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Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

This doesn't bode well for me and Harlem

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Feb 9 2009, 8:11 AM ET Comment

The Daily Intel on the middle class and Manhattan. Oxymoronic, I know. This is obviously an old complaint, but it's bracing to see it in print and cold stats. I moved to Harlem because I loved the community, and I stay, mostly, because of the ties my family has made here. There really is no other argument. But Manhattan, on a whole, seems easiest for the  very poor and the well-off. Yes, I know. An original observation if there ever was one. But again, it's like you've been dating this high-maintenance honey for the past five years, and you're just realizing that she is, indeed, high maintenance. Man if you continues like this, Chicago here we come.

UPDATE: Sorry guys. Forgot the hyperlink. Fixt now.


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