Farewell to Sylvia Queen of Soul Food and Harlem

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

For me Sylvia's passing was like losing a member of my family. I've known and admired her and her family since my first eating at her then humble restaurant in 1968. Thanks to a friend, Sam Anderson, who took me there because I was homesick for home cooking, I became a regular diner of Sylvia's over the years.

That friendship and kinship was born of her eternal genteel nature, graciousness, elegance; her love of people, and her wonder food. Even when her restaurant was no more than a small facility with a few benches, plank floors, and a few high stools at the counter, you always felt loved when you walked into Sylvia's.

I was preparing to do a write up of the upcoming celebration of her 50th anniversary of Sylvia's Queen of Soul Food Restaurant. 50 years is a major mile stone, and a gargantuan feat for a teenie little lady who started from very humble beginnings in a beanfield in Hemingway, South Carolina. When I heard about the fact that she had made her transition, I felt as though someone had punched me in the stomach. I was in a state of suspended animation for nearly an hour, as memory after memory of Sylvia flashed across my mind. She had accomplished so much, and was so loved by so many, I wondered how many knew how great a woman Sylvia Pressley Woods really was.

Indeed, there had been many who found it incredulous that she still owned her famed restaurant; many who could not believe that this beautiful woman had the moxy to make such a long term success of her business without selling out. Those were the ones who did not understand the tenacity, dedication, discipline and vision that made, and continues to make, Sylvia's the most successful Black owned and run restaurant in the US (not just New York, folks – others are still trying to catch up).

You walk into the restaurant and you immediately feel welcome. I remember the days when Sylvia, and her late husband, Herbert, used to sit in the back of the restaurant at a designated family table, and observe as people came and went. She always took the time to personally greet visitors – out of state or out of the country; regardless of nationality, race or ethnicity, she was gracious to the core.

Thanks to food columnist, Gael Green's dubbing her Queen of Soul Food in the New York Times, the restaurant became internationally known; bringing tourists from Japan, Germany, Great Britain, Russia, France, Africa, South Carolina, Georgia, Atlanta, Texas, California – you name it, they came. The restaurant became a destination point for tourists. And she did not disappoint.

Tour buses lined up around the block on Malcolm X (Lenox) Ave. not just because of the food, but because of Sylvia's personal stamp of hospitality. But as much as she appreciated the patronage of the tourists, she loved the support of the local community who came again and again to enjoy food at Sylvia's. There were several romances and marriages spawned at Sylvia's because it was so easy to just "be" there.

I remember admiring how patient she was when people asked her to pose with them for photographs, autographs, and just an opportunity to tell her how much they enjoyed the food. I admired how Sylvia and her family – Herbert (her husband) Van, Bedelia, Kenneth, and Crizette, worked together to make the business a success. How she taught her children, grand children and great grand children the value of honoring the customer, how to work together, how to manage the food, service, and business and still have a life. I admired how they worked together, honored their mother, and each other, during the course of their working together. Regardless of the ups and downs, she, and the love of her life, Herbert, managed to maintain their family and their business.

I have sooooo many fond memories of Sylvia. As the former editor of their newsletter, “Sylvia: Nothing But the Good News” - which was started by her eldest son, and my friend, Van Woods, I had the privilege of being involved in many of the events – good and bad – that made the restaurant the great place it is.

If Sylvia was the heart and guiding light of the restaurant, Van was the business expansion guru for the family. But the wonderful thing about it was that his mother gave him full support for his ideas, as long as it did not encumber the original restaurant. The concept of “Nothing But the Good News” came out of Sylvia's concern for so many negative headlines in the news and on TV. Van took up his mother's interest in providing people with the overlooked empowering information that often go unreported in most major publications. It was a great opportunity to really highlight people in the community, many of whom came to the restaurant, and what they were doing to contribute to society.

Other fond moments include Johnnie Cochrane who came regularly to eat at Sylvia's. He always celebrated his birthday (October 2) by having a birthday breakfast there. When President Barack Obama won the presidential election in 2008, Sylvia had already commissioned an ice sculpture with his name, image and likeness on it, and had it prominently displayed in front of the restaurant for everyone to see.

