Category Archives: art and culture

See ‘125 Franco’s Blvd’ Exhibition in Harlem

Posted on February 4, 2012 | Leave a comment


Head on over to the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building in Harlem this coming weekend to see “125 Franco’s Blvd.” “125 Franco’s Blvd.” is an exhibition of Franco The Great’s timeless artwork. The exhibition is from 4-6:00 PM February 10-11th and there will be artwork for sale. The details are below, along with a brief description on Franco The Great.

Where: Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building
163 west 1125th Street, 2nd Floor
Harlem, NY 10027

Date: Friday and Saturday, February 10-11, 2012

Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Who is Franco The Great:
Over a period of 25 plus years, Franco has changed the image of Harlem by painting the security gates of storefronts on 125th Street. His work in Harlem has brought him world renown; below are some excerpts from the many news articles from around the world, written to explain the work and origin of this great artist.

The name Franco the Great came about as a result of his talent in the field of magic. Franco became so proficient in his magic skills that his teachers and peers encouraged Franco to show and teach his magic. He gained his confidence in school day by day as he connected with other people and gained new friends.

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Posted in 125th Street, art and culture, Community, Events, Free!, Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC

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Amtrak publication makes major faux pas with Harlem, but calls it cool and hip

Posted on February 2, 2012 | 2 comments

While Gothamist was quick to point out how Amtrak’s external publication titled Arrive called Harlem a borough, which is a poor journalistic and potentially costly PR mistake, I’d like to point out and focus on how Arrive called Harlem “cool” and “hip.” The article says “New Yorkers are taking notice” of Harlem and “if you blink your eye, something changes.” Yes, this transportation company clearly only sees New York City and it’s sub-sections as a bunch of boroughs. Given the ignorance, it could have been worse. But lets focus on what they really got right, which is featuring our beautiful community and local businesses, talking to good spokespeople about Harlem, and ultimately using the best verbs to describe us, which…hey, we have always known, is being a place that is “hip and cool!” Thank you Amtrak!

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Posted in 125th Street, art and culture, Bars, bier international, business, Community, drinks, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, history, Lenox Avenue, New York, New York City, NYC, Red Rooster Harlem, restaurants

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Harlem’s restaurant row, Frederick Douglass Blvd., has its own map and alliance group

Posted on January 29, 2012 | 1 comment

It’s official…again! Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem from 110th to 125th Street, also known as restaurant row, has its very own map, according to The New York Daily News. And the folks behind the map is an alliance group called Frederick Douglass Boulevard Alliance (FDBA). Check out the map below. It mentions all existing businesses from 110th to 124th Street. The map does not include up and coming places on FDB, such as the Harlem Food Bar or Marcos Leatherlab, the cobbler store.

Lia San Filippo, co-owner of 5 and Diamond Harlem restaurant and co-president of the recently formed FDBA, tells the Daily News “the map was created to help people know that Harlem is here and helps customers find us more easily.” Amen Lia!

Back in 2008, I wrote a blog posting asking if FDB is turning into Harlem’s restaurant row? Looks like we have our answer not only in a map but in the form of an alliance group!

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Posted in 5 and Diamond Harlem, apartments, art and culture, baking, Bars, bier international, business, Cedric French Bistro and Bar Harlem, commercial real estate, Community, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Harlem blogs, Harlem businesses, Harlem Restaurant Row, Harlem restaurants, Harlem Tavern, health and wellness, Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar, Melba's Restaurant Harlem, music, New York, New York City, NYC, real estate, restaurant row, restaurants, shopping, spending

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My photos of President Obama appearing at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem

Posted on January 20, 2012 | Leave a comment



I had the privilege and delight of attending a fundraiser to re-elect President Obama at Harlem’s Apollo Theater (read actual tweets here). The event was filled with great entertainment from Lin-Manuel Miranda MCing, to India Arie performing, to the Rev. Al Green blessing us with his singing sermon. And yes, POTUS Obama sang too, i.e. Let’s Stay Together. Here are a few photos from the Jan. 19 event at the Apollo. Hope you like them! Enjoy!

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Posted in 125th Street, art and culture, Community, education, entertainment, Events, Harlem, history, New York, New York City, NYC, politics, The Apollo Theater

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More tickets available to see President Obama at Harlem’s famous Apollo Theater, January 19

Posted on January 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

I just checked out the Facebook page of Harlem4Obama and its says there are more $100 tickets available to the January 19 event, which is The Obama Victory Fund Concert. Go to this link here and get your $100, $300 or $5000 tickets. They just added more this evening.

I am going with another fellow Harlemite. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I don’t want to miss it! Hope you will join me in seeing President Obama at the Apollo!

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Posted in 125th Street, art and culture, Community, education, Events, Harlem, history, New York, New York City, NYC, Red Rooster Harlem, The Apollo Theater

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Dear Harlem: If we could only clone Martin Luther King Jr.

