Harlem Gets Car Dealerships on East 127th

The chairman of General Motors headed up to Harlem to open the first car dealership there in 40 years on 127th Street, between Second and Third Avenues. Rick Wagoner was joined by Mayor Bloomberg, Representative Charles Rangel, and the Reverend Jesse Jackson for the opening of a Chevrolet-Saturn of Harlem dealership and the Potamkin Cadillac-HUMMER dealership, making them the only car dealerships above 57th Street. GM and the Department of Transportation will also be offering free child safety seat inspections to Harlem families. The city is especially proud of the dealership, as it was created in part by $17 million in Empowerment Zone bonds.

Photograph by Mark Lennihan/AP

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on June 3, 2006 6:46 PM

Comments [rss]

CLM

Awesome. What this city NEEDS is more hummers... am I right?

mickster

Um, this is all about gentrification.

Sure initially the dealership will appeal to the local black community, but it's all part of the goal of either moving Harlem upscale economically or turning it white.

Here's a hint: If suddenly a large gay population starts moving into Harlem (has it started yet?), time to invest in Harlem big time. (I'm talking north of the 125th street area). The area will fill with more Starbuck's, Gaps and Banana Republics, little cafe's etc., etc., etc. Remember what Chelsea or the East or West Village were like in years past??

Sure there are lots of stereotypes in my post-but there are a hell of a lot of truths too...

c

k- I have no problem with my tax dollars being used to create jobs in general.

It's just that so much more bang for the buck could have been used to rebuild small businesses, affordable housing and a real neighborhood, instead of subsidize GM and build an anti-human eye-sore in the process! Not only that, the LAST thing Harlem (or this City) needs is more cars! This is 2006, not 1956.

i'm sorry, but building a fucking car dealership for GM does not counting as "rebuilding communities". maybe you've drunk too much of corporate america's kool aide.

k

your tax dollars are also used to fund development in midtown, the upper west and east sides. this is what tax dollars are meant to do- rebuild communities. how about looking at the positive side to this - jobs are being created and the dealership will bring people to harlem.

Anonymous

I can see the simpsons skit now. A man walks into a harlem car dealership, buys a car, and drives a block only to get carjacked. Hilarious!

c

crybaby: interesting.

crybaby

why are your taxes being used? because flooding a particular demographic with high-interest debt is one of the easiest, most effective, and quick ways to immobilize it socially and economically.

c

I am certifiably perplexed as to why my taxes are being used to subsidize a car dealership in a neighborhood that suffers from obscene levels of asthma and diabetes, and to funnel money to a multi-national corportation instead of actually investing in rebuilding the local community.