For years Fox Five Television used to broadcast live from Sylvia's restaurant on the anniversary of her opening because it coincided with the launching of their news show. Jim Ryan and Lynn Brown, would coordinate with field reporters, and would broadcast live from the restaurant. Sylvia's would close off the street in front of the restaurant, and serve free breakfast to the community consisting of grits, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits, coffee and juice. Live entertainers, such as Boyz to Men, Lonnie Youngblood, the Silver Belles (former Cotton Club Dancers), among others would perform. In the evening a gala was held under a tent that was erected between the main restaurant and the newly renovated property on the corner – Sylvia's Also. Sylvia and Herbert were always the most gracious hosts. They made sure they honored their staff, people in the community as well as family members who had worked so hard to keep the restaurant a success – Clarence, Moogie, Olga, Ma Mae, Sidara, and other mainstays who have been part of the Sylvia family for decades.

Sylvia's was the unofficial capital of Harlem. Political aspirants held campaign fundraisers there. Strategy meetings to improve Harlem were formulated there. Dignitaries from every stripe made a pilgrimage there - President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev.Jesse Jackson, Dexter King (son of Martin Luther King), James Brown, Diana Ross, among others - the photos that regale the walls of the restaurant are a small percentage of the people who frequent Sylvia's over the past fifty years.

When they were invited to put a Sylvia's Restaurant in Atlanta, GA by then mayor Bill Campbell, I had the privilege of covering the grand opening. Johnnie and Dale Cochrane, Mayor Campbell, former mayor Maynard Jackson were among the dignitaries who attended. But few knew that the grand opening almost didn't happen because the chef did not make biscuits to Sylvia's standards. Sylvia refused to allow the restaurant to open until he got it right. “Those biscuits represent the quality of our food. I will not have him put out something that is not like the quality we give in New York. If he can't get it right, we may have to get another chef.” Which, by the way, is exactly what they ended up doing. It was then that I totally understood why the restaurant in New York was so successful. Her standards for quality control were unimpeachable. People tended to look at that beautiful little chocolate brown lady and think she was a pushover. She was anything but.

In 1999 they decided to inaugurate a Sylvia's Family Cookbook because Sylvia and Herbert said they came from a family of cooks. Sylvia, who was an active member of her church in Hemingway, and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, often spoke of how popular venison was in South Carolina. They decided to have a family cook off to determine whose recipes would be included in the cookbook.

In driving down to their home town of Hemingway with Sylvia and Herbert in their signature car – a Rolls Royce with the vanity plates “HerbSyl” on the back, we had an ongoing conversation about their life, their love and marriage, and their children.

Sylvia and Herbert wore matching satin jackets with the “Sylvia's Queen of Soul Food” logo on the back. They were a striking design in purple, gold and black. The nearly 12-hour drive took us through many southern communities. At one point we stopped for gas in one southern town. While Herbert Woods was pumping gas, Sylvia and I had gone to the ladies' room and stopped to pick up snacks. As we were checking out at the cashier, a very enthusiastic white woman, upon seeing the Rolls Royce, and Sylvia's jacket came over to her and said: “That's your car out there?” Sylvia responded by saying “Yes”. To which she asked, “Are ya'll somebody famous?” Sylvia started laughing, but did not answer. So I responded, “She is the owner of Sylvia's restaurant in New York City.” The lady got so excited, and ran over to one of her friends, and exclaimed: “I knew it! I tole you they were somebody famous. I tole you!!” She turned back around to Sylvia and said, “Can I have your autograph?”

When we reached Hemingway, SC, it was like royalty returning home. Everybody turned out for Sylvia, not only to participate in the contest, but to great one of their most beloved citizens. I was introduced to Spots, a kind of fish that is so sweet and easy to cook, I found myself easily eating 10 of them at one sitting. We walked around the place where Sylvia was born, and her mother built their first home from scratch. We picked pecans and greeted neighbors. But the main thing we did was sample food for selection for the cookbook. I had never eaten so much venison in all my life. It seems as if there had to have been hundreds of ways to prepare it; as well as sweet potato pie! I had to write a descriptive about the dish, a brief bio on the cook and his or her relationship to Sylvia; and finally the recipe for the particular dish. The research and meticulous attention to detail that went into the book is reflective of how Sylvia did everything.

I will always remember attending Herbert and Sylvia's 50th wedding anniversary, where they renewed their vows at their beautiful, palatial home in Mt. Vernon, NY. It was the first time I had been to their beautiful home. You could feel the love in every room of that palatial home. The vow renewals were presided over by the Reverend Calvin Butts, and was one the most beautiful I've ever attended.

