http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/201...harlem-lanes-bowling-alley-close-at-weeks-end
HARLEM— Harlem Lanes, a bowling alley that opened with the help of former President Bill Clinton's foundation, announced it will be closing at the end of the week.
"(U)nfortunately we are closing our doors to the lanes. We will be selling memorabilia to the public," according to the company's Twitter post late Monday night.
General manager Calvin Mumford said increasing rents for the space on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and 126th Street and the slow summer season contributed to the closure of the lanes that rely mainly on kids' parties and camps this time of year.
"They've put their blood sweat and tears into this. We've done everything we can," Mumford said about co-owner Sharon Joseph, who could not be reached for comment.
The bowling alley employed 40 people on a full-time and part-time basis, according to Mumford.
"She's a person with a very large heart," he said of Joseph. "She cringes at the thought of having to lay people off."
The 24-lane bowling alley opened in 2006 with Joseph's aunt and business partner Gail Richards as a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation Urban Enterprise Initiative — with the former president attending the ribbon-cutting.
When it opened, Harlem Lanes was the only bowling alley in the country owned by black women and was Harlem's first bowling alley in three decades. The establishment served food and was a popular gathering place for parties and lounging.
"These two women put in a tremendous amount of hard work and will serve as a model for small businesses that want to have a role in reshaping their communities," Clinton said at the time. "We remain committed to supporting economic growth in urban communities by encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs to turn their dreams into reality."
Mumford said the establishment remained busy and that people still were stopping by to book parties — but it wasn't enough to keep the business going.
"I'm sad because I know what she's put in this place, the years of sacrifice," Mumford said Joseph.
The announcement came on the same day that another well-regarded black-owned business closed its doors.
Hue-Man Bookstore and Cafe on Frederick Douglass Boulevard between 124th and 125th streets announced earlier this month that it would be closing Monday due to rising rents and changes in the publishing industry.
Hue-Man CEO and co-owner Marva Allen cited a similar situation to Harlem Lanes.
Allen said business had increased 37 percent in the last year, but with rising rents, it didn't make sense to hold onto the store's physical location.
"The store will continue online," said Allen.
Also on DNAinfo.com...
Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/201...owling-alley-close-at-weeks-end#ixzz22KqvDeC6
also
Harlem's Hue-Man Bookstore to Close at End of July
Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/201...-bookstore-close-at-end-of-july#ixzz22KrjIz00
HARLEM — Citing a "new reality" in the publishing industry and rising rents, Harlem's Hue-Man Bookstore and Cafe will be closing its doors after 10 years in business at the end of July, said CEO and co-owner Marva Allen.
The retailer was one of the largest independent, black-owned bookstores in the country, stocking mostly titles by black writers that were of interest to the black community.
"We all know that there is a season for everything under the heaven and the season of 'traditional book' selling has come to a close," Allen wrote in a e-newsletter to the Harlem community, calling the move "the only sensible decision we could make."
Allen said the rent at the store in the Harlem USA mall on West 125th street was set to increase to a point where it would not be financially feasible to continue in the space.
"Our business grew 37 percent this year, but the truth of the matter is that it will never grow fast enough to handle the financial obligations of Harlem," Allen told DNAinfo.com New York.
"The industry is changing, times are changing, the neighborhood is changing and our lease is up," she added.
The store hosted dozens of famous authors over the years such as Cornel West and the late Manning Marable. The publishing industry overall was not doing well, Allen said.
"Faced with tremendous social pressures to deliver the next big idea, celebrity books have become the interim hype, yet even that is not a sustainable model for an industry in turmoil," Allen wrote.
Given the reality of the publishing industry and the end of the store's lease, now is the time to "re-imagine the future of books," she said.
Patrons of the store, which is located at 2319 Frederick Douglass Boulevard between 124th and 125th streets, expressed a mix of shock and sadness as they showed up to see the closing signs.
"There is nothing like going into a book store and losing yourself or discovering something you didn't know you wanted," said Lesley Small, 48, a life-long Harlem resident who works with the developmentally disabled.
Small said she considered the store the logical successor to the progressive Liberation Book Store which closed in 2007. Hue-Man was given the store's entire stock of books.
"This was like Liberation 2.0. After that closed, people migrated here," said Small.
Small grabbed a copy of a book titled "Africanisms in the Gullah Dialect" while already holding a copy of "Ethiopian Women of Power."
"This is the kind of stuff you just bump into," Small said excitedly.
