A strong neighborhood voice is important to Central Harlem. MMPCIA has continues to be that irrepressible squeaky wheel that the police, politicians and NYC Commissioners listen to with a bit of trepidation.

MMPCIA’s place as an advocate for the neighborhood in Harlem continues to solidify. Our impact on the revitalization and preservation issues of our community is directly attributable to the strength of our Membership–those stakeholders who understand that it takes time, talent and treasure to stay strong and relevant.

It is in appreciation of these friends and neighbors that MMPCIA is hosting its 2nd Annual A Midsummer Night’s Picnic in the Park. To our current Members its a time when we can say–Thank you! To our past Members, we want to say–Now’s the perfect time to renew! We miss you! And to our friends from in and around the neighborhood who’ve attended any of our past events–such as the monthly General Meetings, the Holiday Gala, the Spring Wine Tasting, the Annual House Tour, or the Mount Morris Talks–Now’s the perfect time to officially throw your hat in the ring with us!

When:
Thursday, July 15, from 6 to 9 PM

Where:
Marcus Garvey Park in the SW corner on West 120 Street

What to bring:
• A Potluck Dish to serve 8: Salads, vegetables, fruit, desserts, etc.
MMPCIA will work the grill and provide the meat, condiments, paper
goods and beverages.
• Beach mat or picnic blanket, folding chairs and bug spray

More Details:

• Dress: Summer whites
• Raffle: We’ll be raffling off gift certificates from N Boutique and Settepani, a bottle of wine from Harlem Vintage, as well as a number of other fun items. You can purchase raffle tickets during the event — $2 each, 3 for $5.
• Tickets:The Picnic is FREE to current Members and to those who renew/join us now or at the Picnic. (Individual dues is $50, Dual is $90.) Family of Members and friends who are not quite ready to join us are welcome for $10/person suggested donation. Children 12 and under are free.
• RSVP: Please let us know your Potluck dish today at Picnic RSVP.

We hope you’ll join us!

It’s easy to walk the streets of Central Harlem these days and observe all the preservation, renovations, new construction and new businesses that look like they could be in SoHo and wonder, “Wow, what’s next!?”

That’s what inspired the theme of this year’s Annual House Tour: Harlem. What’s Now. What’s New. What’s Next!

Don’t miss this day full of history & inspiration:

11 AM to 4 PM: Follow the Self-Guided Tour of Homes at your leisure. Guests will visit 12 venues including inside brownstone homes, urban live/work apartments, boutique art galleries, a landmark church, the Malcolm Shabazz Mosque, and the landmark jazz club, Minton’s Playhouse.

1 PM and 3 PM: Join the Architectural Walking Tour and explore this neighborhood rich with architectural detail and history with preservationist, historian and Harlem resident, John Reddick.

1:30 PM: Join the Marcus Garvey Park Walking Tour and see such park landmarks as the Amphitheater built–and soon to undergo an upgrade and restoration–with funds provided by the City of New York and Broadway legend and former resident, Richard Rodgers Family Foundation, and the Fire Watchtower on top of the Acropolis, which, at 153 years old, is the only surviving structure of its kind in New York City–with a view to die for!

12 Noon and 2 PM: New this year--Go Inside & Intimate in Historic Harlem with Harlem’s preeminent historian and preservationist, Michael Henry Adams, the author of Harlem Lost and Found. You’ll explore inside three extraordinary houses in the Mount Morris Park Historic District that are not on the regular tour and ordinarily strictly private. Group size is limited. This 1.5 hour walk requires a separate ticket which may be purchased at the Tour Start.

Everything Begins at the Tour Start:

The Pelham Fritz Community Center, 18 Mount Morris Park West (aka Fifth Avenue) and West 122 Street. Here you can buy tickets, pick up tickets reserved in advance, check out the souvenirs and meet the the Walking Tour Guides.

How to get here: Subways: A, B, C, D, 2, 3, and 4, 5, & 6 to 125th Street. Buses: M1, M7 and M102. Driving: Enter your start point below.

It’s easy to walk the streets of Central Harlem these days and observe all the preservation, renovations, new construction and new businesses that look like they could be in SoHo and wonder, “Wow, what’s next!?”

That’s what inspired the theme of this year’s Annual House Tour: Harlem. What’s Now. What’s New. What’s Next!

Don’t miss this day full of history & inspiration:

11 AM to 4 PM: Follow the Self-Guided Tour of Homes at your leisure. Guests will visit 12 venues including inside brownstone homes, urban live/work apartments, boutique art galleries, a landmark church, the Malcolm Shabazz Mosque, and the landmark jazz club, Minton’s Playhouse.

1 PM and 3 PM: Join the Architectural Walking Tour and explore this neighborhood rich with architectural detail and history with preservationist, historian and Harlem resident, John Reddick. 

1:30 PM: Join the Marcus Garvey Park Walking Tour and see such park landmarks as the Amphitheater built–and soon to undergo an upgrade and restoration–with funds provided by the City of New York and Broadway legend and former resident, Richard Rodgers Family Foundation, and the Fire Watchtower on top of the Acropolis, which, at 153 years old, is the only surviving structure of its kind in New York City–with a view to die for!

