Category Archives: art and culture

Shop Harlem for the Holidays


Spend the Holidays shopping with Harlem’s premier artisans at Harlem for the Holidays where different artists are featured each weekend, December 10-11 and December 17-18 at the Gadson Gallery 225 W 134th Street.

Artists participating in Harlem for the Holidays include: quilt and fiber artist Laura R. Gadson, jewelry designer Shimoda, Sistaah Hats by Cat Skerrett, needle arts connoisseur Michelle Bishop, quilter Pat Mabry, accessories designer Audrey Weaver, artist Sherry Shine and knitter Gail Edwards.

For more information on this event, contact Shimoda at (212) 491-6726.

Listen to The Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir, ‘Happy Xmas-War Is Over’


I found the song “Happy Xmas-War is Over” floating around on Twitter and wanted to share with you since there is a direct connection to Harlem; and it is the holiday season.

You probably know the history around this song. However, just incase here it is: “Happy Xmas-War Is Over” is a song written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir. The lyric is based on a campaign in late 1969 by Lennon and Ono, who rented billboards and posters in eleven major cities around the world that read: “WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko.” In 1971, the US was deeply entrenched in the unpopular Vietnam War.

See Harlem Meer Holiday Lighting

Harlem Meer‘s annual Holiday Lighting is taking place today, Sunday, December 4 from 4-5:30 PM. The event culminates with the lighting of thousands of tiny LED lights strung along the architectural features of Central Park’s northernmost visitor center, the Victorian-style Charles A. Dana Discovery Center. A camera is highly recommended for this event.

Winter Holiday Lighting at Central Park
Sunday, December 4, 2011
4:00-5:30 pm

Harlem attracts cool crowds of NYC downtown says Guest of a Guest



Guest of a Guest, the website co-founded by one of the Winklevoss twins whose been battling Mark Zuckerberg for what seems like ages now, has a feature on Harlem this week. It is quite complimentary, however, it doesn’t say anything new that we Harlemites know already. The article names a list of places to check out and most of them mentioned I agree are great places to visit. However, a true Harlem native writing about Harlem would have dug a bit deeper.

For example, Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar gives Red Rooster a run for its money, not only in food, but in ambiance as well. The same goes for Cedric French Bistro and Bar in Harlem! What about mentioning a place in East Harlem? Milk Burger has been endorsed by Anthony Bourdain and his lovely Mrs! Also, when you visit Shrine one can’t miss Yatenga, which is a fun place to hang.

Again, as most of us Harlemites know, there are a ton of cool places to hang in Harlem. Guest of a Guest apparently is just coming around (a bit late) and finding out, but hey, let’s welcome it!

To read the full article, click here.

Winter Festival in East Harlem starts December 3

Our Harlem neighbors to the East are celebrating the holidays every weekend this month! Starting December 3, and continuing on from Dec. 10th and 17th from 10 am to 8 pm, its the Winter Festival taking place in East Harlem. Heated tents will be set up in and/or near La Marqueta so that guests can enjoy checking out the local vendors and shop no matter what the weather will be like. All you have to do is get to 116th Street and Park Avenue to enjoy! See you there!

Attend Harlem Holiday Lights 2011 tonight

20111121-075231.jpg
You are invited to the Harlem Holiday Lights Ceremony taking place this evening, November 21. The 125th Street Business Improvement District, Community Boards 9, 10, 11 and the New York City Housing Authority have partnered together for the Holiday Season to “light up” one of New York City’s, and Harlem’s, most legendary thoroughfares from river to river-125th Street! At 5:30pm, the celebration will begin with sounds and lights on the plaza of the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building. Attendees will enjoy live performances provided by legendary pioneer, producer, and publisher, Vy Higginsen, and her Mama I Want to Sing Foundation as well as the Harlem Arts Alliance and other special guests. Click here to see the entire program and watch the video below.

What to do today Saturday in Harlem? Land Yoga, Harlem Flo and The Dwyer

Its another beautiful Fall day in Harlem and there are several events happening today for your consideration!

