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Old 06-23-2011, 09:36 AM
 
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I was wondering about this old neighborhood and thought that if urban renewal didn't destroy it, would it have gone the way of a Harlem and been gentrified by now? I think it would have been due to the location between SU and Downtown.
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Old 06-23-2011, 09:58 AM
 
Location: DeWitt, NY
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That would be my guess. The small parts that remain have mostly succumbed to either the blight around it or to student off-campus housing.
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Old 06-23-2011, 10:32 AM
 
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I don't consider Harlem a desirable area as there are many parts that are still blighted and lined with low income, high rise projects filled with drug and gang activity. East Harlem or "Spanish Harlem" is still a complete slum. I would agree that Harlem has dramatically improved with a surge of market rate housing and retail that has put an upward pressure on rents. That being said, aside from Striver's Row (which by the way, was an affluent and desirable black neighborhood long before the development wave of the past decade ) and the beautiful brownstones in west Harlem closer to the Hudson River, I wouldn't call Harlem a desirable neighborhood as a whole. I routinely get a birdseye view of 125th Street and see nothing but garbage, graffiti and trash along the streets. Despite an influx of national discount retailers, Harlem's main drag still looks rundown and unkempt; although it is bustling with pedestrians and shoppers.

Personally, I think the 15th ward would have continued to be a depressed neighborhood from the 1960s up until several years ago. The recent growth of SU and SUNY Upstate may have sparked a renaissance, however.

Last edited by RollsRoyce; 06-23-2011 at 10:58 AM..
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Old 06-23-2011, 12:23 PM
 
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Good point about Harlem and I agree that there would be some degree of gentrification in recent years if the neighborhood was left alone.
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Old 06-23-2011, 01:17 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod View Post
Good point about Harlem and I agree that there would be some degree of gentrification in recent years if the neighborhood was left alone.
There is a very interesting church that is still standing in the old 15th ward near the new Center of Excellence. Unfortunately, it appears vacant. If the construction of the Biotech Center and demolition of Kennedy Square moved forward, perhaps the church and other historic, but dilapidated properties could become viable for redevelopment. There are some very interesting old buildings in the immediate area. I'd personally like to see the Uhaul building redeveloped into loft apartments or condos. I can imagine there are some pretty nice views of the University Hill and downtown skylines from the upper floors of that building.
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Old 06-23-2011, 01:43 PM
 
Location: Florida
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RollsRoyce View Post
I don't consider Harlem a desirable area as there are many parts that are still blighted and lined with low income, high rise projects filled with drug and gang activity. East Harlem or "Spanish Harlem" is still a complete slum. I would agree that Harlem has dramatically improved with a surge of market rate housing and retail that has put an upward pressure on rents. That being said, aside from Striver's Row (which by the way, was an affluent and desirable black neighborhood long before the development wave of the past decade ) and the beautiful brownstones in west Harlem closer to the Hudson River, I wouldn't call Harlem a desirable neighborhood as a whole. I routinely get a birdseye view of 125th Street and see nothing but garbage, graffiti and trash along the streets. Despite an influx of national discount retailers, Harlem's main drag still looks rundown and unkempt; although it is bustling with pedestrians and shoppers.

Personally, I think the 15th ward would have continued to be a depressed neighborhood from the 1960s up until several years ago. The recent growth of SU and SUNY Upstate may have sparked a renaissance, however.
Say what you want about Harlem, but I loved Sylvia's Restaurant on Malcomb X Blvd? I used to frequent her restaurant many times when I live in NYC. I loved the collard greens, yum!

Sylvia's - Queen of Soul Food
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Old 06-23-2011, 01:51 PM
 
Location: Not Oneida
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Thats one of the saddest stories in a string of sad stories that came out of that era.

All to build a stupid highway that is itself a blight on the land.

Read a story about how everybody kept an eye on the kids and so on. Whenever some punk pulled some crap his parents knew about it before he even got home. Then everyone had to scatter about town and the trouble started.

But when an area gets fixed up often there is friction between the people being squeezed out and the hipsters. Hard to say how it would be. Better then it is prolly.

On Harlem, I've spent some time there but not a ton so I don't wanna come off like I have. I get off the MTA train and walk to the subway. I like the area. I mean its all big city!!! Not super clean or well tended. Its a poor area and you know it. And I bet if I poked around abit I could get in trouble. But my few times everyone was real nice to me and whoever I was with. One time I got turned around alittle and needed some directions so I asked and one guy knew part of what I needed and he stopped another guy and he knew the rest. 100% positive experiences in Harlem. Spanish Harlem I have not had cause to visit but I'd prolly go. I'd be on high alert though.

Some of the most beautiful places in old cities are in the scariest areas. If ya wanna see them ya gotta have the nut. I'm careful about taking pictures though. I do see alot of things I'm not supposed to and no worries but a camera is a different matter completely.

Scary to me is most of Syracuse after about Noon, the Bronx and most of Queens. I've wandered enough cities to learn when its time to move on.
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Old 06-23-2011, 01:58 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RollsRoyce View Post
There is a very interesting church that is still standing in the old 15th ward near the new Center of Excellence. Unfortunately, it appears vacant. If the construction of the Biotech Center and demolition of Kennedy Square moved forward, perhaps the church and other historic, but dilapidated properties could become viable for redevelopment. There are some very interesting old buildings in the immediate area. I'd personally like to see the Uhaul building redeveloped into loft apartments or condos. I can imagine there are some pretty nice views of the University Hill and downtown skylines from the upper floors of that building.
It's the old building the People's AME Zion Church used until 1974. Another church used it for a little while after, but it's been vacant for years. There are talks of making it a community center or for a museum.

The Daily Orange (http://www.dailyorange.com/mobile/news/a-rise-and-fall-as-one-syracuse-church-is-forced-to-close-history-grants-another-new-life-1.1816024 - broken link)

http://www.nysparks.com/shpo/nationa...ZionChurch.pdf

There is a picture in the COE of the members standing in front of the church in the 1940's and the church was established in the 1830's or 1840's.
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Old 06-23-2011, 02:02 PM
 
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Also in the COE, there are pictures of the U-Haul building and it was a storage center in the past. Apartments there would be great.
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Old 06-23-2011, 02:10 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod View Post
It's the old building the People's AME Zion Church used until 1974. Another church used it for a little while after, but it's been vacant for years. There are talks of making it a community center or for a museum.

The Daily Orange (http://www.dailyorange.com/mobile/news/a-rise-and-fall-as-one-syracuse-church-is-forced-to-close-history-grants-another-new-life-1.1816024 - broken link)

http://www.nysparks.com/shpo/nationa...ZionChurch.pdf

There is a picture in the COE of the members standing in front of the church in the 1940's and the church was established in the 1830's or 1840's.

The church looks pretty good considering it was vacated more than 35 years ago. I hope the congregation can preserve the stained glass windows.
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