Allen said while the rising rent was a factor, the store enjoyed a lease well below market rate as part of the development of Harlem USA. Having a cultural institution in the mall was part of the development deal with community partner Harlem Commonwealth Council.
Allen said the landlord, Grid Properties, was "generous" when the store was experiencing hard times.
"I know people in Harlem will think we are being pushed out by gentrification, but that's not the case," said Allen.
Curtis Archer, president and CEO of the Harlem Community Development Corporation, said it was unfortunate to see Hue-Man close because the store filled a special space in the community.
"When you passed the window there were a lot of the black authors prominently displayed. You wouldn't see that in Barnes and Nobles," said Archer.
But the store was affected by changes in the publishing industry.
"Hue-Man is a casualty of something that's been happening in the publishing world for a number of years. The Internet and technology has made the whole model of brick and mortar bookstores a very expensive proposition," said Archer.
Allen agreed.
"There is no way to reimagine the bookstore of the future in our current space. To try and do so would be a stop-gap and a waste of resources."
Allen said they are not exactly sure what the bookstore of the future will look like but that she envisions the store having a physical space elsewhere in Harlem in a year or two. She plans to travel to Europe and other places to find the model she is looking for.
"The bookstore is a place of intellectual pursuit, a place to meet and talk about ideas," Allen said during the interview. "I believe we should always have a physical space. It serves as a meeting place."
But the bookstore of the future will have to embrace the reality of technology, where people have access to electronic books as well as print publications, she said.
Hue-Man will now turn its focus to helping ethnic writers while continuing to be involved in publishing and offering agency services to writers. The store will also maintain an online presence that Allen hopes will allow her to keep many of the store's eight employees.
July's closing events feature an event with the cast of the Broadway musical FELA!, among other guests.
Since the news of the store's closure began to spread, Allen said she has been overwhelmed with well-wishers and people telling her how much they loved the store.
"Harlem is a unique place. It takes a while for people to embrace you," said Allen. "But when they do, they wrap their arms around you."
Also on DNAinfo.com...
Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/201...-bookstore-close-at-end-of-july#ixzz22KrrHSOx
HARLEM— Harlem Lanes, a bowling alley that opened with the help of former President Bill Clinton's foundation, announced it will be closing at the end of the week.
"(U)nfortunately we are closing our doors to the lanes. We will be selling memorabilia to the public," according to the company's Twitter post late Monday night.
General manager Calvin Mumford said increasing rents for the space on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and 126th Street and the slow summer season contributed to the closure of the lanes that rely mainly on kids' parties and camps this time of year.
"They've put their blood sweat and tears into this. We've done everything we can," Mumford said about co-owner Sharon Joseph, who could not be reached for comment.
The bowling alley employed 40 people on a full-time and part-time basis, according to Mumford.
"She's a person with a very large heart," he said of Joseph. "She cringes at the thought of having to lay people off."
The 24-lane bowling alley opened in 2006 with Joseph's aunt and business partner Gail Richards as a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation Urban Enterprise Initiative — with the former president attending the ribbon-cutting.
When it opened, Harlem Lanes was the only bowling alley in the country owned by black women and was Harlem's first bowling alley in three decades. The establishment served food and was a popular gathering place for parties and lounging.
"These two women put in a tremendous amount of hard work and will serve as a model for small businesses that want to have a role in reshaping their communities," Clinton said at the time. "We remain committed to supporting economic growth in urban communities by encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs to turn their dreams into reality."
Mumford said the establishment remained busy and that people still were stopping by to book parties — but it wasn't enough to keep the business going.
"I'm sad because I know what she's put in this place, the years of sacrifice," Mumford said Joseph.
The announcement came on the same day that another well-regarded black-owned business closed its doors.
Hue-Man Bookstore and Cafe on Frederick Douglass Boulevard between 124th and 125th streets announced earlier this month that it would be closing Monday due to rising rents and changes in the publishing industry.
Hue-Man CEO and co-owner Marva Allen cited a similar situation to Harlem Lanes.
Allen said business had increased 37 percent in the last year, but with rising rents, it didn't make sense to hold onto the store's physical location.
"The store will continue online," said Allen.
Also on DNAinfo.com...
Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/201...owling-alley-close-at-weeks-end#ixzz22KqvDeC6
also
Harlem's Hue-Man Bookstore to Close at End of July
Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/201...-bookstore-close-at-end-of-july#ixzz22KrjIz00
HARLEM — Citing a "new reality" in the publishing industry and rising rents, Harlem's Hue-Man Bookstore and Cafe will be closing its doors after 10 years in business at the end of July, said CEO and co-owner Marva Allen.
