I live in East Harlem, on E 120th Street. While still stereotypical, a sad & decidedly atypical incident took place down the block last night. It hits home on many levels.

My adopted neighborhood is teeming with possibilities & opportunities. Yet, many things still make my eyes roll: Around the Lex & 125th express line, littered pizza plates & free dailies become natural tumbleweed, whipping in the whirlwind of the Wild Wild East. This morning, however, the street was serene. I'd like to think we were paying respects.

The monstrosity that will dethrone my building from being the tallest residential is currently under construction. Much like much of Manhattan, double-digit floors command seven-digit checks. Such has literally paved the way for gentrified Harlem. It has blown away the tumbleweed (well, the tumble, not the weed).

Now it's the stereotypical big boxes which characterize this 'hood. Like many other Manhattan neighborhoods, there is a wink & a nod to its heritage and checkered past: Relics are framed in museums; Renaissance waxed on during walking tours.

Progress is a tightrope balanced between renewal & nostalgia. Lest not we forget the lessons of the past. Harlem has much growing to do. It's always had a big heart, now it's got big shoes. Its britches are catching up. Big shoes walk big steps. Last night was a step backward. But we've been making big strides.

Have you seen other neighborhoods changing? {Bk represent!} Through the decades, what other neighborhoods have danced this two-step shuffle? What have you experienced?