Spanish Harlem

Toward the end of April 2009, two of my friends and I found an apartment in Spanish Harlem. Though it was not the safest neighborhood, it had gotten a lot safer, we were close to the train, and we could afford it. About 9 months later, Saturday, February 13, walking back to my apartment from Duane Read I narrowly avoided stepping in something red in the snow. A small splash of something--nothing that would be that strange without the addition of a police line surrounding the stoop of a building on 115th st. Turning the corner onto Lexington, I saw this:





At the bottom of the stairs was a puddle of blood. There were a few cop cars around, but they weren't questioning anyone, they weren't doing any of the stereotypical th cop things that I would hope for when someone has lost a good deal of blood less than 100 feet from my front door. The police line that forced anyone on the sidewalk to trudge through a snowbank and onto the street to get around seemed to be the biggest concern for most people in the area. As there was no one gawking at the scene of the crime, nor any police officer outside their car, I went to the internet to find out what had happened.
The internet failed. However, it did lead me to a news story about Adam Gonzalez, a 28 year old man who had been found with a steak knife in his chest Sunday, February 7, 2 blocks from this new crime. But even a week later, I was only able to find it mentioned in three online articles, one at DNAinfo.com, a site that covers local news in Manhattan, one at New York Daily News, and one on the Village Voice blog. His death was reported on the New York Times Homicide Map, but there was no other mention. The sites did not even agree on the details "Gonzalez, 28, was walking home early Saturday" comes from the New York Daily News. DNAinfo disagreed, even though it linked to the Daily post article. It said "Gonzalez . . . was found dead . . . Sunday morning at 6:30 a.m." The Village Voice blog said it was Sunday morning. At least all three agree on his name, Adan. But the New York Times Homicide map says that it was Adam.
Just last year, a man was stabbed in front of the post office at 34th st. and 8th Avenue. That was reported within an hour of happening. It was during the day, around many people, which makes a difference, but the main difference was location. In East Harlem, you're expected to be randomly killed, Midtown, you are not. Police lines and blood in Times Square? It would make national news. But if it happens in East Harlem, not a peep.