Even when I was residing in Jersey City, NJ, I made it my business to come to Sylvia's if I was in Manhattan, to check in on the family. And when 911 happened, I made a bee line to Sylvia's to make sure everybody was all right. I remember Sylvia saying that she was glad Herbert was not there to witness the collapse of the World Trade Center. She had already maintained that she didn't know what would happen if she died before Herbert. “We love each other so much, but I think Herbert would be lost if I left before he did.”

Indeed, their love was the stuff that fairy tales and dreams were made of. Sylvia and Herbert met when they were 10 and 12 years old, in a bean field. Herbert was an orphan and was picking beans for a living. Sylvia remembers thinking even then that he was going to be her husband. And throughout the years they were inseparable. When Sylvia's mother Julia took her to New York to so she could attend beauty school, Herbert was devastated. He enlisted in the Navy under the assumption that he would be stationed in New York and close to Sylvia. However, they sent him everywhere but New York. So it was two years before they were reunited.

In their golden years, Sylvia and Herbert used to spend quiet days at home relaxing and enjoying each other's company. He would prepare breakfast in bed for her, to give her a break from cooking. They'd read the newspapers, and basically keep each other company. They never lost the romance in their marriage – something I always admired about them. They were the rare couple who put each other first, no matter what.

I can envision Sylvia now, finally reunited with her beloved Herbert once again, enjoying those quiet moments together, as he serves his queen breakfast in bed. She's done a great and mighty work, built and empire for her family, provided hospitality for the world. I always cherish those days, but know that it is now for the new generation of the Woods family to continue the legacy as she rests in peace, knowing that it is now completed.

As we approach the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Sylvia's next week (July 31 through August 1) there will no doubt be thousands of Sylvia stories. There is so much to celebrate. And we all owe it to one tiny, elegant little woman – Sylvia Woods, who totally understood the meaning of family, and made it happen in the heart of Harlem.

Thank you Sylvia!!!

Stay Blessed &

ECLECTICALLY BLACK &

Eternally Loved - from

GLORIA DULAN-WILSON


To Van, Bedelia, Kenny, Crizette and the kids: You know how much I loved your mom, and how much I wish I could be there for her homegoing services; but I'm in Oklahoma City visiting my mom and family. My love and condolences to each and every one of you; as well as my gratitude for your being my New York family. I treasure each and every time I've had the privilege of being with you all.

Gloria

UBC-TV Urban Broadcasting to Launch New Urban LifestyleCable Network - Signs National Cable and Satellite Distribution Deals:

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by Gloria Dulan-Wilson

I met Peggy Dodson at the beginning of 2011, at a time when she was in the middle of the formulation of the UBC-TV Cable Network. Over the course of the year we played a game of sporadic telephone tag. I would call her and get her voice mail. Weeks later she'd call me back and get mine.

It was probably because she was busier than a one-armed paper hanger designing and developing a new Television Network, showing that Oprah Winfrey is not the only diva genius mogul amongst us.

My last conversation with Peggy was specifically about the fact that she's working on putting together a TV network. And if the following press release, and the recently held reception by AAWIC (African American Women In Cinema) is any indication, she's done it beautifully, and we are the beneficiaries of her vision and hard work.

It's great to know that yet another Black owned and oriented network has joined the pantheon. We have to support her, Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN); Centric, BET, and now UBC. No excuses!!

Urban Broadcasting Company, a Harlem-based broadcast multi-media company has just signed national cable and satellite distribution deals to launch a new Urban Lifestyle cable network, entitled UBC-TV.

It will produce original urban lifestyle content that will be distributed over multiple platforms, including cable, VOD, set-top boxes; mobile, wireless devices, social media and other platforms.

UBC-TV Network will be a producing network that will have its own UBC Originals, including news, entertainment, business, fashion, health, fitness, sports, education, cooking, live concerts, talk shows, and UBC-TV specials.

Phase II of the programming roll out will include film, comedy, music, history, drams and a different approach to the reality show format. UBC-TV's goal is to provide relevant, diverse, exciting and uplifting programming geared towards the underserved Urban Multi-Cultural market.

UBC-TV has teamed up with “Simply Me” to solidify distribution through Dish Network, Time Warner and Comcast. UBC-TV additionally has secured distribution through various independent distributors that will give it the prime time television presence, combining this with its video on demand (VOD) and mobile presence with a social media tie-in. This combination gives the viewers opportunities to watch and engage with UBC-TV programming on multiple platforms whenever they choose.

