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Archive for August 2007

Franco the Great! (Franco is the “Picasso of Harlem”)

August 11, 2007

My first and second trips to Harlem were, in part, to find the handiwork of Franco the Great. The local TV show “Cool in Your Code” had done a Harlem show and they had highlighted his work. His key claim to fame are the murals he has done on the big metal shutters that protect Harlem businesses each night (in fact, they are everywhere in Manhattan; every relatively small storefront seems to have that as their first line of protection against thieves). His work seems to be relatively immune from grafitti, too. He does very bright and Black/African themed works.

When I was walking on 125th Street today, I noticed two guys doing some painting. I looked a little closer and saw that one of them was none other than Franco the Great! Huzzah! He took a momentary breather and I asked if he was “the Franco”, he confirmed. I said that I had seen him on the show and he was surprised. He said he had never seen it and had no idea that it is still in re-runs. I told him that I might have it on my DVR and, if so, would get him a copy. Alas, it isn’t one of the ones I’ve saved.

He seems a terrific guy and was happy to pose.

Here’s what he was working on.

He pointed me to a nearby store (Half and Half?) where he has an inside mural.

Wonderful stuff. He does have a website: http://francothegreat.com/index.html

-H

Categories: Celebrity Points, Harlem, Manhattan, Wanderings

Comments: 1 Comment

An odd Harlem sales item

August 11, 2007

I’ve never been able to understand one item I always see on sale in Harlem. Scented oils. There are probably five to ten street vendors on 125th Street that sell it. Not having much of a sense of smell, it’s a moot point for me. The strange thing is that I don’t really remember seeing it for sale anyplace else. Just Harlem.

Here’s a typical vendor.

-H

Categories: Harlem, Manhattan, Wanderings

Comments: 1 Comment

Sylvia is the “Queen of Soul Food”

August 11, 2007

Sylvia’s is probably the best known restaurant in Harlem nowadays. She actually has two “Sylvia’s” restaurants right next to one another. I’m not particularly fond of soul food, but she is a local legend and I feel the obligation to show a picture (I gotta use that new camera to prove that it’s worthwhile).

Sylvia’s is located at about 126th St and Lenox Avenue. One thing that I’ve found interesting/pleasant/whatever about Sylvia’s is that a number of street vendors tend to group outside of her restaurant. Last year, I bought a score of “Harlem” hats for party favors from these vendors. It’s interesting, but you just can’t seem to find hats emblazoned with “Harlem” outside of NYC, so I was reasonably sure no one would have one already.

-H

Categories: Harlem, Manhattan, Wanderings

Comments: 2 Comments

Harlem’s attractiveness illustrated (with that neat new camera)

August 11, 2007

In celebration of the new camera, some photos of Harlem buildings and neighborhoods. (UPDATE: I’m using a new process to make them fit into the blog’s format. Before, they were thumbnails and oversized….a real pain.)

Here’s a snap looking southward from 125th and Lenox. I think of this area as the “heart of Harlem”. I don’t know if I’ve heard that somewhere or whether I’m just wrong. The church is Seventh Day Adventist.

Here’s a building on 125th Street.

Here’s a nice shot of an area next to Marcus Garvey Park. The area is wonderful.

Here are three quick photos taken around 127th through 137th Streets. I didn’t note exactly where, but they are between Lenox Avenue and Frederick Douglass Blvd.