If I told you a whole neighborhood will get free WiFi, which neighborhood would you guess? Greenwich, CT? Beverly Hills, CA? South Beach Miami, FL? Try Harlem, NYC!
Harlem, the historic and perhaps most famous of all African-American neighborhoods, will be the first neighborhood to get free public WiFi service. It’s expected to expand 95 blocks between 110th and 138th St. and stretch between Fredrick Douglas Blvd. and Madison Ave. It’s already being worked on and should be complete in May 2014. It’s part of Mayor Bloomberg’s farewell initiative. Keep in mind much of Harlem is low income. Of it’s 80,000 residents, around 15% live in public housing.
I actually applaud this decision. I don’t like much of what Mayor Bloomberg has done during his tenure, but we’re living in an age where everyone should and eventually need WiFi. This is a good move. And let’s face it; not everyone may be in the position to afford WiFi service. This is a big step in the technological realm. If you predicted five years ago a whole major city neighborhood would probably go WiFi, you would have been laughed out the building. And since it’s New York City leading the charge, maybe other cities will follow. I know there are some on the far right who will call this borderline socialism. I disagree with that sentiment. Public WiFi can be used as a tool to educate youth, train for jobs, and help people achieve the American dream. Will free WiFi come to a neighborhood near you?