Memo: Who was Lenox Avenue named after? When was it co-named Malcolm X Boulevard?

Since moving to Harlem, I've often wondered who Lenox Avenue was named after.  Sure, it's pretty clear who Malcolm X was and it even makes sense that a major thoroughfare in Harlem was named for him.  But everybody seems to refer to the road as "Lenox".  So who was Lenox and what did he do to get such a major road named for him?  I decided to look into it.

The NYC Department of City Planning website gives a brief history of Lenox Avenue:

First known as Sixth Avenue, the portion of the Boulevard above Central Park from West 110th Street/Central Park North to 147th was named Lenox Avenue in 1887 after a millionaire philanthropist and book-collector. James Lenox donated his private collection as part of the founding material of the New York Public Library.

So Lenox donated his book collection to the NYPL?  And that gets a major avenue of the city named after the guy?  Should I start collecting books?

Turns out that it wouldn't help.  Lenox helped found the Presbyterian Hospital in NYC in 1868 and his book and art collection eventually became a whole library unto itself.  From Wikipedia:

James Lenox (19 August 1800 - 17 February 1880) was an American bibliophile and philanthropist, born in New York City. A graduate of Columbia College, Lenox was a founder of the Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. His collection of paintings and books eventually became known as the Lenox Library and later became part of the New York Public Library in 1895. In 1913, the collection was moved to the central library. The Frick Collection stands on the library's former Fifth Avenue site. Lenox Avenue in Harlem is named for him.

He is buried in the New York City Marble Cemetery.

His book collection included an extensive collection of Bibles, including the first Guttenberg Bible in the U.S.   When he founded the Presbyterian Hospital of New York City, he demanded “be open to all, without regard to race, creed, or color,” and the Presbyterian Home for Aged Women.  He became president of the American Bible Society and distributed bibles to the men fighting for both the North and the South in the Civil War.  He made many charitable gifts during his lifetime, and was the rare breed that sought to hide them from the public eye.

Hell of a guy!  (No pun intended related to his bible collection).

A number of NYC streets and avenues were renamed (or co-named) in 1987, including Lenox Avenue, which was co-named Malcolm X Boulevard.  

Menu: Sylvia's seeks unpaid intern

DNAInfo, the online news source that reports on seemingly every-little-thing-even-as-small-as-your-DNA (is that where the name comes from? and how do they do it?), writes that Sylvia's is seeking an unpaid intern for the summer:

While unpaid internships are standard practice in publishing, journalism and other industries, restaurant internships are relatively rare.

[Breanna Williams, who posted the ad for Sylvia's] said she hadn't heard of any other restaurants in the city that are currently doing the same.

But she said her staff is stretched, and instead of hiring a paid employee, “I thought it would probably be best to hire an intern who could learn and go on to make something of their own one day.”

Williams said she hopes the internship will prove valuable for students looking to break into the business. "They can really see what it takes," she said.

Hey, God bless 'em.  If they can find somebody to work for free to see  how a restaurant works, they've either found somebody who is so smart to see an opportunity that most wouldn't see or somebody who is a little slow on the uptake.  Then again, a lot of folks in the restaurant industry argue that they almost work for free anyway, so what's the difference?

And what about the folks that say unpaid internships shouldn't exist?  Well, I don't know.  Nobody's forcing anyone to take such a position.  Some people do take unpaid or low-paying internships and leverage it into their own success.  And if somebody does take the Sylvia's position - if - they must see some value to it other than hourly pay.

Owens Funeral Home Proceeds in Style

DNAInfo, an interesting name for a news source, brings a local story about Owens Funeral Home, located on West 121st Street and Lenox Avenue.  About six months ago, Owens purchased a $80,000 custom built hearse from Prinzing Motor Cars, ostensibly to harken back to Harlem's Renaissance of the 1920s and 30s.

“The name of the car is The 'Renaissance,'" said Isaiah Owens, the owner of the Owens Funeral Home, who dons a black top hat and tails to accompany the custom-built car made by Prinzing Motor Cars. “I wanted it to be a signature of the new Harlem. We need signs to tell the world that Harlem is back.”

And why was Owens inspired to invest in his business in such an extravagant way?

Owens first got the idea to order the car two years ago, when he noticed the incredible detail and restoration work taking place on the brownstones around the corner from his business on 121st Street between Lenox Ave. and Mount Morris Park.

Is it possible that the "gentrifiers" aren't that bad after all?  After killing off local churches, they're actually getting credit for helping to restore the community and inspire local businesses to invest?  Well, not quite:  

Community groups in the area have worked hard to restore the stately stretch of homes on this strip, once among the most glamourous and immaculate homes in all of New York City, to its former glory.

Say what?  I know that the Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association is willing to take credit for almost anything, but how exactly do you hand kudos to them without doing the same for the folks willing to move to the Mount Morris Historic District and invest in restoring their brownstones?