VOA标准英语--Small Businesses Pay Price for Harlem's Success

 

Small Businesses Pay Price for Harlem's Success

Locals often refer to Harlem as “The Capital of Black America.” But until recently, huge swathes of the area were rundown and depressed¹ and it was difficult for businesses to thrive. That's been changing. Nikoa Evans-Hendricks has spent 14 years organizing small business owners and marketing² the Harlem brand.

Community revitalized

"I’ve watched it evolve from essentially³ the forgotten land above 96th Street where no one really saw any value, to the gold mine and the gold coast it has become in Manhattan,” explained Evans-Hendricks.

From 2000 to 2010, median household income in Harlem jumped 30 percent. That enabled Seven Brown to open a skin care spa, once considered too upscale for the neighborhood.

“It’s been a great experience to be able to live and work in the same community that I’ve lived in for a long time. The bad part of it is watching a lot of the mom and pop organizations, mostly black-owned businesses, close on a daily basis," Brown stated. "I think I counted 60 to 65 of them when I was sitting down in conversation last week."

Large businesses squeeze small shops

Chain stores and developers have taken advantage of tax breaks and other incentives⁴ to open stores in Harlem, putting rents for commercial space beyond the reach of many small businesses.

Murphy Scott Jr.'s used furniture and upholstery store has been a fixture⁵ here for over 40 years. “Now that I can’t afford a place out there to rent, I have to shut it down," he said. "They done shut down about 20 stores like this already.”

Offering unique services

Harlem native Hans Hageman and his wife Bernadette want to combine the old and the new in Brownstone Fitness, their personal training gym. They hope to empower women and promote health in Harlem, where fitness facilities are rare. 

"One of the things about having a business here and particularly where we live is that our kids get to see whatever successes we have - and we hope to accelerate those," Hageman said. "But they also get to see the struggles that small business people have."

How Harlemites and outsiders come to define a district where heritage is prized, but African Americans are no longer a majority, is an open question. Many say a changing Harlem that continues to honor its past will be good both for business and for life in the larger city. 

 

1 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

2 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

3 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

4 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 fixture   

n.固定设备；预定日期；比赛时间；定期存款

参考例句：

• Lighting fixture must be installed at once.必须立即安装照明设备。
• The cordless kettle may now be a fixture in most kitchens.无绳电热水壶现在可能是多数厨房的固定设备。