Coordinating Entity for Lex & 3rd Block Association
Our Neighborhood, Our Vision East Harlem is more than just a place to live; it’s a community with a deep history and a bright future. Lex & 3rd Unity Project (L3UP) was launched to ensure our neighborhood has the resources and the structure to thrive. We believe that when neighbors come together, we can create lasting change that improves our streets, supports our local shops, and keeps our community vibrant.
What We Do L3UP is the engine behind neighborhood-led action. We take the big ideas from residents and local volunteer groups—like the Lex & 3rd Block Association (L3BA)—and provide the professional support needed to make them happen. From securing community grants to managing project safety, we handle the "heavy lifting" so our volunteers can focus on what they do best: building a better East Harlem.
Current Projects & Priorities We are currently in our launch phase, rolling out four key initiatives designed to bring us closer together:
Lights on East Harlem: Our "Winter Radiance" project brings solar-powered holiday lighting to our buildings, brightening our streets and lifting our spirits during the winter months.
The L3UP Film Festival: We celebrate our heritage with "Dinner and a Movie" nights, showcasing local icons like Cicely Tyson and emerging filmmakers, while supporting our neighborhood’s multicultural eateries.
Green & Clean Streets: We empower residents to care for our street trees and sidewalks through hands-on stewardship, including our Tree Guard project.
Fresh Food Access: We host community farmers markets to ensure everyone in our neighborhood has access to fresh, multicultural vegetables.
Brenda Black, a Nuyorican artist, professional DJ, and entrepreneur, is the visionary Founder and President of L3UP. Her work as a co-founder and project director for the Lex & 3rd Block Association (L3BA) directly inspired the creation of L3UP to provide a permanent, professional framework for East Harlem's grassroots initiatives.
As a native New Yorker and East Harlem resident since 1997, Brenda’s commitment to her community is unmatched. In addition to her work with L3UP, she serves as a District Leader for Part B of the 68th Assembly District in New York County. Her unique blend of artistic vision, entrepreneurial experience, and civic leadership ensures that L3UP is a powerful voice for neighborhood revitalization and community unity.
The Lex & 3rd Block Association aka L3BA is a committed group of local residents striving to support their neighborhood in areas of cleanliness, political representation, and cultural preservation.
L3BA operates as an unregistered community group, meaning they're an informal yet highly impactful force, organizing to address local issues without formal legal incorporation.
As their primary fiscal sponsor, we will provide L3BA with our non-profit status, uplifting them to concentrate fully on their essential community work.