Category Archives: Community

Attend panel discussion in Harlem on private school kindergarten admission process

Only in New York City do parents have to start thinking about the admission process for school while their child is still in utero. And it’s not even college admissions that they have to think about first. It is kindergarten and whether that primary step toward education should be public or private. This is the reality for NYC parents and if you’re approaching this part of parenting, to do private or public kindergarten for your kid, and live in Harlem, you may want to consider attending this event.

On August 13th at 6:30 pm, Let’s Talk Schools will be hosting a panel discussion in Harlem at Ephesus Church, located at 110 W 123rd Street (Corner of Lenox Avenue), on the NYC private school kindergarten admission process. The workshop will inform parents about applying to kindergarten at Hunter Elementary School on East 94th Street and private independent schools in September 2012 for the 2013-2014 school year. The workshop will discuss the different options available and provide an overview, directly from admission directors, about the process; including summary of the complete application process, screening tests (ERB & Stanford Binet), what to look for on tours and what to expect, financial aid and affording an independent school education and how admission decisions are made.

If you are interested in attending, the cost is $20 before August 9 and $25 from August 10-13. Registration is required to attend and space is limited. Click here to register.

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Sylvia Woods, who founded famous Harlem restaurant, passes

This evening, Harlem lost a legend. Sylvia Woods, who earned the grand title: the Queen of Soul Food, has gone on to a better place.  The Wood’s Family announced on Facebook tonight that the women who founded and created one of the most famous soul food restaurants in Harlem and in New York City, Sylvia’s Restaurant, succumbed to Alzheimer’s. In their statement, the Wood’s Family said before she left, Sylvia was surrounded by the same environment she created at her Lenox Avenue restaurant: “a host of family and loved ones.”

As one person said on Twitter this evening, “they’re eating collards, fried chicken, and cornbread in heaven tonight…” Amen. 😦

Aloft Hotel in Harlem wins TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

Harlem’s first hotel in a half century has been recognized for its service. Aloft Harlem, located at 2296 Frederick Douglass Blvd. between 123rd and 124th Street, recently announced that it was awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. This accolade is given to establishments that consistently and credibly achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, which recognizes businesses worldwide and is one of the largest travel sites on the internet.

Aloft Harlem has been open since December 2009 with the  majority of the hotel’s employees from Harlem and already its performance is reaching the top percentile in the industry. The prestigious award only rewards about 10 percent of accommodations listed on TripAdvisor.

Let’s wish our Aloft Harlem a big congratulations and may many more accolades come their way in years to come! Cheers!

Harlem neighborhoods experience price jump in rental market

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According to RentJuice®, a Zillow® business and provider of lease marketing technology to thousands of real estate property managers and brokers, the uptown part of Manhattan, specifically Harlem neighborhoods, experienced a price jump in the rental sector of real estate. In a news release distributed today, it stated that “over the last quarter, the city’s average cost for space remained stable at $4.98 per square foot-exactly the same as at the close of the first quarter. The largest hike in price per square foot occurred uptown in Harlem. Neighborhoods such as Central Harlem, Harlem and Morningside all experienced 11 percent jumps in average price per square foot in the second quarter. Renters in Hamilton Heights, however, saw a five percent decrease in average price per square foot.”

To read the full news release, click here.

Let’s go canoeing at Harlem Meer

Not sure what to do today, Sunday (July 15) with your Harlem kid? How about taking them canoeing at Harlem Meer? It’s FREE and it is happening today in Central Park North! NYC Parks and Recreation is offering free canoeing from noon to 3 pm at Harlem Meer, which is located near the entrance of Central Park North, aka 110th Street, and Lenox Ave. If you’re coming from downtown, take the 2/3 subway line to the 110th Street subway stop.

I witnessed this a few years ago and blogged about it. It looked so much fun! Whatever you do today, have a wonderful Sunday, Harlem!

