Uptown

by Bryan Collier

Transcript

00:00Uptown. By Brian Collier. Dedicated to the loving memory of my mother Esther Collier.

00:18To God be the glory. Uptown is a caterpillar. Well, it's really the Metro North train as

00:25it eases over the Harlem River. Uptown is chicken and waffles served around the clock.

00:32At first it seems like a weird combination. But it works. Uptown is a row of brownstone.

00:41I like the way they come together when you look at them down the block. They look like

00:46they're made of chocolate. Uptown is weekend shopping on 125th Street. The vibe is always

00:54jumping as people bounce to their own rhythms. Uptown is a stage. The Apollo Theatre has

01:02showcased the greatest entertainers in the world. I hope we can get good seats. Uptown

01:09is jazz. My grandfather says, jazz and Harlem are a perfect match just like chicken and

01:16waffles. Uptown is a barber shop. It's a place where last night's ball game can be more important

01:24than what style haircut you want. Uptown is a Van Der Zee photograph. I saw a picture

01:31from before my dad was even born, a picture of my grandparents' wedding day. Uptown is

01:37summer basketball at the Rockers. Anyone can rise up and be a superstar for a day. Uptown

01:45is canvas awnings on the windows to block the sun. It's like the buildings are all dressed

01:51up. Uptown is Little Sisters. They're on their way to church in matching yellow dresses.

01:59Uptown is the orange sunset over the Hudson River. That means it's time for the street

02:05lights to come on and for me to get home and get changed. Uptown is a song sung by the

02:11Boys Choir of Harlem. Each note floats through the air and lands like a butterfly. Uptown

02:18is Harlem. Harlem world, my world. Uptown is home. The end.