Category Archives: 110th Street

Harlem’s Cantina Taqueria & Tequila Bar moves over one avenue

From the picture below, looks like one of our reader’s comment on a May 13th blog post is absolutely true that Cantina on Adam Clayton Powell Blvd is moving over one avenue to Frederick Douglass Blvd! Congrats to Cantina Taqueria & Tequila Bar.

While I’m sure they are (and were) doing good business on ACP, as well as Lenox Avenue, moving to Harlem’s restaurant row will more than likely take their biz up a notch or two! There’s a lot of foot traffic on FDB. Plus their presence adds to the variety of food choices on this busy avenue.

Looking forward to visiting soon and ordering some tacos from Cantina at 2099 Frederick Douglass Blvd!

Cantina takes over Harlem space previously held by Bier International

Annie’s Juicery lands on Harlem‘s Restaurant Row

I haven’t blogged about Harlem in ages (busy on Instagram though). I tell myself daily that if I come across something very interesting, I will blog. Well, that day has come.

Walking along Frederick Douglass Blvd recently with my kids, which I call and coined back in my early days of blogging, as Harlem’s Restaurant Row, I came across the signage: Annie’s Juicery at 2073 FDB. I was shocked to see this because it wasn’t another restaurant or a cafe, but a place that offers cold pressed juices! Wow! This is different in my view.

I walked by the place on a Saturday and it wasn’t open. However, I checked for Annie’s Juicery online presence and their Instagram account mentioned that they opened in mid-May. See photo below.

Where was I for this opening? How could I miss that? Oh, I must have been busy tending to my two most important clients, my 3 and 5 year old.

And I believe this type of business is a first in Harlem? There’s been places to get extracting juices which is different than cold pressed. Who can help us confirm if this is a first? If you know, chime in.

I plan to stop buy this place soon to try a juice and share more details. But first things first. I wanted you to know that cold pressed juices are now available in Harlem via walk in through Annie’s Juicery and I’m back!

Redesign planned for Harlem Meer area, groundbreaking set for Fall 2020

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If you love Harlem Meer or Lasker Rink or the northern part of Central Park like we do, this piece of news will (or should) please you. We learned today via a press release about a major redesign of Harlem Meer and the area. An announcement will be made on July 18 at Harlem Meer stating that a partnership is in place “to invest $150 million in a forthcoming Lasker Pool and Rink project that will transform the facility’s relationship with the Harlem Meer and the rest of Central Park.”

According to the release, this yet to be designed major project, funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio ($50 million) and the Central Park Conservancy ($100 million; $25 million committed to date), will allow for broader park use and create new recreational opportunities to better serve the Harlem and East Harlem communities, advancing the City’s equity agenda. To lead the design process, Central Park Conservancy in partnership with NYC Parks, will host community visioning sessions in Harlem this fall; with anticipated groundbreaking in Fall 2020.

As more information becomes available, we will pass it along. In closing, we cannot wait to see the ideas that arise from the design process and renderings.

CitiBike station spotted on Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem

It’s true! CitiBike is past 110th Street in Central Harlem! There’s a bike station on the sidewalk between 111th and 112th Street on Frederick Douglass Blvd. CitiBike recently announced that they would be placing more bike stations uptown…and now they have.

The bike station is not taking up parking space, which should make locals happy. It’s taking up stroller space or walking space. I think the Village of Harlem can manage. Harlem has wide sidewalks, which is perfect for bike stations. No sign of the actual bikes yet, but that’s coming soon!

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Food and Drink Boulevard in Harlem happening May 10

2017 Food & Drink Blvd Promo Image for PressTomorrow, May 10 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m., the Frederick Douglass Boulevard Alliance will hold its sixth annual Food & Drink Boulevard event along Harlem’s Restaurant Row.  This event invites local residents and visitors to explore restaurants and bars along the Frederick Douglass Boulevard from 112th to 124th Streets by reserving a wristband to receive $5.00 deals at 19 participating venues.

To assist patrons in navigating up and down Frederick Douglass Boulevard, FDBA is offering free pedicab service to wristband holders, and a mobile device-friendly map that shows where all 19 participating restaurants and bars are located, as well as each businesses’ $5.00 menu offerings.

To reserve a free wristband for the event, visit the FDBA website at http://www.fdballiance.org. On the night of the event, wristbands will also be available at Harlem Tavern, 2153 Frederick Douglass Boulevard on the corner of West 116th Street, and Angel of Harlem, 2272 Frederick Douglass Boulevard on the corner of West 122nd Street.

