Can you Speak English and Spanish

A lot of people in Harlem and the Bronx, NY can speak spanish. They come from Spanish speaking countries and territories, such as Puerto Rico, or most of South America. On the other hand, many people who speak Spanish are just learning English, in New York. Someone from Just Tell Me WHY was tellling me about this problem, but it is one that I already know.

My Spanish should be a lot better than it is, since I am rather intimate with Spanish speakers, especially my wife. But, like anything else, you have to work at it, you don't learn another language by osmosis.

Harlem Drugs and Rehab

Here is a post about Drug Rehab. Drug problems in Harlem and the Bronx have laid low a bit but never really gone away. Many people get involved in the fast life of Wall St. speculation and then having lots of money. The money can be used for drugs and gambling causing a lot of tension, when the bad effects of drug abuse hit, and/or the money flows die down. With the crashing stock market and the financial derivative bomb hitting that crash is hitting a lot of people right now. And even at Goldman Sachs, the new government source of talent (think of Goldman Sachs guy Hank Paulson, the US Treasury Secretary) layoffs are hitting.

So take a look at this Florida rehab, the sponsor of this post. This may be the place to go to get out of the cycle.

My White Walls is an Art Site

My White Walls is an art site. Click on the icon and check out the scene. They have a lot of exquisite art works there, like a Van Gogh. You might have trouble telling that it wasn't stolen from a major museum. There are some paintings at galleries in Harlem and the South Bronx as well. One of my favorites in the Haven Gallery at 50 Bruckner Blvd, in the South Bronx, just over the Willis Avenue bridge from Harlem NY, dig, brothers and sisters. They are now doing a greenie show. Anyway at My White Walls you can get lovely painting reproductions, some as big as 4 feet square or more for only a couple of hundred dollars. Dig it.

Bronx River Arts After School Programs

On Thursday, October 16, 2008, from 4:30PM–6PM, Bronx River Arts Center, located at 1087 E. Tremont Ave., had an open house, inviting the public into their galleries and classrooms. Lights On Afterschool! was the name of the event and the Afterschool Alliance joined the Center to celebrate the importance of after-school programs. Ms. Kim Beazer is a staff member at the Center, who said that every weekday they have from 15-30 kids there taking classes, depending on what activities are going on. The Center is having a Halloween party on the afternoon of Oct 31st. On Dec 12th, they have their student art show and fund raiser, which is their Holiday show.

The kids painting were about 12-15 years old. Many of them were painting human figures or faces, or they could paint whatever they wanted to. Another popular activity at the Center is mix media artwork. Students in the mix media class create different kinds of mixed media collages, sculptures, paintings and drawings, experimenting with different techniques based on the perceptions of where they live and where their families come from. For example, a large paper and cardboard was created on the theme of urban gentrification. Another course teaches “legal" Graffiti Painting. This course is an introduction to the misunderstood art form of graffiti and alternative/legal methods to produce it. Each class will start with a lesson on graffiti's extensive history, followed by a brief discussion about the goals for that day's class and a jumpstart into making art. Some of the favorite courses at the center are those on digital photography and film making.

The Bronx River Arts Center also had photographs on display of natural scenery in the Bronx, including the many parks that are here. Of note is a photo by Jason Falchook, Untitled, 2008, which is a digital print, 30 by 40 inches that was taken from a dark underpass, with a thick forest of green trees at the end of it.

Live at 2280 Frederick Douglas Blvd, Harlem

Do you want to live at the new building, at 2280 Frederick Douglas Blvd, near the cross street W 121 St, in Harlem? By the way that is the same as 2280-Eighth Avenue. I just was in the neighborhood today. It looks a lot better than I thought, there is a lot of new construction, and there are Starbucks uptown these days.

There's the Patisserie des Ambassades, a funky, French and African restaurant, which also has a branch downtown, and it's at W 119th St and FD Blvd. Of course, this new building, I believe still under construction, is only a few blocks from the big movie theatre on 125th St and FD Blvd, and 125th St, in general. Still, it is unbelievable how much luxury costs these days, even in Harlem.

