116 Street

The printing press in 2018 on 116 Street

Another picture of the side of a building I took in East Harlem

Image I took after getting off the B train

A picture of the Exit sign of the train station

East side Harlem 1920

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to take a trip to 116 Street in Harlem and walk around as if I was Irene Redfield. I took a trip to 116 and 7th Ave specifically so that I could possibly find the grounds of the printing press she went to in the novel and I actually found out that it is now a UPS Store.

This speaks on gentrification because UPS is the 2018 version of a “1920’s printing office” and I found that to be very exciting. 116 Street is divided    by the East side and the West side. The East side which has Avenues like Lexington is more “upper class” or more for the middle class opposed to the West side which has boulevards like ” Malcom X Boulevard” and is seen as places for the working class. I noticed that I couldn’t walk on one block without seeing at least 10 stores back to back.

The workers were sitting outside conversing or attempting to grab locals from outside into their shops. For example after passing a hair salon, an African lady asked if I wanted to come in. This happened at least three times.

 

 

 

Sources:

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. “Block 116: Duane Street between Church Street and West Broadway (south side)”The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1999. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/bc3bede1-6bca-cebb-e040-e00a18064596