Little Bean Coffee coming to Harlem, 111 Central Park North location opens January 22

If you want another coffee alternative when heading to the 2/3 in Harlem near Central Park North, there is another option called Little Bean Coffee. Signage is up that they’re opening January 22 at 111 Central Park North. This new cafe is located toward the back heading to St. Nicholas Avenue. Oh…and they’re hiring too.

Check out their Instagram account for a look inside!

Harlem organizations partner with FIT to present Harlem Holiday Windows, free tours provided

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Move over Fifth Avenue, Harlem is getting into the holiday windows game. Spanning the corridor of Frederick Douglass Boulevard between 114th and the 122nd streets, eight Harlem businesses will display windows designed and executed by fifteen students from the Fashion Institute of Technology’s (FIT) Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design (VPED) BFA program. The window displays will depict holiday-themed scenes from the Harlem Renaissance. The windows will be on view from November 30 to January 2. Visitors are invited to stroll through the historic neighborhood throughout the holidays and enjoy the window displays, while learning a bit of Harlem’s rich history.

To kick off the season, two free window tours on November 30 and December 3 will be provided by ArtCrawl Harlem, Inc. The tours will feature live storytellers and vignettes with actors and performers bringing the windows to life. The family friendly outing will also include free children’s activity and coloring books, highlighting historical themes of the period, and refreshments from some of the participating restaurants.

Windows will be decorated at the following businesses:

Vintage Harlem NYC Wine & Spirits, 2235 FDB
Chocolat, 2223 FDB
Vinateria, 2211 FDB
Lido, 2168 FDB
Harlem Tavern, 2153 FDB
Silvana, 300 W 116
Harlem Skin & Laser Clinic, 2119 FDB
Land Yoga, 2116 FDB

Harlem Holiday Windows free kick off event will start at the Harriet Tubman statue on 122nd Street at 5:30pm on November 30, and will feature an interactive and intergenerational music performance by special guest Shine and the Moonbeams. The second kick off, also starting on 122nd Street, will be at 3pm on December 3, ending at the Shop Harlem Live Harlem Holiday Expo at MIST. Produced by Harlem Park to Park, the program will include an art filled afternoon for kids and adults.

In addition to the free kick off tours on November 30 and December 3, a full schedule of paid tours and programming around the Holiday Windows, will be offered by ArtCrawl Harlem, Inc., throughout the holiday season, from November 30-December 21. Programming will include weekly tours on Saturdays from 3–5pm (dates include December 3,10, 17).Registration is available on the website. Rates are $10 per person or $150 for groups 15-25.

Tours are available for groups by special request. For more information on Harlem Holiday Windows, and the participating businesses visit http://www.harlemholidaywindow.com or call 212.866.7427.

Organic Forever in Harlem to close its doors 

When I moved to Harlem back in 2006, there was only one mom and pop store close to me fully dedicated to offering organic grocerys on every level and that was Organic Forever on Frederick Douglass Blvd between 111th and 112th Street. Ten years later, they still are the only small business that sells organic products, until now! If you walk by the store, there are big signs that says they’re closing. 

Not sure of the reasons why Organic Forever is closing, but it’s unfortunate and another sign of the times that everything continues to change in Harlem at rapid speed! 

Experience Harlem unveils app, download it now

Experience Harlem, the marketing engine that has been tracking Harlem happenings for…well a very long time, now has an app! Download it today so that you can have all the latest on Harlem in the palm of your hands! Cheers!

Is Trader Joe’s eyeing retail space at Circa Central Park in Harlem?


Rumor has it that the antithesis of Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, is working hard to have a presence in Harlem, specifically central Harlem so that they can compete with that Texas-based grocery chain. A real estate broker(s) has informed this blog that Trader Joe’s, the California-based food chain, is moving into the entire retail space offered at the swanky Circa Central Park building in Harlem! 

You know which building I’m talking about! It’s the space of a former gas station and the one selling an apartment for more than $8million dollars at the corner of West 110th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd! 

Yup, apparently the developers, which got Starbucks to move into their other building on Manhatten Avenue and 110th Street, are or close to sealing the deal with Trader Joe’s to move into Circa Central Park in Harlem. 

Hmm, there is another grocery store directly across from that new building. It’s called Central Market.

Let’s see what happens! Stay tuned! And of course, I’d love to hear what you think about Trader Joe’s moving into Harlem at this location? Digame (Talk to me)!