Don’t get me wrong I LOVE the NY Times but I am just not rocking with the Hudson Heights moniker for the more affluent parts of Washington Heights. Just from the title of the piece I knew I would not be a happy camper. Titled “Hudson Heights: A Hidden Gem, Gaining Popularity,” the article is a pretty standard neighborhood real estate piece in that these missives never seem to take note of the longtime residents of the neighborhood. First of all, hidden? Hidden from whom? Simply stated, Hudson Heights doesn’t exist. It was created to appeal to non-locals because Washington Heights had a certain stigma to it. I will admit that the Broadway divide is definitely real. There is definitely a palpable difference between both sides of the diving line that is Broadway. Trust me, I was born and raised East of Broadway and I now reside in the more upscale area west of Broadway and it does feel like two distinct neighborhoods in a number of ways. But both sides are and will forever be Washington Heights. Also, on another note, the so-called “Hudson Heights” part of the neighborhood is nowhere near affordable any more. $2300 for a two-bedroom apartment is not affordable. The article also mentions a couple that bought a two-bedroom for $775,000. That is just shy of a cool million bucks and decidedly NOT affordable for most people that have made this neighborhood home for so many years. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is a classic. Now see it live as a one-man show on May 4 & 5 at the Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center. Get your tickets to see Kelvin Grullón do his thing in this rousing rendition of this important piece of literature. The homies Juan Bago and Rachel La Loca will be hosting the festivities. The Latinos Out Loud crew have a new home studio at Univision Uforia Studios. This week the crew discusses the condom challenge, beef jerky theft and the latest tech that translates thoughts into texts. The special guest this week is celebrity Chef Kelvin Fernández. Keep checking us out at www.uptowncollective.com. Led Black Editor-in-Chief The Uptown Collective The UC’s mission is to become “the” definitive, transformative and community-based force impacting the arts, culture, business and New York City’s overall perception of Upper Manhattan. Its objective is to reset, reboot and positively redefine Uptown’s artistic, political, cultural and business spheres via the online space as well the collective’s initiatives and functions. April 2 – April 7
