Category Archives: Community

Select Harlem teachers comment on ‘Waiting for Superman’

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Sep 29, 2010 @ 12:23
By HarlemGal
Last week, I blogged about the documentary, “Waiting for Superman,” which features a Harlem student and Geoffrey Canada, and talks about the education system in America. Since I have seen the film, which I liked, I have come across information that provides another view on the subject. I wanted to share it with you. Below is a Youtube video on two Harlem teacher’s point of view on public schools versus charter schools.

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Posted in Community, film, Harlem

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See ‘The Other Side of Immigration’ in East Harlem

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Sep 28, 2010 @ 7:00

By HarlemGal
Art for Change is hosting a closing exhibition reception and screening of “The Other Side of Immigration” in East Harlem this Thursday, September 30 at 2082 Lexington Avenue at 126th Street. The reception starts at 6:30 p.m. followed by a screening at 7:30 p.m. Roy Germano, the director of this award-winning documentary, will be making remarks at this event and available for a Q&A immediately following the conclusion of the film. If you are interested in attending both events in East Harlem, kindly RSVP to: eliana@artforchange.org

“The Other Side of Immigration” is a documentary based on interviews with men and women in the Mexican countryside. The film explores why so many people leave small Mexican towns to work in the United States and what happens to the families and communities they leave behind.  This film has screened at dozens of universities, conferences, and film festivals in the U.S. and Europe since 2009.

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Posted in Community, film, Harlem

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Harlem rezoning plus Frederick Douglass Boulevard equals restaurant row

Posted on July 5, 2011 | 1 comment

Sep 24, 2010 @ 6:00

Frederick Douglass Blvd. street sign

By HarlemGal
Frederick Douglass Blvd is in the news again! Some entities are clearly getting it that FDB from 110th Street to 125th Street is the place to be! DNAinfo.com and The New York Times have recently filed stories about FDB and how it’s experiencing a boom in drinking and eating establishments. These articles even mention the buzz words “restaurant row.” Hmm…sounds familiar?

Frederick Douglass Blvd. (Circa 2008)

On September 23, DNAinfo wrote about the booming restaurant and bar business along FDB.  It was a good story. They introduced us to new information about what the Livmor is up to with their commercial space. However, I was wondering why they left out other notable places, such as Mojo, Billie’s Black Bar, Questan’s and Cafe Amrita? Amrita is at the base of 110th and FDB. Mojo and Billie’s are technically on 119th Street, they are less than a block away from FDB and Mojo and Questan’s opened for business in the last five years. I think all these venues deserved a mention in DNAinfo and The Times. Also, why not mention the proposed Cupcake Suite opening on FDB, Aloft Hotel or the rumored Busboys and Poets coming to Harlem? I guess there is so much action happening on or near FDB, it is a challenge for these news outlets to keep track!

Frederick Douglass Blvd. today

In addition, I noticed that both publications did not mention much about vacant commercial space. What are The Douglass and Gateway Condominiums planning for their commercial space? I would bet that they are aggressively trying to sell their space. I hear Society Cafe is interested in expanding their space right next door once Gateway finishes their construction. If that ends up being true, that would be great for them. They appear to have outgrown their current space.

Overall, it is awesome media coverage for Harlem once again. I love it! Out of the two articles, I will end with my favorite quote from Chris Pollok, co-owner of bier international. “My sense is that this [Frederick Douglass Blvd.] is going to be the Restaurant Row of Harlem.” I will drink to that, Chris! Strawberry beer, please!

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Posted in business, Community, Harlem, restaurant row, restaurants

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Rev. Al Sharpton joins Sunday morning programming with own show

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Sep 16, 2010 @ 13:20
By HarlemGal
The choices for Sunday morning TV programming is expanding by one show starting September 26 and you might recognize the person involved in this expansion! The Rev. Al Sharpton, who founded the National Action Network that is based on 145th Street in Harlem, has created his own media company and now in turn will compete in the Sunday morning programming with his own syndicated TV show called “Education Superhighway!” This was all announced to The Hollywood Reporter earlier this week and today Sharpton is introducing “Education Superhighway,” the 30 minute show, to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. I wonder what Christiane Amanpour from ABC and David Gregory NBC think?

Apparently the Sharpton show has been picked up in 150 markets according to THR. I’ve seen no signs of it airing in New York City yet. Guess I will have to flip through the channels on the tube the morning of September 26 to see if Sharpton is on!

Sharpton with executive producer Ruth Robinson

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Posted in Community, entertainment, Harlem

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Dr. Maya Angelou says Harlem is going through a rebirth

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Aug 24, 2010 @ 7:30
By HarlemGal
In an exclusive TV interview with New York’s 24-hour local news channel, Dr. Maya Angelou, famed novelist, poet, professor, American icon and best of all…a Harlemite, recently told NY1 that Harlem is going through a rebirth. “What we are dealing with [in Harlem] is what has to be continually dealt with, that is a renaissance,” said Angelou. The video piece goes on to state that Angelou lives in a gorgeous Harlem brownstone and that there’s no question about her loyalty to Harlem. Angelou’s heart is in Harlem reports NY1.  Click here to see the entire interview.