The Den- A Cute Hip Hop Harlem Hang-out

The Den is a fairly new entry into the lounge and restaurant market in Harlem. It was founded by Joshua Powe just a couple of years ago, as a downtown hip, and hip hop lounge in the heart of Harlem. Director Spike Lee is said to make appearances there as well as comedian Steven Harvey, so the beautiful people are beginning to show up. Also on the radar is hip hop personality, Brandy and many more. For more info, call 212-234-3045, or just go there at: The Den, 2150 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY, 10037, between 131st and 132nd Streets. Or, info@thedenharlem.com

A cool drink offered at the den is the Chocolate City, not just a favorite of chocolate colored beautiful people. It has Vanilla Vodka, Godiva White Liqueur, Irish Cream and Milk, yummy, but not too sweet, and all mixed up. For food, and a down home Harlem meal, try the, Not Your Mama's Chicken 'n Waffles. Fried chicken pieces and waffles with homemade strawberry butter and maple syrup, lots of cals, but good taste. So check it out.

Ivan Sanchez's New Book Coming Out- Next Stop

Photo: Ivan Sanchez and actress/coach April Lee Hernandez (from Movie, "Freedom Riders")


This book is being released tomorrow, October 14th, by Simon & Schuster, "Next Stop." It seems like a great book, really cool about life in the streets, the ghetto. "Next Stop" is a bit surprising also because the neighborhood Kingsbridge in the Northern Bronx is not the worse neighborhood here by any means. Ivan says that just this week a kid was shot to death by Kingsbridge Ave and Bailey Ave, near the Marble Hill Housing projects. Ivan is in New York on his mission and to promote his new book. Ivan Sanchez survived the violence and the drugs, and now lives in Va. Beach, Virginia, working on computers. He is married with 2 daughters. He is of Puerto Rican background. Ivan continues to try to help people and warn them of the dangers of the street. He is a youth advocate and speaker, which is a sideline of his.

Here is a short video of Ivan on Bronx Net TV as well:



Ivan is appearing at the Barnes and Noble on Baychester Ave, in the big shopping center in Coop City, Bronx, NY on Oct 16th, Thursday, at 7 pm.

Sucio Smash and Asho Production

Pictures: Ariel Fernandez (Asho Production) and Sadat X (with the glasses) 2. Ariel Fernandez with Sucio Smash (in Black pullover)

More pictures from last week's event at the Bronx Museum, that I got from Ariel Fernandez. Ariel is the producer and curator of the First Friday events at the Bronx Museum, which are extremely varied. One month it can be a big band, or like this month, it was a hip hop showcase from Highwater Records.

High Water Hip Hop Showcase at Bronx Museum

Pix, Ariel Fernandez with Sucio Smash, Ariel Fernandez with Sadat X (wearing glasses)

A High Water musical showcase was the subject of the First Friday show at the Bronx Museum, on October 3rd, and it got lots of attention. In addition to several hundred happy and dancing people, there was a film crew there from the Multishow station of Brazilian TV. The show was also recorded for future radio broadcast. Free refreshments were served, including soft drinks, meat empanadas and broccoli and cheese empanadas.
The First Fridays Programs at the Bronx Museum are curated and produced by Asho Production, aka Ariel Fernandez. Ariel Fernandez works at the Bronx Museum and is involved in lots of stuff.


High Water Music, founded in 2007, has the mottos “High Water is Music” and Good Music Period!” High Water Music has been making the extra effort to use original music for the backdrops of its hip hop raps and remixes, instead of recycling the oldies. High Water was founded by Sucio Smash of Squeeze Radio 89.9 WKCR NYC. Upcoming albums include DJ Spinna, Heavy Beats Vol. II, P.Casso “For Your Consideration,” and Sadat X and DJ Spinna (untitled).

One of the acts performing at the Bronx Museum was AOK Collective. AOK Collective is a collective of artists including Fresh Daily, P.Casso, 2Hungry Bros, Homeboy Sandman, 8thWi and Nola Darling. Samples of these artists’ performance can be seen and heard at http://myspace.com/aokcollective http://myspace.com/2hungrybrothers and myspace pages of SucioSmash, SadatX, MrLen, and so on. Already, by 7:30 pm, a large crowd was listening to tracks spun by DJ Mr. Len. It’s interesting that quite a bit of hip hop music comes directly from New York City and the Bronx. The crowd became excited hearing a rap with the refrain, “South South Bronx!” highlighting locations such as the Bronx River and that “the bridge is over.” That could mean that you have to take a bridge to get to the Bronx from Manhattan.