Michael Henry Adams Prophecy Comes True: Paramus, NJ Moves To Harlem
I called Harlem historian Michael Henry Adams yesterday to break the news when I saw the sign at 124th St. and Manhattan Avenue announcing that a Chuck E. Cheese's will soon open. "Oh lord," he said. "First an IHOP, now Chuck E. Cheese's."
Michael has long predicted that Harlem's revival is being managed in such a way that the neighborhood's history will be lost, and we will end up with Paramus, NJ. I'd say that with the opening of Manhattan's only Chuck E. Cheese, above a Nine West Outlet, he has hit the nail right on the head.
I tried to get a colorful quote from him on Chuck E. Cheese's, encouraging foul language, but he is good at sticking to message. Michael said that he laments places like IHOP and Chuck E. Cheese's opening up when Harlem is loosing its cultural treasures. He readily gave two examples. The Museum of the American Indian moved to the Financial District, and St. Thomas the Apostle, on 118th between St. Nicholas and Frederick Douglass, lost its side alters to St. Patrick's Cathedral, and its main alter to a jackhammer.
When asked why he thinks this is happening, Michael does not hold back. "It is just an inevitability when you have people like the mayor and other politicians who see Harlem as the lowest common denominator." He compares them to a marauding army of the past taking spoils.
Well, at least Bill Perkins, who made the rat problem a central issue, is runnign for office again. Perhaps he can go after this rodent on day one.
Anyway, Michael's day was not all bad. When I called, he was preparing for a photo shoot with the Times for his role in the Museum of the City of New York's upcoming exhibit "Black Style Now." The exhibit, which opens September 9th, explores the history of African-American style and its influence on design. Michael will of course be at the reception September 8th.
Ed's note: I was holding off on this post until Curbed returned from vacation in a week, but UPTOWNflavor, via Greasy Gudie, beat me to the punch.
Comments
I dunno. I mean, I'm no more thrilled than anyone else to see The Rat in Harlem, but it's going to be sharing a block with the Magic Johnson Theater, an Old Navy, and the ghost of the Disney Store. There's not a lot of neighborhood character left to destroy. It's not like they're proposing turning the Apollo into a Denny's.
Revival shouldn't equal gentrification, either; the existence of the projects means there will always be a large concentration of poor people in Harlem. Economic development is naturally going to include business moving in and looking to them, rather than the brownstone owners, as a customer base -- given the location, I imagine Chuck E. is expecting to see a fair amount of business from the Grant Houses.
Posted by: KB | August 26, 2006 11:06 AM
So Harlem is replacing urban blight with suburban blight. No wonder so many people here are worried.
Posted by: Adrian Jones![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.harlemfur.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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August 26, 2006 03:46 PM
Considering the other two locations are in downtown Brooklyn and the Bronx all this means is that ppl who frequent CEC don't have to travel to get there. They've already built their brand and customer base.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 27, 2006 05:32 AM
This sounds like a paradox; how can you revive to the lowest common denominator?
I don't know when Harlem plans started for The Rat, but I hope they started before the success of Harlem Lanes was known. I would not want to think that someone saw the April 2nd story in the Times about children's birthday parties being booked through June as early as it's April 1st opening, and then began plans to bring the lowest common denominator into the neighborhood. That would not be neighborhood progress, but the opposite.
Besides, if CEC has already built its brand and customer base, why would they wait until now, when real estate prices are insane, to open? If The Rat had moved in five years ago, when Grant Houses were here, they would have paid much less.
Posted by: harlemfur![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.harlemfur.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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August 27, 2006 10:47 AM
So you're getting a Chuck E Cheese. I guess then that wouldn't qualify your 'hood as being gentrified. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentrification#Demographic_shifts
Since you are considered all Urban Pioneers, venturing into the depths of Harlem, why wouldn't you have such a business? Could it be that they are considering the fact that the projects are still close by and that you have enough McD's and BK's around? How about KFC? How many of those do you have?
I must say sadly, that you are part of the massive change in Harlem and a lot of the true history will be lost if no one tries to preserve it.
Sometimes change is good, sometimes it is not.
You decide.
Posted by: Melita | August 27, 2006 04:03 PM
There is still a critical mass that exists here as nowhere else on the planet, and Ben Ratliff gives it some love here: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/28/arts/music/28park.html?ref=music
Posted by: Jonathan Funke | August 28, 2006 12:55 PM
True history being lost? My husbands' great aunt and uncle were born here in Harlem's first incarnation--as a Jewish neighborhood.
We'll take a pass on the rat, though.
Posted by: cassandra | August 28, 2006 08:40 PM
As a former Chuck E. Cheese costume character performer living in Queens (but worked in NJ at the time) I've been following the activity of this restaurant chain for decades. CEC was originally looking to place their Manhattan location(s) in Times Square (at the Paramount Theater building, eventually Hard Rock moved into that space after the WWE restaurant went under) and Herald Square (in the Herald Center building) but eventually decided that they did not want to pay premium Midtown rent. So they wound up going to Harlem instead, even bypassing the Upper West Side.
Posted by: Rapid T. Rabbit | September 8, 2006 06:50 PM