Meet Tanaya
Tanaya is a Harlemite, through and through, born and raised in the neighborhood. She grew up in and continues to live in East Harlem, El Barrio. Looking back on her childhood she says, “Growing up the experience [was] very community based… You could… go outside and play and you'd know somebody was watching you. Your parents really didn't have to worry about who's coming here, who's going there… Everybody was at everybody's party. We were always going to the pools together, the parks. And then I guess the gentrification came around, and that's when everybody started to… move from the block. And we still would hang out, but not as much. So the community feel was definitely lost, but [I’m] still there and trying to rebuild that community now for myself.”
Her grandmother is a staple on her block. She moved from the Bronx and has lived in Harlem for about 50 years. Although many people have moved, she is still there and many previous residents come back to visit, “Randomly, they'll be driving their car or walking through and be like, 'I knew something told me to walk through the block today. Cause I knew Agnes would be outside.' If it's warm outside and you wanna walk through there, you're always gonna see a lady, gray hair, sitting down… She won't know you from a hole in the wall, but she's gonna say hi to you. She's gonna [ask] you how your day's going… She's definitely always gonna be a part of my Harlem experience… I guess that's why everybody always… goes and visits... She reminds everybody of… core memories. Like, you're still here. You didn't let nothing move you from this space.” She still enjoys going back and spending time there, sitting outside and enjoying the weather.
“Growing up the experience [was] very community based… You could… go outside and play and you’d know somebody was watching you. Your parents really didn’t have to worry … Everybody was at everybody’s party. We were always going to the pools together, the parks.”
She went to school on the East side and West side, “I came over to the West side for 6th grade. So 6th grade to 12th grade, I was over here. And that's how I started… experiencing a different side of Harlem… In East Harlem... I hear more Spanish over there, more Salsa, Merengue. But over here is… more of a Black culture… So it was really nice that I got to see a difference in… avenues.” A few places in particular stand out when reminiscing about her childhood. One is an Italian Icee Shop that used to be on 118th and First Avenue, “It was owned by this guy and his mom, and they made the icees themselves. I think it was called Rex's Ices. But my grandmother used to give us… the change, and we could run down the block and go get the icees ourselves. So it's like, 'I'm an adult. I can do this by myself.'” Another is a chicken spot she used to go to with her friends after school, “On 133rd and 7th was a chicken spot, and me and my friends used to go every day to get… pizza and chicken… And that was definitely a core memory of… spending time with friends [I’ve known from elementary school to high school].” But many of her core memories are from the block she grew up on, “There was one year New York had a blackout, and everybody came outside and was sitting outside. There's this pizza place called Patsy's. And we all went to eat at Patsy's that night because they're not run on gas, they're run on coal. So we was all just sitting on the block. Just had candles and lamps and all of that. And we all stood outside for a long time until the power came on.”
Tanaya went away for school, attending Connecticut College, but knew she wanted to come back to Harlem after graduating. Currently she manages the social media for a pet groomer, takes care of her dad, and is a content creator, “I started as a fitness influencer, but now I just want to be myself. I just want to influence people to be true to themselves, live their life the best way they can, and create content… that just inspires people to do what they want to do.” Additionally she does what she can to give back to Harlem and continue the sense of community she had growing up. Tanaya volunteers locally, assisting with food pantries, and partnering with local businesses to host toy drives. She also started a drive for baby supplies for moms in the community, “I had over 78 people come to shop for free to get stuff as moms… [Recently] we had our second one, and it was so nice because I saw moms from last year come this year, and I got to meet their babies.” Her values and desire to give back have been greatly influenced by Harlem and the way everyone looks out for each other. For her recent drive, she had to relocate the event from a local garden to an indoor space due to rain. Her friend donated a space to use and people in the community helped her move the items to the location when there was miscommunication with the moving truck, ”Everybody started… 'I'm here. What do you need?' …I got to the location, and people within this community of Harlem, 'Okay, I can help you.' Taking stuff out of the [truck]… Those are… core values of… I see a person in need, I'm gonna help.”
The community of Harlem is built by the connections and love between residents, “I wanted some ice cream. And there's this new Black owned ice cream parlor… on the east side… I'm like, 'Oh, I'm really hoping that they're open.' And as soon as I turn the block, he's closing the gate. And I'm like, ‘Please, no, I really wanted ice cream.' He's like, 'Girl, come on, let me open up the shop.' And he was like, 'I was about to leave, but you lucky,'...because every time I pass, I say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’ Like, when they first came to the area, I welcomed them… [My best friend said], 'Girl… there's love in your community, and… you're creating that by just talking to people or… acknowledging people.'” Harlem has taught Tanaya to be a “changemaker” and to “stay true to herself.” She aims to own a brownstone in Harlem and continue to give back to the neighborhood, “My story is me recreating the narrative of it, of Harlem, taking things that I experienced… in my childhood and implementing that into my adulthood, of keeping that spunk and that pizazz in me. So that's how I would describe my Harlem story… redefining it, but keeping… the core roots of it still.”