El Barrio Winter Festival 2011. Get your unique gifts from local artisans, and taste the flavor of Spanish Harlem from local food vendors! The festival runs on the first three Saturdays of December: the 3rd, the 10th, and the 17th!, 10AM-8PM, La Marqueta, Spanish Harlem, 116th Street + Park Avenue.

The Office of Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer, the East Harlem Business Capital Corporation, El Barrio Mexican Chamber of Commerce, and Casa Mexico are proud to co-sponsor the El Barrio GRITO de INDEPENDENCIA de MEXICO/ INDEPENDENCE DAY, Thursday, September 15, 2011, 8PM-12am. St. Paul’s church 113 East 117th Street, between Park and Lexington avenues, El Barrio, New York City.

This year marks the 201st ANNIVERSARY of the “Ringing of the Bell”, when Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla began the struggle for Mexico’s Independence from Spain, at 11PM on September 15th, 1810. In commemoration of that event, we celebrate in El Barrio/ East Harlem with Food, Beverages, Entertainment, Mariachis, and Camaraderie. We invite the entire community to participate. Bring your family, friends and neighbors to enjoy the celebration.

This event is free.

A Brief Synopsis 

Executive Summary

With grant funding from the Harlem Community Development Corporation, the East Harlem Business Capital Corporation (EHBCC) commissioned a study of East Harlem’s four major commercial corridors: 106^th Street, 116^th Street and 125^th Street – from 5^th Avenue to the East River – and along Third Avenue, from 96^th Street to 128^th Street.  The objective was to conduct a study that assessed the changing nature of East Harlem’s household incomes relative to the demand for retail goods and services in the local commercial corridors. In addition, the study sought to identify the challenges and potential opportunities for providing those goods and services to a diversified community.  The results of the study would allow EHBCC to prepare economic revitalization strategies to improve the role of local businesses and address expanded and more diverse market opportunities.   The study was conducted by Columbia University’s Urban Technical Assistance Project in the summer of 2010.  In order to realize the objectives, UTAP students and staff:

• Measured the degree of household and income change that has taken place in East Harlem since 2000;
• Assessed the state of local commercial retail and service sectors;
• Estimated the scale of total personal income and expenditure potential;
• Identified gaps in the commercial distribution;
• Solicited residents’ opinions regarding their shopping experience, and also local merchants’ views of the local market condition.

Findings:

The major finding of the UTAP study is that East Harlem residents spend 745 million dollars annually on goods and services.  However, only 35% of it – 261 million dollars – is spent in the neighborhood area businesses, while 484 million dollars in potential retail sales escape the area annually, due to the poor quality of existing products and services, or the non-existence of products and services required by East Harlem residents. Other findings follow:

A – Demographics and Housing:

1. Although the area is predominately low and moderate income, the study found that area median household income increased by 17.4% and that a small portion of the total household population, showed an increase of households at the higher end of the income distribution, particularly those with earnings greater than $100,000.

2. The total number of households in the area increased by 4.2% while non-family households remained the single largest type and married-couple families and female headed households combined made up more than 50% of all households.

3. There are nearly 4,000 new dwelling units, 51% of which are privately developed, while the remaining 49% are publicly subsidized.

4. The new housing tended to be developed in two areas of East Harlem and may indicate a correlation to location and income stratification: proximity to Marcus Garvey Park and the area bordering the Upper Eastside.  These areas – according to the Census – tend to have higher median incomes.

5. At the time that the study was completed the 4 commercial corridors had 528 occupied business establishments, 55 vacant stores, 34 vacant lots with no designated use and 7 open spaces.

B – Commercial Status:

1. Of the 11 business categories surveyed, 68% were concentrated in four retail trade types: Clothing and Clothing Accessories, Food and Beverage, General Merchandise and Health and Personal Care.

2. The remaining 32% encompassed Automotive Parts, Accessories and Tire Stores, Furniture and Home Furnishing Stores, Miscellaneous Store Retailers, Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument Stores and Telecommunications.

3. Of the approximately 37.3 % of the Total Personal Income (TPI) spent on goods and services, the highest percentages – with the lowest “capture rate” (i.e. less of these monies were spent in East Harlem) – were Food Stores and Eating Establishments (9.2%); Apparel and Accessory stores (7.2%) and Home Furniture, Furnishings and Equipment (5%).

4. The other noteworthy category is Recreation, which has a 1.2% TPI spent, and a zero capture rate, since no recreational facilities exist within these four major commercial corridors.

5. Commercial corridors are in a state of decline, economic restructuring and uneven development.

6. Contrary to merchants’ opinions, there is a need for up-grading of facades, displays, floor layouts and technologies

C – Going Forward:

1. There are 1,900,000 square feet of additional developable space, and a capacity for 782 additional stores in East Harlem.

2. New businesses should include additional full service restaurants, supermarkets, convenience markets, women and family clothing stores, coin operated laundries and movie theaters.

Finally, in addition to attracting new businesses that address the gap between supply and demand for the estimated 4,000 new households and long time East Harlem residents, the study recommends:

• that existing businesses need to improve the quality of their goods and services;
• they need to better address the needs and wants of the East Harlem community by specifically vending required goods and services; and
• they need to better market their products.

EHBCC intends to use the findings of this study to work with existing businesses and to attract new businesses, in order to retain more of the consumer dollars that currently escape the neighborhood, thereby assisting in the retention/creation of new jobs and the revitalization of East Harlem’s economy.

Through small business loans, training, technical assistance, tourism, arts and culture, EHBCC is working to improve the financial viability and quality of life in El Barrio/East Harlem.