Bill Clinton leaves Harlem, Harlem sez "Dueces"
As former President Bill Clinton leaves Harlem, no tears from residents
HARLEM residents aren't crying over former President Bill Clinton's offices moving out of their neighborhood.
The William J. Clinton Foundation, which moved onto W. 125th St. nearly 10 years ago, plans to move most of its offices to Water St. in the financial district.
Clinton will keep an office in the building, but many residents don't care what his plans are - either because they never saw him or don't think his presence helped the neighborhood.
"It don't faze me; I never saw him," said lifelong Harlem resident and Clinton supporter Susan Chaplain.
"When he was here what did he do for us? Nothing," she said as she stood on Lenox Ave., not far from Clinton's offices. "He never did nothing while he was here. What difference does it make?"
Sharon Johnson, 59, also wasn't concerned with Clinton's plans.
"He don't come out here so it don't matter one way or another," she said. "He never even comes out to say 'hi.'"
James Carrington, 62, is one of many sidewalk vendors selling artwork on W. 125th St. near Clinton's building.
"It doesn't matter to me," said Carrington, who added he's spotted Clinton only once and that his presence hasn't made any impact on Carrington's business.
"It doesn't hurt me. It doesn't affect me," Carrington said of the move.
One woman, who declined to give her name, said she wasn't surprised to hear Clinton was moving.
"I knew he wasn't going to stay up here too long," she said. "I was surprised when he moved up here...It was a lot of attention when he came up here, but when was the last time he was here?"
Another resident, who refused to give his name, hoped the rent for businesses would go down now that Clinton is packing up and leaving Harlem.
"Maybe now that he's leaving, the rent will go down," he said. "Him being in the community doesn't affect us. All it did was raise the rent.
"Drugs were still being sold. People were still being killed," he said. "It won't be no tears. No, thank you. Goodbye."
HARLEM residents aren't crying over former President Bill Clinton's offices moving out of their neighborhood.
The William J. Clinton Foundation, which moved onto W. 125th St. nearly 10 years ago, plans to move most of its offices to Water St. in the financial district.
Clinton will keep an office in the building, but many residents don't care what his plans are - either because they never saw him or don't think his presence helped the neighborhood.
"It don't faze me; I never saw him," said lifelong Harlem resident and Clinton supporter Susan Chaplain.
"When he was here what did he do for us? Nothing," she said as she stood on Lenox Ave., not far from Clinton's offices. "He never did nothing while he was here. What difference does it make?"
Sharon Johnson, 59, also wasn't concerned with Clinton's plans.
"He don't come out here so it don't matter one way or another," she said. "He never even comes out to say 'hi.'"
James Carrington, 62, is one of many sidewalk vendors selling artwork on W. 125th St. near Clinton's building.
"It doesn't matter to me," said Carrington, who added he's spotted Clinton only once and that his presence hasn't made any impact on Carrington's business.
"It doesn't hurt me. It doesn't affect me," Carrington said of the move.
One woman, who declined to give her name, said she wasn't surprised to hear Clinton was moving.
"I knew he wasn't going to stay up here too long," she said. "I was surprised when he moved up here...It was a lot of attention when he came up here, but when was the last time he was here?"
Another resident, who refused to give his name, hoped the rent for businesses would go down now that Clinton is packing up and leaving Harlem.
"Maybe now that he's leaving, the rent will go down," he said. "Him being in the community doesn't affect us. All it did was raise the rent.
"Drugs were still being sold. People were still being killed," he said. "It won't be no tears. No, thank you. Goodbye."
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