Category Archives: commercial real estate

A Cantina 8th Ave coming to old Bier International space in Harlem?

A new business appears to be moving into the old commercial space where Bier International in Harlem used to be located at 2099 Frederick Douglass Blvd. There are signs posted to the glass window saying…now hiring. And most of the branding for Bier has been removed from the space. Looks like the new business might be called Cantina. Guessing from the email listed!

Is the Cantina on Adam Clayton Powell moving over one avenue? Or is this going to be an entirely new place? Hmm. If you know any details, drop us a line in the comments section!

2099 Frederick Douglass Blvd. Photo by HarlemGal
2099 Frederick Douglass Blvd. Photo by HarlemGal

Dragon Sushi rolling into a familiar Harlem space

Remember 5 and Diamond or RDV restaurants and where they were located in Harlem? That commercial space will now be used for a place called Dragon Sushi!

Dragon Sushi, located at 2072 Frederick Douglass Blvd., plans to offer a full menu of sushi and sashimi! Hopefully this month according to the owner! Signage is almost up ! So the opening could be on track!

Dragon Sushi will be the second sushi place to open on Harlem’s restaurant row! The first attempt was by Jade Sushi, two blocks north, which is now Bean and Barley.

Signage going up November 4 for new Dragon Sushi restaurant. Photo by Harlemgal
Photo by Harlemgal

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!

Introducing Bean & Barley, opening on Harlem’s restaurant row

Update: Bean & Barley is open. Stop by and try CBD with your coffee. We did!

As one restaurant closes, another something opens. That’s the cycle of retail life in Harlem/ NYC. In this case, it’s another cafe! At 2118 Frederick Douglass Blvd, the old spot of Jado Sushi, it will now be…Bean & Barley, a coffee/espresso/beer/wine/spirits and bites. At least that is what the bright red awning says as we strolled by on Saturday, June 9.

The windows are papered up for now, but there is a leaflet posted with..barista needed. Stay tuned for more info, as Bean & Barley will more than likely open in the coming weeks.

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! 

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)!

The sign says blujeen, another restaurant coming to Harlem’s restaurant row

Right next door to Harlem Shambles, located on Frederick Douglass Blvd between 115th and 116th Street, a new restaurant will be opening. We learned of this this morning.

The new place will be called blujeen! Apparently, it’s going to offer Southern cuisine. That’s what a worker onsite offered. Hmm.

That’s all the details we have at the moment. Stay tuned! As more details become available, we will pass along!

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Is Harlem Skin Clinic moving into former ModSquad space on FDB?

Happy New Year Harlem! Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday!

We are back in Harlem after two weeks away and we noticed some activity outside the commercial space where ModSquad, the bicycle shop, use to be, which was on Frederick Douglass Blvd between 114th and 115th Street. We asked the folks standing outside whose moving in? We were told Harlem Skin Clinic. This business has been house inside Land Yoga space since the Ashantga center opened more than two years ago. Looks like they are branching out and getting their own space. Good for them and continued success!

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WATCH: Neil Patrick Harris explains to Charlie Rose why he lives in Harlem

Actor Neil Patrick Harris moved to Harlem permanently with his family into a nice million dollar brownstone. He was recently interviewed by Charlie Rose and was asked “why live in Harlem?” Watch Harris explain.

Love a big gulp? 7-Eleven opening its first location soon in Central Harlem

We learned yesterday via a news release that 7-Eleven is coming to Harlem. New Street Realty Advisors, LLC recently announced that 7‐Eleven has leased approximately 2,300 sq. ft. of ground floor retail space at 256 West 116th Street. The commercial space is situated on the south side of West 116th Street between Frederick Douglass Boulevard and St. Nicholas Avenue.

7-Eleven will take immediate occupancy of the lower and first level space and anticipates an opening in early 2015. This means Africa Kine Restaurant is either moving to another location or closing. This blog reported earlier that Kennedy’s Fried Chicken was moving to the corner where a bodega use to be on 116th Street and FDB.

The picture below shows the exact location of where 7-Eleven will be located.

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