UBC will launch with its signature programming August of this year to over 50+ million households, with more distributions in the works.

Peggy Dodson, CEO, President and executive producer, stated: “The urban multicultural market is now mainstream and it is time our voices be heard, and that our stories are told by us. This is a dream come true that's been years in the making; but I also knew UBC's day would come. I am a big supporter of diversity and programming that reflects the real America; and all of the diverse cultures that make up this great country. UBC-TV will be making some bold moves in the market place. Social media will be an integral part of all of our programming. I am big on technology, and the future of television and technology is just in its beginning stages. There is so much more to come, and UBC-TV will, no doubt, be a part of that revolution.

Ms. Dodson's name is to thrive synonymously with media. She has paved her way to the leader's chair, having been in the entertainment industry for over 17 years as a recording artist, writer, producer, casting agent, and entrepreneur. She has a proven track record – great work ethic, and is considered a joy to work with, due to her personality and talent. She motivates those in her presence, and is considered a female powerhouse.

Krys Cameron, CEO of Simply Me says, “It gives me great pleasure to finally have the opportunity to work with Peggy and her media entourage. I think the public is going to be in for a well thought-out approach to entertaining media, with an edge on speaking to consumer needs. Advertisers are always looking for places to advertise, and UBC-TV is one of them, where they could finally place one of their hats. For both consumer and advertiser, UBC-TV intends to provide the repeat traffic without repeating shows nationally.”

In addition to the network, UBC-TV is planning to create a technology multi-media training school that will teach youth and adults in the inner cities how to get into the broadcasting and technology industries. The goal is to help educate and open doors to jobs and careers that will fuel the new economy.

For more info about UBC-TV Network, visit www.ubctvnetwork.com or info@ubcnetwork.com.

Kudos to Peggy Dodson for her vision and her capacity to bring it into reality. Make sure you demand it on Dish Network or your other carriers when the opportunity arises.

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson

NYC asking developers to test tiny apartments??? Then make Bloomberg live in those tiny apartments first!!!

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

In a recent article on Yahoo's newspage, Bloomberg apparently is underwriting some sort of study to persuade developers come up with homes less than 425 square feet in size, actually going down to as small as 325 square feet.

How stupid can you get!! If they do develop tiny apartments, make sure that Mike Bloomberg and those assinine planners have to live in them too. With all the warehousing of buildings; with the overpricing of rentals and purchases, those are the things they need to be addressing, not shortchanging New Yorkers with boxes instead of homes. Tell Bloomies developer cronies to get up off the properties they are holding - that's the answer to 99% of the housing problem in New York; the other side of the coin are landlords who want half your soul to live in them; and are asking for criteria that eliminates more than half of the eligible renters in the city; and a bogus rent guidelines board that is more intent in lining their pockets than providing decent, safe affordable homes for their tenants. They increase the rent and lower the standards and services. Make Bloomberg live in a 400 square foot home for a year. If he does it, then perhaps the rest of the city will consider it.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in collaboration with Amanda Burden, Department of City Planning Director, and Commissioner Mathew Wambua, Department of Housing Preservation and Development were shown standing in the kitchenette area of a full-scale mockup of a 300 square foot apartment. The city is asking developers to propose ways to build such tiny units in the hopes of changing city code to accommodate cash-strapped singles and couples.

The article starts out innocently enough. Written by Associated Press' Samantha Gross, the headlines read that Bloomberg was requesting (coercing?) developers come up with smaller apartments instead of the regular full sized, good quality apartments New York was once known for.

“Maybe it's the urban dwelling of the future: studio apartments measuring no more than 300 square feet. New York City planners believe the tiny units could be the answer to a growing population of singles and two-person households. And in a nation that's becoming increasingly populous and increasingly urbanized — and where people more frequently are creating a family of one — such downsizing may not stop here.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday invited developers to propose ways to turn a Manhattan lot into an apartment building filled mostly with what officials are calling "micro-units" — dwellings complete with a bathroom, built-in kitchenette and enough space for a careful planner to use a fold-out bed as both sleeping space and living room. (just barely bigger than a coffin for two)

If the pilot program is successful, officials could ultimately overturn a requirement established in 1987 that new apartments here be at least 400 square feet. (They'd like that, wouldn't they? Then then can really stick it to the populace, while charging cutthroat prices!!)