Posted on January 16, 2012 | 1 comment


As we celebrate Martin Luther King Day today, all I can think about are a few things, such as why do all the good ones have to die young?, what would MLK think of our leaders today?, and if only we could clone Mr. King? My answer to these posed questions. They just don’t make him [leaders] like MLK anymore. Oh, how we need leaders like MLK. I miss that about America. We just don’t see leaders on a national stage who can move and inspire us anymore. Hopefully that will change one day. I am hopeful.

To learn more about Martin Luther King Jr., turn to the History Channel.

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Posted in art and culture, Community, education, Harlem, history

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Two Harlem Tree Lightings happening December 12

Posted on December 12, 2011 | Leave a comment

West Harlem and Central Harlem are having their holiday tree lighting ceremonies tonight.

Starting at 5:30 pm, West Harlem Piers Park will hold their tree lighting along with caroling. All the details are in the photo below!

Then at 6 pm it’s the 35th Annual Harlem Tree Lighting Ceremony on 125th and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd. At this event, Grammy and Oscar nominated music group Impact Repertory Theatre will perform as well as live performances by R&B crooner Jeff Redd, soul singer Alyson Williams, cast of Sistas and many more!

It’s a busy night in Harlem December 12, but it’s the holidays. Let’s all enjoy!

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Posted in 125th Street, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., art and culture, Community, entertainment, Events, Harlem, music

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Is there still a possibility for Andy Shallal’s Busboys and Poets to expand into Harlem?

Posted on December 11, 2011 | 3 comments

Around this time last year, I blogged that Busboys and Poets’ plans to open in Harlem at 2280 Frederick Douglass went bust. Ironically, I am now blogging about them same time, but a year later, asking: is there still a possibility that Busboys and Poets could open in Harlem?  According to a recent article in The Washington Post, there is a smidgen of hope. Andy Shallal, the owner of the Washington, DC eatery and longtime activist, recently told the Post that “he has been courted to put a Busboys in a proposed National Jazz Museum near the Apollo Theater…” How cool would that be if Busboys and Poets opened in Harlem on 125th Street?

Shallal tried landing the retail space at 2280 Frederick Douglass a little over a year ago, but something happened and the deal went south. I wonder if the developer of 2280 FDB is having any regrets now on not cutting a deal with Shallal, especially given all the enormous/positive press coverage Central Harlem has been receiving over the months? The most recent praising news clip comes from The Wall Street Journal.

In my view, the developer of 2280 FDB totally lost out by not scoring something with Busboys and Poets in their commercial space. As the WSJ said, there’s a restaurant boom happening in Harlem. With this recent article in the Post,  there’s hope the folks behind the National Jazz Museum could pick up where 2280 FDB left off and seal the deal with Shallal. Let’s all hope so! I think Busboys and Poets is a perfect fit in Harlem!

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Posted in 125th Street, art and culture, Bars, business, commercial real estate, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, jazz, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants

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See ‘Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale’ at National Black Theater, a play written by Harlem natives

Posted on December 10, 2011 | Leave a comment


This is the last weekend to see “Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale” at the National Black Theater, located at 2031 Fifth Avenue. This play is about three women dealing with the effects Harlem’s rebirth. It’s also written by Harlem natives making the play very authentic. The New York Daily News reported the play and the playwrights recently. Read the article here. And if you don’t have any plans this weekend, check out “Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale” at the National Black Theater.

To purchase tickets, visit the SmartTix website at or call SmartTix at (212) 868-4444. For group sales, call the National Black Theatre at (212) 340-1121.

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Posted in art and culture, Community, entertainment, Events, Harlem

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Harlem’s LeRone Wilson takes Bombay Sapphire Top Title at Art Basel Miami

Posted on December 9, 2011 | Leave a comment


Hey, if you see Harlem resident and sculptor LeRone Wilson in the area, tell him “congratulations!” Why? Word has it Wilson entered the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series, which is a nationwide juried art competition in conjunction with Rush Philanthropic, the Foundation founded by Russell and Danny Simmons, and took home the coveted prize recently.

His piece, “A Path Through the Sky,” was selected as winner of the juried competition, which is a nationwide search for the newest talent in art. Nearly 4,000 artists submitted work for this search. Eighteen artists were sent to a final competition at Art Basel in Miami and two final winners were selected, one being Wilson, for the overall prize of a two-man show at Russell Simmons’ Rush Arts Gallery in Chelsea. That show is scheduled for February 2012.

And if you’re wondering who collects our fellow Harlemites’ work-sculpted 3 dimensional paintings made from encaustic? According to Wilson’s peeps, Marea restaurant in Columbus Circle own 2 pieces that hang in the restaurant.He was among the first group of artists to hang work at Red Rooster Harlem. And Wilson commissioned pieces for socialite and New York Interior designer Jennifer Post featured in Architectural Digest. Not bad…huh?

So next time you see Harlem resident LeRone Wilson, give him a high-five! And stay tuned here on this blog for more information on the Rush Arts Exhibition of Wilson’s work slated for February 2012.

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Posted in art and culture, Community, education, Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, Red Rooster Harlem

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