Life goes on.

I see with chagrin that I have once again allowed this blog to lie fallow for far too long. For that I apologize, dear readers. All I can say is that something must have happened while I was busy making other plans.

I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the many new parents and kids of Harlem – some new arrivals, some not, and some newborn! – with whom I’ve become acquainted in the months since I last updated this blog. I look forward to seeing more of you in the streets, parks, playgrounds and shops of Harlem in the months and years to come.

As always, if you know of events or resources for kids and/or parents in Harlem that you would like to see featured on this blog – or you just want to say hi! – please send me a message and I will do my best to oblige. I look forward to hearing from you.

Harlem Tae Kwon Do rocks.

So now I must kvell. My oldest son, after two years of "Peewee" classes, is now old enough for the big kids' classes at Harlem Tae Kwon Do, and he just qualified for his "green stripe", which required learning various kicks.

Harlem Tae Kwon Do rocks. The folks who run it are amazing at what they do and very very warm people. Their kids' classes are extremely reasonably priced relative to just about anything else our son could be doing with his afternoons ($60 for 1 class/week, $80 for 2 classes/week or $120 for unlimited classes), and just a wonderful combination of exercise, focus, discipline, and of course punching, kicking and yelling. (I've also taken the adult classes myself and I love them but find it tough to make them work with my difficult schedule. Working out at home is pretty much the only thing that really works with my schedule.)

R.I.P., Tribal Spears

Tribal Spears, a beloved gallery/cafe near my home, is closing this weekend. We will miss Tribal Spears and its energetic proprietors, who have poured themselves into this community, terribly.

Sorry to have abandoned this blog for the better part of a year

It's been an eventful year for everyone, including Uptown Mom and family. Events about which I failed to blog in the past year include the opening of an absolutely wonderful new playground in Morningside Park between 116th and 117th Streets, which happily replaced most of The Playground with the Dangerous Equipment, the sad untimely closing of Antoinette's and the incredible privilege of being in Harlem on the night of November 4, 2008.

So one of my resolutions for the new year is more consistent blogging.

Happy new year everyone!

Feel better, Representative Rangel.

Rep. Charles Rangel is in the hospital with the flu.

Speaking of one of the unlucky folks for whom this year's flu shot didn't work, I feel for you, Rep. Rangel.

Feel better soon.

More on Vote Tampering (Found the 94th)

Turns out that the 94th Election District is very far west at about 134th Street. See this map (you will need to enlarge it to make sense of it).

If you brought your kids to the voting booth with you in that district, the little civics lesson may not be over yet, unfortunately.

If you want to find out your election district by address, try this link.

A little transparency might go a long way.

Where exactly is the 94th Election District?

UptownMom is very disturbed this evening by the stink of vote tampering in Harlem. If you, dear reader, can point me toward a map showing where Harlem's 94th Election District is, I will be impressed and appreciative.

Many thanks.