City planners envision a future in which the young, the cash-poor and empty nesters flock to such small dwellings — each not much bigger than a dorm room. In a pricey real estate market where about one-third of renter households spend more than half their income on rent, it could make housing more affordable.

Manhattan is the U.S. capital of solo living, with 46.3 percent of households consisting of one person, according to the 2010 census. (that's primarily because people have either been pushed out of or priced out of livinghere – think about it!) City officials estimate that 76 percent of residents on the island live alone or with one other person — and such households are growing faster around the city than any other type of living situation. Officials attribute the trend in part to young professionals delaying both marriage and childbearing.

“Around the country, more people are living alone than ever before. The solo living rate rose to almost 27 percent in 2010, according to the census. In New York City, where long working hours can leave little time for home life, renters often sacrifice square footage to save money. The size of city apartments has been lampooned on television, with at least one sitcom showing characters living — literally — in a closet. Some New Yorkers, desperate for storage space and uninterested in the finer points of homemaking, turn their ovens into storage for clothes or other items. (Interesting how they are building a rationale for suckering people into moving into a closet. I guess you can hype anything when you've made up your mind to sucker people into taking less.

Especially alone, paying New York City rents can be a challenge — and officials said they hoped smaller apartments would help ease the financial burden on residents facing average market-rate rents of $2,000 per month for a studio and $2,700 per month for a one-bedroom. (Ridiculous isn't it? And you have a bogus rent board that keeps sticking it to New Yorkers because landlords are facing 'hardships'!!)

Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Mathew Wambua said he expected the micro-units would rent for significantly less. (And if that's the case, I have some serious questions about Wambua's position as commissioner)

Similar programs have been proposed in other cities. In San Francisco, developers are seeking permission to rent out apartments as small as 150 square feet. Ultimately, the New York City program could be expanded to outer-borough neighborhoods where the apartments could provide safer options to the lower-income residents who are most at risk from the dangers of illegal subdivisions.

With only 1 million studio and one-bedroom apartments available for 1.8 million one- and two-person households, the shortage is forcing low-income renters into illegal apartments that can become fire traps, Bloomberg said.

In recent years, small homes have been celebrated by design aficionados who argue that minimal space, less clutter and simpler living is both financially and spiritually freeing, but the idea of towers of tiny units raises the specter of an era in which poor residents were crammed into unsafe tenements where they could afford the rent.

City officials argued this proposal was utterly different from such wholesale warehousing of the poor.

The tenement problem was big families in very small (spaces)," Bloomberg said. "We're not talking about that. We're talking about one or two people who want something they can afford, and they don't "entertain or need big space."

Modern-day building codes and improved refrigeration and public health have changed what it means to live small, Bloomberg said. A typical mid-19th century tenement apartment on Manhattan's Lower East Side might have been larger than one of the micro-units, measuring 325 square feet, but would have typically housed families with multiple children. The micro-units are to be leased only to one- or two-person households.

As long as living conditions are good, housing advocate Kerri White said she had no particular concerns about the program. (Of course Kerri White would say that – she doesn't have to live in a coffin. Interesting how an “advocate” can't seem to advocate for expanding the standards.)

"The general attitude toward space and how we use space is very different in New York City," said White, a director for housing advocacy group Urban Homesteading Assistance Board. "People are used to living in smaller quarters." (Associated Press writers Mike Schneider in Orlando, Fla., and Garance Burke in San Francisco contributed to this report.)

Now the interesting thing about this whole article is that in 2009 there were 65 totally vacant, unsold condominium buildings in Brooklyn, countless more in Harlem, and other parts of Manhattan. Instead of dealing with the fact that these homes can be made affordable for New Yorkers, Bloomberg and henchmen want to build even more inadequate properties and force people to live in them. Interestingly enough, during the 2009 to 2010 period, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries presented a proposal to make this happen. It was entitled “Project Reclaim”, and is now a law on the books for New York State. In it developers can be caused to transform those vacant properties into livable, affordable housing units. But the law appears not to be enforced.

