The problem I see in these big cities is people don't adopt that their living in the United States of America....they want to retain and disreguard the actual country their living in NOW! You see murals painted of their homelands flags....do you ever see any painted of the U.S. Flag? NO. So sure your definately going to see decent people who've adopted their new country (U.S.) customs and pride....but 90% of them don't and that's when the city falls apart....nobody cares or wants to even help people who don't care about this country anymore. I see it only getting worse because people just don't say anything about it. People who are born here don't show pride in the U.S. Children that are born here and grow up here to parents that are immigrants don't show pride in the U.S. they just do what their parents do.....and that is paint foreign flags on walls and never learn English....and then they wonder why people don't want to live where they live. I wouldn't want to live in a town/city that was 90% made up of foreign people who don't talk English or display the American Flag.

Leave to The New York Times (and Gothamist) to overlook the contributions of generations of East Harlem stakeholders. Despite decades of disinvestment by the City of New York, the Pleasant Avenue area has maintained thriving community gardens, block associations, top-rated schools, landmark churches, renovated brownstones and apartment buildings, and locally owned businesses for many, many years. I am shocked and offended at the idiotic notion that Target’s "Bullseye" the English terrier and Kellogg’s "Tony the Tiger" will somehow "save" East Harlem from itself. However shocking our “stats” may have been/be, we did not deserve to have such a toxic monstrosity steamroll through our community despite overwhelming local opposition. Pleasant Avenue will truly never be pleasant, now. Don't believe me? then visit: www.eastharlempreservation.org.

+1. The racist assumptions of these articles--that some trashy Great White Hope department store is what is needed (rather than, say, sincere efforts to address racially rooted poverty that is the most significant factor in making a "hood" a "hood"--are dripping all over this nonsense. Jen Carlson writes "If one 14-year-old boy is to be believed..." Why ISNT he to be believed? Since you obviously no squat about the neighborhood, why quote and then question the word of a kid? "In fact, one violent scene from The Godfather was even filmed there" gushes are little urban pioneer reporter. Goodness! Get a grip.

Absolutely on point, Benny. Interesting that the original New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/nyregion/26pleasant.html does not allow online comments.

This area used to be Italian Harlem before the italians moved out. However you can still find Rao's and Patsy's there. Especially where Rao's is, that's pretty safe but just walk a few blocks and it's back to the hood.

Ironman, a secret admirer of Buzz Lightyear?

I think they might mean that the Target on Atlantic kinda sucks. Mainly b/c customer svc is HORRENDOUS. And its almost always a freaking zoo!

Yeah it tends to be well stocked but if something isnt there and you want help? Forget it.

I just go in with headphones, get what I need and get the hell out.

what does this mean? "...if the shop takes the same route as the one in Brooklyn."

the one in Brooklyn is fine. It's not a flagship store, but it's not empty shelves like some might think.

Newsflash, no matter how much Corcoran, or whatever real estate company paid you to write this fluff, east harlem is STILL the hood.

A 14 year old kid was shot 6 blocks from this Target last week, get over it.

Also that Target/Costco is obscene and should never have been built there.