As Mr Haygood tracks it, the lessening of its old sense of community had started as long ago as in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

ECONOMIST: Harlem's days of glory

It's all a far cry from Haygood's previous life as a police officer -- serving the Baltimore Police Department for over two decades before retiring in 2006.

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The death of his father three years later prompted Haygood to re-evaluate his life and in looking for a new path he turned back to an old passion.

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Assembling HEX has cost the proverbial arm and a leg -- "tens of thousands of dollars, " says Haygood -- and is controlled remotely using a Zigbee USB dongle attached to his laptop.

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Mr Haygood is dismissive of mere celebrities.

ECONOMIST: Harlem's days of glory