Category Archives: Community

The Harlem Business Alliance is taking applications for business plan competition

Posted on April 3, 2012 | Leave a comment

The Harlem Business Alliance is holding their Annual Business Plan Competition once again. This year is their fourth year for the competition. The HBA competition is designed to support small business ventures in the Harlem area. The competition’s participants need to meet the following requirements; be at least 18 years old and a legal resident or U.S. citizen; live in Upper Manhattan and have an interest in establishing a for-profit start-up business in Harlem; or be an owner of an operating for-profit business located in Upper Manhattan with maximum annual gross revenues of $500,000. This competition provides the grand prize winner with $5,000.

Important dates to remember if you’re interested in competing:

  • Business Plan Information Session, Wednesday, April 18th l 6:30 PM-7:30 PM
  • Application Deadline: Wednesday, June 6th l 6:00 PM
  • Business Plan Deadline: Wednesday, June 20th l 6:00 PM;
  • Finalists Selected: Thursday, July 12th
  • And Finalists Presentations: Thursday, July 19th 6:00 PM-8:00 PM.

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Posted in business, Community, education, Free!, Harlem

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Construction begins on Harlem Food Bar

Posted on March 27, 2012 | 2 comments

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There was construction activity happening yesterday (March 26) at 2100 Frederick Douglass Blvd, which will be the home of Harlem Food Bar (HFB). And it appears Harlem Food Bar will have seating next to full length, open windows so that patrons can look out on to FDB? Very nice. I can already imagine sipping some wine and people watching!

According to Scott Siler, one of the HFB owners, Harlem Food Bar will be a 30 seat restaurant offering a reasonably priced, diverse menu where locals from Harlem can come and dine for less. And if you don’t want to dine at HFB, Siler says it will offer food delivery for those that want to dine at home.

Harlem Food Bar is expected to open in May! So stay tuned! We are all getting another place to hang in Harlem. Love it!

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Posted in Bars, business, commercial real estate, Community, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, restaurant row, restaurants

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Harlem has another neighborhood association in The North Star

Posted on March 26, 2012 | 5 comments


Some Harlem residents have come together to create a new neighborhood association and it’s called the North Star Neighborhood Association. North Star is named after Frederick Douglass’s abolitionist newspaper, “The North Star,” and its mission will focus on the area of Harlem that also bares his name, Frederick Douglass Blvd. The exact area North Star plans to serve are along Frederick Douglass Boulevard from West 110th Street to West 124th Street, between Morningside Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard.

If you are interested in learning more about North Star click here or interested in participating, they are having their inaugural meeting Tuesday, March 27th at 7:30 PM at the Harlem PAL, located at 441 Manhattan Avenue near West 119th Street.

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Posted in 116th Street, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., business, Community, education, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem

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The inaugural TEDx Harlem happens March 27

Posted on March 21, 2012 | 5 comments

UPDATE: TEDx Harlem will now be held at Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, Harlem, NY, not the Apollo Theater.

According to Harlem NYC, a 31,000-strong Harlem constituency on Facebook, we are all invited and encouraged to support the first ever TEDx Harlem. On March 27, a day-long conference, taking place at Harlem’s famous Apollo Theater, will “seek to understand, celebrate and empower the informal methods of social innovation that grow organically in Harlem and throughout communities around the world.” A high-caliber of speakers-some from Harlem-have signed on to participate in the TEDx Harlem, such as Thelma Golden from the Studio Museum in Harlem and Marcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster Harlem.

The event will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. The cost to attend is $100. Click here to learn more.

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Posted in 125th Street, Community, education, Events, Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, The Apollo Theater

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Joshua Johnson from Harlem taps his way on to The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Posted on March 16, 2012 | 1 comment

Want to be moved and inspired today and by someone special from Harlem? Then watch the video below and read this clip. Joshua Johnson from Harlem used his talent of tap dance to support his college education by tapping for tips on the New York Subway. The New York Times profiled him in early March and two weeks later Ellen DeGeneres invited Joshua on her show and as the saying goes, the rest is history.

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Posted in Community, education, entertainment, Harlem

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Harlem’s Amateur Night at The Apollo heading across the pond to London

Posted on March 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

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America’s first, original, true singing competition, which started in Harlem and pre-American Idol, is heading East to London. According to the Associated Press, the Apollo Theater in Harlem “is exporting its Amateur Night to London for a limited engagement. The London show on July will pit aspiring artists from the United States and Great Britain.”