12 Noon and 2 PM: New this year--Go Inside & Intimate in Historic Harlem with Harlem’s preeminent historian and preservationist, Michael Henry Adams, the author of Harlem Lost and Found. You’ll explore inside three extraordinary houses in the Mount Morris Park Historic District that are not on the regular tour and ordinarily strictly private. Group size is limited. This 1.5 hour walk requires a separate ticket which may be purchased in advance or, if space is available, at the Tour Start.

Reserve your tickets in advance and save 20%.

By Credit Card via PayPal:

21st Annual House Tour Advance Tickets: $20 ($25 at the door)

Buy now and save 20%!

21st Annual House Tour PLUS Inside & Intimate Tour with Michael Henry Adams Advance Tickets: $40 ($50 at the door)

Buy now and save 20%!

Choose Time of Tour 12 Noon Tour $40.00 2 PM Tour $40.00

By Mail:
Send a check or money order made payable to MMPCIA and a self-addressed stamped envelope to MMPCIA, PO Box 3270, New York, NY 10027. Please indicate the order quantity of House Tour tickets at $20 each and the number of Combination House Tour/Inside & Intimate tickets at $40. Please note that orders received after Saturday, June 5, will not be mailed but will be held for pick up at the Will-Call Table at the Tour Start.

Group Rate: Groups of 10 or more please email us for Group Rates.

Everything Begins at the Tour Start:

The Pelham Fritz Community Center, 18 Mount Morris Park West (aka Fifth Avenue) and West 122 Street. Here you can buy tickets, pick up tickets reserved in advance, check out the souvenirs and meet the the Walking Tour Guides.

How to get here: Subways: A, B, C, D, 2, 3, and 4, 5, & 6 to 125th Street. Buses: M1, M7 and M102. Driving: Enter your start point below.

Kevin McGruder

On Thursday, May 6, from 6:30-8 PM, MMPCIA welcomes Harlem scholar Kevin McGruder as its speaker for Mount Morris Talks! – a series of conversations between the community and leaders, news makers, authors and thinkers who live in the Harlem area.

Kevin McGruder’s involvement in the Harlem community has spanned a broad spectrum: as an entrepreneur in Harlem-themed businesses; in work for a non-profit providing arts education; in real estate development; and as an advocate for gay men of African descent.

He’s now looking forward to June, when he will receive his doctorate in history from the City University of New York. His dissertation, “Race and Real Estate: Interracial Conflict and Coexistence in Harlem, 1890-1920,” uses real estate transaction to explore the complexity of interracial interactions during the period when Harlem’s black population grew dramatically.

While quick to point out that 2010 is a very different time than 1910, McGruder sees some mirror images today as Harlem’s racial and ethnic makeup evolves. Regardless of the time period, one thing remains constant: Harlem is a unique and decidedly special place.

“Probably no other place in the country has the richness in terms of African-American history that we have here,” he says. “And there’s the rich architectural treasure – and that’s not by chance. It was developed to be a beautiful community.

“Even as Harlem declined and is now coming back, it’s been a place that many people feel a part of in ways that other black communities don’t really have.”

From 1990 to 1991, McGruder was owner/manager of the gift shop Home to Harlem. In 2000 he opened Harlemade Style Shop, formerly on Lenox Avenue and now at the Gospel Uptown Restaurant on Adam Clayton Powell. He’s also chairman of the board of  Harlem Textile Works, a nonprofit organization that provides arts education.

His previous positions include program director at Local Initiatives Support Corporation, director of real estate development and later chief operating officer with the Abyssinian Development Corporation, and executive director of Gay Men of African Descent, an education, advocacy and health services organization based in New York.

A native of Toledo, Ohio, McGruder has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University and an M.B.A. in real estate finance from Columbia Business School.

Please join MMPCIA and Kevin McGruder for Mount Morris Talks! Thursday, May 6, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM at the Harlem Branch of the New York Public Library, Community Room 3rd floor, 9 West 124th Street.

MMPCIA is proud to sponsor this series and offers it free of charge to the community.

Tuesday, April 20, from 6:30 to 9 pm, MMPCIA is hosting its second annual Spring Wine Tasting Evening — aka Spring Membership Drive.

Dean and Dwayne with Madison Avenue Wines, 1793 Madison Avenue @ E118 St, will pour a selection of new wines to sample, appreciate — and buy a bottle or two.

Bring your credit card, cash or checkbook and support our local business while tasting what’s new from the vine, sampling hors d’oeuvres from Ristorante Settepani and cupcakes from Tonnie’s Minis, and enjoying a Spring evening with friends and neighbors.


Admission is free for MMPCIA members; $10 for guests. We are offering a Get to Know Us discount membership for first-time joiners. Maybe now’s the time to get involved in your neighborhood. Join or renew today.

Venue: Chrissy & Russell Nance, 66 West 120th Street. (No high heels, please!)

A Votre Sante!