This morning Land Yoga is holding its first full LED Primary Ashantga Yoga Class  at 11:15 AM to raise money for Mother Hale Learning Center. The cost is $20 dollars. That fee gives you entrance to an afternoon fundraising reception, which will take place at 3 pm at Land Yoga, located near the corner of 114th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd. This event also serves as a Bon Voyage party for Lara, the owner and teacher at Land Yoga. She’s heading back to India for a month!

Harlem Flo is having there annual trunk show featuring several local artists, such as the work of watercolorist Lynn Lieberman. That event starts at 2 pm. Harlem Flo’s Lifestyle Boutique is located at 122nd and Frederick Douglass Blvd.

Nick Coker’s Creative Vision, Inc. presents ‘A journey into the Art, the Psyche, and the Spirit of Nick Coker’s Visions’, a narrated tour and examination of the late Harlem artists’ art, poetry, prose and music at The Dwyer Cultural Center. This event starts at 6 pm and ends at 8 pm!

Nick Coker grew up in Harlem during the Renaissance era. Coker became the first black artist to work for leading advertising agencies and fashion houses on Madison Avenue. He worked for artists and organizations such as Emilio Pucci, the Seventh Avenue Fashion District, Bobby Hooks and the Negro Ensemble Company, along with many others. Coker was also the first artist to put art on t-shirts and remove a piece from the iconic apple that is now a signature of New York City tourism.

The Dwyer is located at 258 West 123rd Street in Harlem.

Celebrate Albert Maysles 85th birthday with ‘What’s Happening: The Beatles in the USA’

In honor of legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles’ 85th birthday and the release of his new film ‘The Love We Make’, a collaboration with Paul McCartney, Maysles Cinema will present a very special screening this coming Friday, November 18, for one night only, of the director’s cut of the Maysles’ Brothers’ documentary ‘What’s Happening: The Beatles in the USA”. Along with this special screening will be a Q&A with Albert Maysles.

“What’s Happening! The Beatles in the USA” was made in 1964 by the Maysles. It is a humorous, freewheeling and candid account of The Beatles arrival in America in February in the mid-1960s. The Maysles follow the Fab Four for five days, from the crazed JFK airport reception to unguarded moments inside the Plaza Hotel in preparation for their landmark Ed Sullivan Show appearance to their equally frenzied homecoming.

To attend and purchase tickets to this event, click here.

Harlem’s Houses of Worship In the News


The man up in the sky has been doing some public relations work lately and blessing Harlem’s historic houses of worship with some good publicity! On November 8, The New York Daily News featured Harlem and its many gorgeous houses of worship in an article stating “walk down just about any block in Harlem and you’ll find at least one church.” That is so true. There are many places of worship everywhere in Harlem. If you want to attend a Sunday service in Harlem, the choices are unlimited. If you want aspirin or cold medicine after 8 PM, forget it. One has to walk far in Harlem after hours to get their medicine, but for prayer and worship, no need to walk far. This is the interesting fabric of life in Harlem!

On the East side of Harlem, one former church is being turned into a cultural community space, according to The New York Observer. Sculptor Ugo Rondinone purchased the former Mt. Moriah Baptist Church at 2050 Fifth Avenue for $2.775 million. According to the article, locals are happy that the former place of worship will be turned into some sort of community center rather than being developed into a residential building!

Help Harlem School of the Arts win $25k in Pepsi Refresh competition

Get out your mouse pads folks! Harlem School of the Arts needs your clicks/votes pronto to win $25k in the Pepsi Refresh.  The soft drink and snacks company is giving out mucho dinero to those with the best ideas in several categories. Harlem School of the Arts is competing in the Communities category.

How can you help? Go online here to learn why Harlem School of the Arts is competing.  Using the same link, you can either register to vote through Pepsi or use your own Facebook account. Voters can also use their smart phone to vote by texting: 109529 to Pepsi!

According to the website there is about 13 hours left to vote! That is dog years on the online community so we have plenty of time to help out Harlem School of the Arts! Let’s go help them win!