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‘Soul Train’ celebration is tonight in Harlem, event seeks to create world’s largest soul train line


Go back in time tonight to an era that brought us “soul” at Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park. Harlem-based non-profit ImageNation is celebrating all things “Soul Train” this evening (July 12) in Marcus Garvey Park. ImageNation’s 10th Annual Outdoors Festival will pay tribute to the late Don Cornelius with a screening of the VH1 documentary “Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America,” as well as live performances of music from that famous era. Also, ImageNation is aiming to create the largest soul train line tonight here in Harlem. How else to pay better tribute to the man himself, Don Cornelius, than by creating one of the most famous and well-known dance lines: the soul train line? The event is FREE and starts at 7:30 pm. Check out the details below.

What: Soul Train! A Tribute to Don Cornelius w/ music by InJoy Enterprises
When: July 12, 2012 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Where: Marcus Garvey Park, Harlem
Directions: Take the 2/3 train towards New Lots Ave and exit 125th st near intersection of Dr. Martin L King Blvd and Lenox Ave. Walk down to 122nd St and turn left
Cost: Free

Senior Swim begins, age-friendly program available at two Harlem pools

NYC Parks and Recreation announced yesterday (August 9) the launch of designated Senior Swim hours at 14 public pools citywide, two of the 14 pools participating are in Harlem. The Harlem pools are Jackie Robinson Pool and Thomas Jefferson Pool.

Senior Swim hours offer adults a stress-free, quieter time to socialize, swim, stretch, and enjoy the benefits of water in NYC Parks’ outdoor pools. The program runs from July 9 through August 24, and is open to those over the age of 62. Please note: there are no fitness instruction involved in the program.

On July 9  at the Thomas Jefferson Pool, the Harlem Honey and Bears Swim Club, a synchronized swimming group for adults 50 and older, kicked off the Senior Swim Program with a synchronized performance.

To learn more about the hours dedicated to the Senior Swim Program, click here.

EmblemHealth and Harvest Home Farmer’s Markets Kick-Off ‘Eating for Good Health,’ cooking demonstrations available in Harlem

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EmblemHealth and Harvest Home Farmer’s Markets are offering locally grown fruits and vegetables, cooking demonstrations and health and wellness screenings to the people of NYC this summer, with two locations in Harlem, through the “Eating for Good Health” program.

A kick-off celebration for the start of the cooking demonstrations is scheduled for the week of July 10 – 14, 2012 with special activities, giveaways and health screenings. Below are the schedules of the two Harlem locations that are participating in the “Eating for Good Health” program:

Mt. Morris Park Historic District Market-Saturdays through November 17
Cooking Demonstrations begin July 14, 2012 through Oct. 27, 2012
120th Street and Lenox Avenue

West Harlem Farmer’s MarketTuesdays beginning July 10 Nov. 20, 2012
Cooking Demonstrations begin July 10-Nov. 20, 2012
137th Street and Broadway

For more information, please visit www.harvesthomefm.org.

Watch: Skateboarding in Harlem


While I am not a big fan of skateboarding, watching this video of young kids skateboarding through Harlem gave me a new-found appreciation. These skateboarders in this video are very good. Some of the moves they perform on their board are incredible. Just watch.

The only downside to this video, these youngsters are not wearing any protective gear and they are skateboarding on the seating stones at the Frederick Douglass Circle. Ouch, that monument is new and I thought that was prohibited? I guess kids will be kids.

Overall, watch this video It’s fun and the music is wonderful! Happy Fourth of July. Enjoy!

ONLY Times – Skate Days from ONLY NY on Vimeo.

Harlem’s Hue-Man Bookstore to close July 31

Harlem’s local bookstore dedicated to promoting ethnic writers is closing its doors. An html notice from Hue-Man Bookstore went out to customers today, July 1, telling them that July 31 is the last day of business.

On July 31, 2012, Hue- Man will close its current location. We all know that there is a season for everything under heaven and the season of “traditional book” selling has come to a close.

Take note of the word “current” location.  The email notice gives hope that something else or some other form of business could arise.

Closing the existing format of Hue-Man is forward thinking on our part and as we take pause to re-imagine the future of books and how to ensure that their purpose of entertaining, imparting knowledge and honing creativity is preserved, we find no viable alternative but to go back to the drawing board.

Maybe Marva Allen will consider partnering with Busboys and Poets? There were rumors way back when that these two business people talked about merging. Maybe they both should reconsider?

Read Hue-Man’s good-bye note here.