links; I hope to find useful info.
Best of luck.

HarlemBrown said...

Hello,

I'm interested in using your panoramic photo of Harlem for my blog site. I'm currently located at technicalities.blogspot.com, but I'm moving to to a new site and would like to use your photo.

Please send me an e-mail when you have time.

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I'm interested in using your panoramic photo of Harlem for my blog site.

Moving Texas

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