Ralph Ellison…once a neighbour
March 31, 2008
I took a little break last week, which is why I haven’t posted in a while. I needed to recharge my batteries…
But the break was actually well worth it because on my walks through the neighbourhood I couldn’t believe when I found out that I’ve been living so close to where the African-American writer Ralph Ellison once lived.
Hamilton Heights, Spanish Harlem (People give it so many names I’m not sure where I live) – But anyway it’s rich in culture.
For those who don’t know, Ellison was best known for his novel Inivisible Man. But writing was not only his profession, he was also a photographer, musician and sculptor.
It’s pretty surreal to think that I’m probably walking the same streets that he walked on and seeing the same things that he did but through my own eyes…
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April 1, 2008 at 3:15 am
Well let me clarify it for you.
You probably live in Hamilton Heights, provided you reside somewhere between West 135th Street and West155th Streets from Edgecombe/Bradhurst/St. Nicholas Ave in the east to the Hudson River aka North River to the west.
Witin Hamilton Heights you have several sub neighborhoods, Sugar Hill at the north east corner of Edgcombe Avenue and below it you have a section known Carmanville. Then from roughly West 139th Street to West 133rd Street between Amsterdam adn Edgcombe you have th old Vinegar Hill neighborhood, the Fire House on 139th Street is called the Vinegar Hill Fire House.
Most of City College is included within Vinegar Hill at one time a mostly Irish and some Spanish (Spaniards & Cubans)population that worshipped at Our Lady of Lourdes and The Annunciation.
The area between West 136th Street and West 138th Street on Broadway/Hamilton Place is known as Hamilton Square, the little triagular park now called Montefiori used to be Hamilton Sq. nad most people who knows about it want to name returned in honor of Alexander Hamilton. Montefiore Hospital used to be when the McDonalds and HSBC Bank are now and when it left some idiots decided to rename the Park but the are remains Hamilton Square.
And lastly the whole of Hamilton Heights is located in WestSide Harlem aka West Harlem.
Spanish Harlem is located in East Harlem and used to be known as Italian harlem and before that as Jewish Harlem.
The real Black cultural centre was what today is referred to as Central Harlem parts of which used to be known as Africaville in the early deays of the 20th Century.
In the WestSide as it is still referred by old Harlemites used to live many White ethnicities, Itlaians, Greeks, Germans, Irish, Spaniards/Cubans,Poles Jews and many light colored Blacks and mixed-race couples as this was not only a very diverse community but also very tolerant and it is still is one of the most diverse and tolerant beautiful area to live in and now also one of the safest although noise is still a problem as the Dominican population seems to be deft and generous with their music at all hours of day and night, but that is also changing and more new comers are once again helping to increase the rich diversity of the area.
April 1, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Thanks Roland! I’ve beeen confused since I arrived to the area. People have told me different things but you sound right because you’ve nailed the streets where I live in between and a couple people have mentioned Hamilton Heights.
“Dominican population seems to be deft and generous with their music”…lol, yes they are very generous with the level of their music. I’m guessing it will get even louder during the summer.
But I do like where I live, it’s very vibrant, diverse and people seem really warm and approachable.
I’ve also heard that Harlem may lose it authenticity with its regeneration plans. I suppose we shall see what happens…