Governor Cuomo and Housing Commissioner, Darryl Towns, as well as HPD Commissioner Wambua need to be called on the carpet for not putting teeth into it and relieving New Yorkers of the substandard conditions they are currently living in. Actually, New Yorkers need to storm Gracie Mansion, HPD and demand that the bill be enforced. That would be the best occupy ever! However, instead of going after the properties for rental purposes, this time New Yorkers should be afforded the opportunity to purchase these properties at a reasonable price. Stop keeping hard working New Yorkers under the thumb while they cater to the rest of the population – some of whom, I might add, are directly responsible for the problems we're currently facing.

In case you didn't get the memo, or missed the article entirely, or you were off struggling trying to keep your landlord from raising your rent to an unconscionable amount, here:

Assembly Member Hakeem Jeffries Successfully Encourages State to Help Transform Failed Luxury Condos into Affordable Housing - Project Reclaim initiative takes substantial step toward implementation (September 8, 2009):

Brooklyn– Assembly Member Hakeem Jeffries has announced that the state has agreed to work with him to convert half-built or half-empty luxury condominiums in central Brooklyn into affordable apartments for working families and the middle class. In January Assemblyman Jeffries launched Project Reclaim, an initiative to transform market-rate condominiums that have failed into desperately needed affordable housing for the residents of central Brooklyn.

This spring, Jeffries conducted a block-by-block survey of new condominium developments in the Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights and Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhoods that he represents. The survey uncovered 66 luxury condominium or rental projects that are either under construction, completed but vacant, or only partially occupied. Several are already in the early stages of foreclosure.

“Many of these luxury condominium developments are destined to fail,” said Assemblyman Jeffries. “These buildings are coming into the real estate market in a very distressed financial climate, which includes a recession, the bursting of the housing bubble and the contraction on Wall Street.”

In order to turn the stalled projects into affordable housing, Assemblyman Jeffries has introduced legislation that will help encourage banks to refinance troubled loans secured during the building boom of 2004-2008 in amounts up to $150 million. The bill makes it easier for the New York State Mortgage Insurance Fund to insure refinanced loans made in connection with failed condominium projects, thereby incentivizing financial institutions to participate in restructured transactions.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Priscilla Almodovar, chief executive of the New York State Housing Finance Agency, stated that a plan now in its early stages would most likely include offering homebuyers state-financed mortgages for units in buildings where some have already been sold to market-rate buyers. In that case, developers would also cut the price of the apartments. Another program would set aside $5 million for $40,000 grants to 125 homebuyers.

Assemblyman Jeffries is also working with Rep. Edolphus Towns, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, to pressure banks that have received federal bailout money to refinance distressed loans in order to create a financial environment where market-rate developments can be turned into affordable housing.

“The luxury condominium developments that have flooded the neighborhoods of central Brooklyn have contributed to the substantial displacement of working families, senior citizens and the middle class," said Assemblyman Jeffries. “Project Reclaim will help insure that our community remains affordable for everyone.”

A map of Harlem's vacant condo buildings show those condos were doing—a per square foot sales price of around $575; but have faced a decline in sales activity of more than 50 percent.

The map shows a scattering of little black dots which represent new and under-construction condo projects in Harlem and its environs on a map produced by Massey Knakel broker Shimon Shkury, who released the 2009 Northern Manhattan condo sales report. They were at one point getting $525 per square foot, but it's down by at least 50%. the once high priced studio of $593,000, are thankfully, no more. At least for now. But if the hype artist of the real estate industry have their way, they will be gouging Northern Manhattanites again. They stated "We believe several factors in 2010 will lead to further downward pressure on residential pricing, including: increased supply as several hundred units come online.

If you look at the map of Harlem alone you can see there are a lot of properties still on the map that have not been occupied since their completion.

So what can we learn from this information, boys and girls? One even if the state does not have or provide all the funds, if you utilize the NACA (Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America) for purchase, you can actually obtain one of these properties - provided Bloomberg, Wambua, Towns and Cuomo do their job, enforce the law, and make them available to New Yorkers.

Also, when someone is willing to build you something substandard, rather than making a failed plan work in your behalf, you have to ask who are they working for, really? And do they really care about us, We the People of New York.

Let's stop being sheeple and allowing them to force feed us garbage while they collect high salaries and luxuriate in their spaces, and at the same time try to relegate us to the outskirts of our own city. Enough is enough. There are homes already developed and available-- give us the keys. We're ready to move in.


And as for Mayor Bloomberg and his cockamamie developers, build those 325 Square Foot coffins for themselves!!!

Stay Blessed &

ECLECTICALLY BLACK

Gloria Dulan-Wilson