In October 2014, I decided to take a major leap. I decided to do something that had always scared me. I didn’t think I was ready, but I knew it was now or never. In October 2014, I called the Harlem Business Alliance and told them I needed help starting a business.
At that time, I had been in Harlem for a little over 2 years. With all the conversation in my community around gentrification, I started to think about my own story. What kind of impact was I having on my community? Was I really just taking up space? More specifically, was I just taking up space and displacing longtime Harlem residents?
I really struggled with these questions. I felt even worse when I realized that, outside of rent, every dollar of my paycheck was spent outside of Harlem. How can I be contributing to a community I don’t even buy into? I got my groceries in the Upper West Side, went to bars in the Lower East Side, shopped in SoHo and ate at restaurants in pretty much every neighborhood except Harlem. Unfortunately, I later learned that I was not alone. Of Harlem households, roughly $1.1 billion in their retail, grocery, and restaurant expenditures are spent outside of Harlem.
So what’s happening? Why is there so much money leaking out of our community? After doing some informal research among my peers, I discovered the following:
- People go where their friends invite them
- People go to places that are highly reviewed on Yelp and/or social media
- People outside of Harlem have an outdated stigma about the neighborhood being a dangerous, economic wasteland
Wow. When I really took the time to look, I realized that Harlem is actually undergoing an economic renaissance. Small businesses and restaurants are popping up at lightening speed. In fact, Harlem Park to Park, an organization of entrepreneurs committed to community development, among other things, is comprised of over 80 members and growing. So the infrastructure was there, but it just needed to do some rebranding.
At the same time I was wrestling with these issues, I indulged in as many episodes of “The Amazing Race” as I could handle. I was fascinated by the diverse set of challenges the contestants tackled and the beautiful countries they got to experience. That’s when it hit me — why not bring “The Amazing Race” to Harlem? Or rather, why not bring a competition to Harlem that not only challenges its participants, but also gives them the opportunity to experience our community. The competition would give them the opportunity to taste that new burger at Harlem Shake or to experience the latest collection at the Studio Museum or to help plant vegetables in the Harlem Grown community garden. By giving people the opportunity to touch, taste and feel Harlem, they may realize it’s not so bad after all. They may discover something new and then come back, thereby driving the economic development of our neighborhood!
Well, that was the plan anyway. Of course, it’s always easier said than done. In reality, it is a mentally, emotionally, and physically draining process trying to get an idea off the ground and rally people behind a vision. It takes a lot of hard work, prayer, and patience!
On Saturday, May 14, Harlem Routes will be hosting its 3rd event. I am happy to say we have worked out a lot of the kinks and the movement is slowly gaining momentum. Though it has been difficult a journey, I try to remember these words that have gotten me through difficult times in the past:
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