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Posted in Community, Harlem, history

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Harlem couple invest in where they live creating Harlem Tavern

Posted on July 5, 2011 | 3 comments

Aug 20, 2010 @ 15:27
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By HarlemGal
What does The Tonic Bar located in Times Square have in common with Harlem? The Tonic Bar is owned by a couple who live in Harlem. They’ve been residents of Harlem since 2006. The couple behind The Tonic Bar in Times Square have now decided to invest 100 percent in where they live by launching Harlem Tavern, a neighborhood bar & grill, at 2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd. This is the space we told you about back in April how the corner gas station/auto shop was up for lease. (Oh…and a reader too had sent us an update on the recent construction happening at this corner space.)
Today, one of the owners of the upcoming Harlem Tavern spoke directly with HarlemCondoLife to tell us why they are putting their dinero dollars into where they live-particularly Frederick Douglass Blvd.
According to Sheri Wilson from SoHa 116 Restaurant Corporation and co-owner along with her husband says Harlem Tavern will be a restaurant that is representative of Harlem. “Harlem Tavern is going to be a place for everyone. Harlem is such a diverse place. We are creating Harlem Tavern to capture and accommodate that diversity,” says Wilson.
Wilson says word recently got out about their exact plans cause their website was just finished and hit the internet. She said “you’re the first we are speaking to.”
They still have several processes to complete with NYC’s Department of Buildings. However, they’ve built-in plenty of time to open in their business timeline, which is not soon. Wilson says they are aiming to open after the new year. “If all things go as planned, we plan to open in February 2011.” She said if they make that deadline they will get heating lamps to accommodate customers and the winter weather.
In closing, Wilson explained why Frederick Douglass Blvd? “Harlem is a great place to live and Frederick Douglass Blvd is a wonderful street that holds enormous potential for growth.” We could not agree more with Sheri Wilson! We have dubbed FDB as “restaurant row” and the “gold coast of Harlem.” As each day passes, our predictions are becoming more and more of a reality.
A special congrats to our fellow Harlemites on their plans with Harlem Tavern! May everything fall in place and so that we have another new and interesting place to hang! Salude!

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Posted in Bars, business, Community, Harlem, restaurant row, restaurants

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Grand Liquors Inc. in Harlem out, bank or check cashing place in

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Jul 29, 2010 @ 17:43
By Austin2Harlem
Coming out of the B/C subway line at 110th Street heading north, I quickly noticed there was construction happening at 2052 Frederick Douglass Blvd., which use to be Grand Liquors Inc. in Harlem. I quickly asked what was going into this space. The first response I received “it’s going to be a bank branch.” Then someone else on site said “it’s going to be a check cashing place.” Darn to both responses. I was hoping for something else, say a diner or Thai food. Wouldn’t that be good to have another food joint on Frederick Douglass Blvd?

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Participate in the 5th Annual Harlem Community Gardens Tour

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Jul 21, 2010 @ 12:30
By HarlemGal
The 5th Annual Harlem Community Gardens Tour, will take place on Saturday, July 31 (rain date Sunday, August 1) from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The Tour will begin with breakfast in the Joseph Daniel Wilson Community Garden at 219 West 122nd Street and the last stop will be at the William A. Harris Garden on 153rd Street and St. Nicholas Avenue, where Tourists will experience a traditional, home-style Harlem barbecue.

Harlem gardens are all managed by community volunteers and are among New York City’s most extraordinary and best-kept secrets. Tourists (and locals) will discover an amazing variety of trees, vegetables, herbs and flowers as well as ponds, gazebos, rain-water harvesting systems, and more. The gardens are host to people of all ages.

For more information about this event, call (212) 662-2878 or (917) 288-8053. To find your own community garden, go to www.greenthumbnyc.org.

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Keep Harlem trees hydrated

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Jul 13, 2010 @ 15:36

By HarlemGal
Lately it’s been hot and steamy outside where I can barely walk a few hundred feet without needing to quench my thirst. I get real thirsty with this kind of weather. Do you feel like this? If so, let’s imagine what the things around us must feel like, such as trees. You know what I am talking about? Those green things that create shade, reduce air pollution, add beauty and that some of us witnessed being planted throughout Harlem last Fall as part of the MillionTreesNYC. Like us, trees need water too in order to grow and exist in NYC. So what can Harlemites do to keep our trees alive and well?

The NYC Parks Commissioner and members of the Harlem community are urging New Yorkers to keep our street trees hydrated throughout the summer by taking self-action to water our street lined trees-especially the baby trees! Here is what the NYC Parks suggests:

•water each young tree with several gallons of water once a week from May through October!
•use a hand cultivator to loosen the top soil so that the water can reach the roots!
•careful not to dig too deep by using large tools!
•water slowly!
•and if it rains one inch or more in a weeks time period don’t bother watering!

Sounds pretty basic…right? So let’s water our trees in Harlem and urge our fellow New Yorkers to do the same and say “Let’s keep Harlem green!”

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Experience free canoeing at Harlem Meer

Posted on July 5, 2011 | 1 comment

Jun 27, 2010 @ 17:08

By HarlemGal

Walking along Central Park North on Sunday, I discovered several red canoes in the pond at Harlem Meer. I wonder what was up…so I headed on over to Lasker Rink where there was a sign-in desk. There I saw New York City Urban Park Rangers helping people put on life jackets, placing them in a canoe and pushing them off into the pond at Harlem Meer. Urban Park Rangers were offering free canoeing all day on June 27 from noon until 3 PM. New York City Department of Parks and Recreation offer it every summer on select Sundays. One of the Park Rangers on site said to check the schedule online regularly to see when they’re offering free canoeing again. The Park Ranger said it will happen again soon! There is free canoeing offered about three or four times throughout the summer. How fun! I am going to try it!

So if your interested in canoeing at Harlem Meer one Sunday this summer, check the online schedule and then head on up to Harlem Meer, which is located in Central Park near 110th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd!

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Posted in Community, Events, Harlem

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