Sunday Morning at The Edge

This past Sunday, a sparkling autumn morning, a stroll up lower Edgecombe Avenue became more interesting. There was a handsome dark-paneled frontage with stylish signing of The Edge right on the corner of 139th Street. This eatery replaced a former bodega on this site.

Inside was warm and modern, a nice mix achieved with bared brick, wood dining tables, black ceilings and glazed cement floor. I sat at a table on one of the leather padded benches along the window just before the official brunch started at 11 AM. The friendly waitress took my order promptly. The café had four other patrons besides me, so it was a good time to soak in the quiet, the sun coming in the front windows, and the jazzy vocal standards playing in the background. Locals stopped in for take-out as well.

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Chic, cozy ambiance aside, the highlight of course came when my order of bagel with cream cheese and a cup of coffee arrived. After one or two bites of their incredibly light and lightly toasted bagel, I had to inquire if they baked them on site. The waitress said they get their bagels from a French bakery. As a native New Yorker, I am fond of our local chewier variety, but this bagel was an instant favorite. It was so light one almost had the urge to eat it quickly or it would float away! Fanciful, yes, but next time I will ask for cream cheese on the side so I can appreciate it even more.

I met two of my neighbors as I was finishing. They were also eager to sample the newest coffee shop in Harlem’s Strivers’ Row area. The Edge is the second coffee shop on lower Edgecombe, with the popular Manhattanville Coffee Shop 2 blocks north which opened about a year ago. Starbucks holds court further up, on 145th Street and Bradhurst Avenue.

I will be returning to The Edge soon, as it becomes the local favorite it’s destined to be. I didn’t notice if there was wi-fi but truly I hope not. Let it be the unique cafe that caters to those who actually want a place to eat good food, drink good coffee and chill with a friend for a spell.

And I’m thinking to try more on the menu; the jerk cesar salad sounds quite appealing…

Poem on wall at The Edge. photo GHazard

DOT Comes Through for Harlem’s Dorrance Brooks Square Park

After several years of enduring ever-increasing collisions at the intersection of W. 136^th Street and Edgecombe Avenue, the Department of Transportation (DOT) installed a traffic turn signal on St. Nicholas Avenue. Following up with the DOT’s Comm. Margaret Forgione’s visit with the Dorrance Brooks Property Owners and Residents Association (DBPORA) in April, the turn signal aims to deter the inclination of drivers to ignore or miss the stop light when turning left onto eastbound W. 136^th Street.  A car coming north on Edgecombe Avenue on a green light is often struck by car drivers who do not see the red signal when they turn left onto W. 136^th Street.  Accidents have occurred at all hours from early mornings when nearby Percy Sutton Educational Complex is opening, all the way to late evening hours.  Thus far no fatalities have been noted but block association members feared that was only a matter of time. At least one resident ‘s parked car was totaled in one of the accidents, and the construction overhang has been shored up at least twice since it was put up two years ago.

 

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DBPORA is pleased that the DOT took their concerns seriously and has acted so quickly after the meeting. Thanks to the careful, persistent photo documentation from Dr. Keith Taylor, president of the DBPORA and the Hon. JoLinda Ruth Cogen, association secretary, the DOT has been updated on each incident. It is understood that traffic flow on St. Nicholas Avenue will be affected by this; however the alternative is to stand by while accidents happen frequently. The DOT’s timely response is an indicator that Mayor de Blasio’s ‘Vision Zero’ is receptive to community concerns without waiting for a fatality.

It is also an example of the community’s responsibility to advise their agencies of their concerns and keeping the pressure on when the need is clear.

Read http://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/301-14/mayor-de-blasio-signs-package-life-saving-traffic-safety-bills#/0

TUSKEGEE AIRMAN MONTGOMERY HONORED IN HARLEM’S DORRANCE BROOKS SQUARE PARK

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In the historic PFC Dorrance Brooks Square Park in Harlem, a living participant of African-American military history was honored for his role in WWII. Tuskegee Airman Dabney N. Montgomery was honored by the Dorrance Brooks Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 528 and the Dorrance Brooks Property Owners and Residents Association (DBPORA) on Saturday, June 14, 2014. On the balmy Flag Day afternoon, Harlem took a moment to recognize and pay tribute to one of its own who braved a war on two fronts: racism and imperialism. He survived one overseas and then the other at home to become an example of the heights of heroism that African-American servicemen are capable of.

The activities began with  the mistress of  ceremonies, JoLinda Ruth Cogen of DBPORA.  Comdr. Guy deVeaux, PFC Dorrance Brooks VFW Post 528 introduced the program, followed by an invocation by Rev. Tisha Jermin of nearby St. Marks United Methodist Church. Comdr. DeVeaux led the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing (Black National Anthem) and America the Beautiful. Dr. Keith Taylor, president of DBPORA, conducted the dedication of the Dabney Garden Patch, placed with the PFC Brooks plaque at the park’s north end.  Airman Montgomery then related his experiences as a man of color in the segregated US military. His I-was-there account of fellow black soldiers’ heroism, all but erased on their return to the brutal racism at home, still hits an emotional chord  today.

Commissioner Col. Terrence Holliday of the Mayor’s Office of Veteran Affairs regaled the attendees with a talk entitled “The Importance of the Military to African-Americans.” His lighthearted commentary underscored the seriousness of the plight of men like Airman Montgomery who only sought to fight for their country – as Americans. His knowledge of African-Americans in the armed forces was broad and he encouraged everyone to find out more about the subject. The dedication ended with recorded music of the WWII era’s 369th US Infantry “Hellfighters” Band.

Dr. Keith Taylor with honoree Airman Montgomery (G Hazard)

This is the second event sponsored in the historic PFC Dorrance Brooks Square Park by the DBPORA in conjunction with the Dorrance Brooks VFW Post 528. The first, held two years ago, rededicated the Park in honor of PFC Dorrance Brooks of the US Army who served with distinction in Harlem’s 369th Infantry Regiment – The Harlem Hellfighters. DBPORA hopes to continue to honor the rich history associated with the park’s name, and keep the memory of brave African-American soldiers vibrant in the place they called home.