The retailer was one of the largest independent, black-owned bookstores in the country, stocking mostly titles by black writers that were of interest to the black community.
"We all know that there is a season for everything under the heaven and the season of 'traditional book' selling has come to a close," Allen wrote in a e-newsletter to the Harlem community, calling the move "the only sensible decision we could make."
Allen said the rent at the store in the Harlem USA mall on West 125th street was set to increase to a point where it would not be financially feasible to continue in the space.
"Our business grew 37 percent this year, but the truth of the matter is that it will never grow fast enough to handle the financial obligations of Harlem," Allen told DNAinfo.com New York.
"The industry is changing, times are changing, the neighborhood is changing and our lease is up," she added.
The store hosted dozens of famous authors over the years such as Cornel West and the late Manning Marable. The publishing industry overall was not doing well, Allen said.
"Faced with tremendous social pressures to deliver the next big idea, celebrity books have become the interim hype, yet even that is not a sustainable model for an industry in turmoil," Allen wrote.
Given the reality of the publishing industry and the end of the store's lease, now is the time to "re-imagine the future of books," she said.
Patrons of the store, which is located at 2319 Frederick Douglass Boulevard between 124th and 125th streets, expressed a mix of shock and sadness as they showed up to see the closing signs.
"There is nothing like going into a book store and losing yourself or discovering something you didn't know you wanted," said Lesley Small, 48, a life-long Harlem resident who works with the developmentally disabled.
Small said she considered the store the logical successor to the progressive Liberation Book Store which closed in 2007. Hue-Man was given the store's entire stock of books.
"This was like Liberation 2.0. After that closed, people migrated here," said Small.
Small grabbed a copy of a book titled "Africanisms in the Gullah Dialect" while already holding a copy of "Ethiopian Women of Power."
"This is the kind of stuff you just bump into," Small said excitedly.
Allen said while the rising rent was a factor, the store enjoyed a lease well below market rate as part of the development of Harlem USA. Having a cultural institution in the mall was part of the development deal with community partner Harlem Commonwealth Council.
Allen said the landlord, Grid Properties, was "generous" when the store was experiencing hard times.
"I know people in Harlem will think we are being pushed out by gentrification, but that's not the case," said Allen.
Curtis Archer, president and CEO of the Harlem Community Development Corporation, said it was unfortunate to see Hue-Man close because the store filled a special space in the community.
"When you passed the window there were a lot of the black authors prominently displayed. You wouldn't see that in Barnes and Nobles," said Archer.
But the store was affected by changes in the publishing industry.
"Hue-Man is a casualty of something that's been happening in the publishing world for a number of years. The Internet and technology has made the whole model of brick and mortar bookstores a very expensive proposition," said Archer.
Allen agreed.
"There is no way to reimagine the bookstore of the future in our current space. To try and do so would be a stop-gap and a waste of resources."
Allen said they are not exactly sure what the bookstore of the future will look like but that she envisions the store having a physical space elsewhere in Harlem in a year or two. She plans to travel to Europe and other places to find the model she is looking for.
"The bookstore is a place of intellectual pursuit, a place to meet and talk about ideas," Allen said during the interview. "I believe we should always have a physical space. It serves as a meeting place."
But the bookstore of the future will have to embrace the reality of technology, where people have access to electronic books as well as print publications, she said.
Hue-Man will now turn its focus to helping ethnic writers while continuing to be involved in publishing and offering agency services to writers. The store will also maintain an online presence that Allen hopes will allow her to keep many of the store's eight employees.
July's closing events feature an event with the cast of the Broadway musical FELA!, among other guests.
Since the news of the store's closure began to spread, Allen said she has been overwhelmed with well-wishers and people telling her how much they loved the store.
"Harlem is a unique place. It takes a while for people to embrace you," said Allen. "But when they do, they wrap their arms around you."
Also on DNAinfo.com...
Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/201...-bookstore-close-at-end-of-july#ixzz22KrrHSOx
damn i remember we threw a few strip parties in there... damn and i was gonna have a chick take me there cause she never been bowling b4
@ kats being on some "i was about to go there next wednesday" type shit, after yall hear it's closing,, obviously you & the rest of harlem weren't going, that's why they are closing
prob on 1 of da tues in august
