The ''Manhattan Times'' is a free English / Spanish bilingual community newspaper serving all the neighborhoods of
Upper Manhattan, including
Hamilton Heights,
East
East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...
, Central, and West
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
,
Washington Heights,
Inwood, and
Marble Hill. It was founded in 2000 by
Luís A. Miranda Jr., Roberto Ramírez Sr., and David Keisman.
The print version is distributed free on Wednesdays to 235 different street boxes and community organizations (), primarily in Washington Heights and Inwood.
Content
The primary feature of the ''Manhattan Times'' is its articles, written by a combination of editorial staff and others, primarily on topics of interest to residents of Northern Manhattan and
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
as a whole.
Each article is published in both English and Spanish, with the goal of accessibility for readers, as Spanish is the language most commonly spoken in Washington Heights and Inwood households.
In addition to articles, the newspaper has many elements included in every paper such as classifieds listing job opportunities and sales offers. It also has a regular page promoting local restaurants of Washington Heights and Inwood. Advertising, the paper's primary source of revenue, is taken up substantially by PSAs from the New York City government and advertisements for local businesses. The paper also regularly lists local events in the Northern Manhattan area.
History
''Manhattan Times'' was founded by Luís A. Miranda Jr., Roberto Ramírez Sr., and David Keisman, although the paper leaves Keisman, the former publisher of a Queens newspaper, out of the "founder / publisher" title.
Luís A. Miranda Jr., father of
Lin-Manuel Miranda, had grown up in a politically active family in
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, and learned to appreciate journalism reading the socialist newspaper ''
Claridad''. He and Ramírez were experienced in politics, being partners of the political consulting firm MirRam Group LLC.
Robert W. Snyder's book ''Crossing Broadway'', an analysis of the history of Washington Heights, describes the role of the ''Manhattan Times'' in bridging the White and Latino communities of Washington Heights. The paper has both advertised the neighborhood's real estate, which is becoming more and more in demand due to rising
gentrification
Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...
, and advocated for tenant's rights and other issues impacting the neighborhood's established residents. ''Manhattan Times'' has been successful as a free newspaper, he argued, because it drew advertisers and readership from the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities of Northern Manhattan.
A sister newspaper, ''The Bronx Free Press'', is published in
The Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official website
Free newspapers
Newspapers published in New York City
Newspapers established in 2000
1999 establishments in New York City