I went to Harlem to see Kanye West perform at Governor's Ball but due to "a storm" his show was rained out. The good news? We got to spend more time experiencing the city. We were staying with a friend - met through an Uber acquaintance -and though this young woman had a one bed room apartment, she allowed two grown ass men to stay in her living room free of charge (Proof that true kindness still exists.) Her apartment was clean and spacious with a few corners stacked with red boxes 7ft high containing Louis Vioutton shoes. We saw her only a few times during the weekend, mostly passing through the living room. She was single,intelligent and confident and took our sarcastic humor in stride. I'm glad to know people like her exist. She even called her cousin to sell me some local herbs. I'll probably never see her again...that was Harlem hospitality. But Thundercat jammed.
When I got back to Atlanta, my Uber driver began to talk about how Harlem had changed and how the energy was leaving the area. He told me Harlem ain't the same.
As I examined my photos from right outside The Apollo there was something missing. The allure of a culture-packed Harlem was being overshadowed by the new Whole Foods and the Banana Republic. Check out a few photos of my dreary Apollo pull up.
