Gunillocentrism – web diary of a freelance journalist

Hey, I have become a Harlem patriot! Only a couple of months ago, I was considering moving to some other neighborhood, such as trendy Park Slope or Cobble Hill in Brooklyn. Not because I wanted to leave Harlem per se, but simply because I thought it would be cool to try out living in some other place in New York, too. (After all, I have been in Harlem for almost five years! Who would have guessed?)

But now, I am considering moving to another apartment – in Harlem. I love my apartment, but wouldn’t mind living in a historic brownstone, or having access to a garden, or a terrace, being very close to Central Park…or something like that.
So, I am checking out the market just to see what’s out there. Usually, the rents are so high it doesn’t make sense for me to move. But today, I discovered a rental agency that even offers 2 bedroom apartments (in Swedish: “treor”) in Hamilton Heights (part of Harlem) for $850! Well _that_ must be in a rough and ugly house, but anwyay. Just to compare: 2BR’s in Chelsea would cost closer to $3,500–4,000/month.

When I read through lists with people who are looking for housing, for example at Craig’s List, I am surprised how many that absolutely refuse to even consider Harlem. One guy who wants something in Lower East Side wrote: “I am open to other locations as long as they are below Harlem. I mean it!”
I can totally see why one would like to live downtown, but still: why this hostility against Harlem? We get so much more space for the money up here…so it’s his loss.

And Harlem has changed tremendously – only the last couple of months! Of course, it has changed a lot over the last years (or it has always changed) but very recently lots of things that make _me_ feel more at home have happened: I have discovered literary and jazz salons, new people, cool restaurants, bars, shops…

Harlem also feels more diverse than ever. I am not a huge fan of ghettos – at least I prefer to live in areas with diversity myself. Today, when sitting for hours at Society (Harlem’s coolest café, with a NoLita feel to it, but as I wrote previously – lousy coffee!) I people-watched: lots of white people (hipsters/students, but also families, weirdos, regular people – all kinds), lots of blacks, of course – but also Hispanics, Japanese, Indian….you name it.
I also saw a Yemeni woman. At least she was dressed like Yemeni women are, based on my experience from living in Sana’a, all but her eyes covered. This is not spectacular, given the fact the most deli stores (and liquor stores!) in Harlem are managed by Yemeni men (who usually have their families back in Yemen, though) BUT this woman actually came into the hipsterish Society Café! That was spectacular, and I was dying to take a picture… But I didn’t.

Gunilla (still at Society! But now they are closing and will most likely kick me out very soon.)