“Manhattan auditions will be held March 31 and April 1. Four winners of the May 23 New York semifinals will get expense-paid trips to London. Semifinals to pick four amateurs in London will be held in June.”

If you know of anyone who would want to compete against a Brit in singing, pass this information along. And congrats to Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater on exporting their Amateur Night to London! Way to go!

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

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Harlem Classified: Vendors wanted for new flea market on Frederick Douglass Blvd

Posted on March 10, 2012 | 2 comments


If you’re interested in participating in Harlem’s new flea market called The Harlem Treasure Chest, see the classified above, which is also posted on Craigslist.

The Harlem Treasure Chest officially opened on March 4 on Harlem’s restaurant row, also known as Frederick Douglass Blvd. I visited last week and saw enormous potential in the space in terms of finding vintage items. I bought two items last week, which was a Mexican ceramic plate and a crystal candle holder. See photos below of my purchase.

And don’t forget The Harlem Treasure Chest is now open Saturday and Sunday starting at 8 a.m.

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Posted in 116th Street, Community, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, restaurant row, shopping, spending

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OMG…Lenox Lounge in Harlem could close. Please no!

Posted on March 8, 2012 | 6 comments


According to The New York Daily News, Harlem’s famed music establishment Lenox Lounge “could be on its last set.” The current owner, Al Reed, says the landlord of the property wants $20k a month from the prior $10k. The article states Reed is shopping the place around and that there are interested parties, such as Harlemite and celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. I hope that is really true about Samuelsson.

Overall, this is sad news to hear. Closing Lenox Lounge would be like closing the Apollo Theater. These establishments are Harlem/American icons. Our community and New York City needs to desperately try to hold on to these treasures. It’s part of NYC’s fabric of life. Lenox Lounge is so special cause of its long history. It’s vintage. I will go as far as saying it should be a landmark and should be preserved. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that an investor views it that way…soon!

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Posted in 125th Street, Bars, business, Community, drinks, entertainment, food, Harlem, history, jazz, Lenox Avenue, music, New York, New York City, NYC, Red Rooster Harlem, restaurants

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Top 50 things to do with kids in Harlem

Posted on March 5, 2012 | 1 comment

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According to Mommy Poppins, there is a boat load of fun and interesting activity to do in Harlem with kids! So much so that they have done the heavily lifting for us and compiled a list of the Top 50 Things to do with kids in Harlem!

The site mentions a ton of activity to do in Harlem from shaking your bon, bon at the Sundae Sermon in Morningside Park, which right now is happening at El Museo in Spanish Harlem until the weather warms up. They also mention participating in family concerts at Kidberry, taking family yoga classes at Land Yoga, watching concerts at Richard Rogers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park, ice skating at Lasker Rink in Central Park North, bowling at Harlem Lanes, explore Hamilton Grange and more. The list is 50 lines long. Take a look.

The only other items I would have added is renting bikes at MODSquad Cycles and biking in the northern part of Central Park and attending the annual Pumpkin Sail at Harlem Meer. Aside from that, Mommy Poppins covered plenty of things to do in Harlem. What do you think? Are there other activities that should be on that list? If so, tell us!

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Posted in 116th Street, 125th Street, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., art and culture, Community, education, entertainment, Events, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Frederick Douglass Circle, Free!, Harlem, history, kids, Lenox Avenue, New York, New York City, NYC

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The Harlem Treasure Chest, a new flea market in Harlem, to open March 4

Posted on March 1, 2012 | 7 comments

I received the flyer below in my inbox saying that a new flea market will open in Harlem this coming Sunday, March 4 at 6 AM on the corner of 117th and Frederick Douglass Blvd. Back in October 2011, I mentioned a new flea market in Harlem was coming.

The new flea market will be called Harlem Treasure Chest and plans to offer school supplies, clothing, mens’ suits, cell phone accessories, janitorial supplies, infant, furniture and more. Based on their flier, it appears they have plenty of vendors signed up to sell goods. I wonder whose on board? Does anyone know of a vendor who will be participating? If so, tell us!

I plan to check out this new Harlem flea market. Hope to see you there.

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Posted in business, Community, Events, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Free!, Harlem, restaurant row

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