Category Archives: Frederick Douglass Blvd.

The Fourth Annual Spring Harlem Restaurant and Retail Month starts February 15

Harlem Park to Park kicks off its fourth annual Spring Harlem Restaurant and Retail Month tomorrow (Feb 15) with an impressive list of restaurant and retail establishments in Central Harlem. With food options like Ristorante Settepani’s Braised Monkfish, and the Chicken and Red Velvet Waffles at 67 Orange Street; along with services that include a week’s worth of Unlimited Led Classes from Land Yoga, and the popular Men’s Razor Relief Treatment at Harlem Skin Clinic, Harlemites and visitors alike can experience a variety of options and opportunities to sample Harlem’s finest offerings from February 15 – 28.

Twenty businesses are participating, including:

Restaurants
67 Orange Street, Bleu Violin, Chez Lucien, Chocolat Restaurant and Lounge, Corner Social, Cove Lounge, Harlem Food Bar, Harlem Tavern, Lenox Coffee, Moca Lounge, Native Restaurant, Red Rooster Harlem, Ristorante Settepani, Sylvia’s/Sylvia’s Also Lounge

Retail Services
Brownstone Fitness, Doggedly Devoted, Franz James Floral Boutique, Harlem Flo – A Floral Boutique, Harlem Skin Clinic, Land Yoga

For more information about Spring Harlem Restaurant and Retail Month and a full list of offerings, visit Harlem Park to Park on Facebook or link below for prix fixe menus and retail/service items.
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It’s Afro Funk Night at Harlem’s bier international

Bier international is doing things a little differently for Valentine’s Day. Tomorrow, Feb 14th, bier international is inviting everyone over, with date or without, to Afro Funk Night. If you feel like taking a journey to the music of the African Diaspora by DJ Jeremiah, head on over tomorrow to bier international at 2099 Frederick Douglass Blvd., between 113th and 114th Street. Music starts at 8pm to 2am.
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NYC Green Market looking to make Harlem its home, feedback needed

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A reader dropped us a line over the weekend we found interesting. Apparently there is a NYC Green Market movement actively discussing bringing a farmers market to the vacant lot in Harlem at West 117 Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd. This is the space where the Harlem Pop Up Green Market was held last year. In order to help make it a reality, Grow NYC needs to gain enough community feedback to demonstrate a strong need and desire for the market. They are looking to hear from us.

If interested in providing feedback, send Margaret Hoffman, Green Market Regional Coordinator, an email stating your interest and support of the market in this part of Harlem. Word is they need to get community responses soon to even consider the market. Here is Margaret’s email: mhoffman@greenmarket.grownyc.org.

Made in Harlem: Uptown Soap Co. featured in February issue of Vogue

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I love it when I see Harlem-based companies in the news, specifically in glamorous places, such as in lifestyle magazines. This month Uptown Soap Co. received another nod from Vogue in their beauty section called Made in NY, aka Made in Harlem! Of course, it doesn’t hurt to get notice by Oprah too, which the Harlem based company has on their milestone belt as well.

Uptown Soap Co.’s Silvia Dontcheva tells HarlemGal Inc that “they make all of their products by hand in a small brownstone on 123rd Street in Harlem. The company started 4 years ago and although it began with solely soaps, they now specialize in bubble baths, soy candles, perfumes, body scrubs and more.”

No need to go downtown for these Made in Harlem products. Dontcheva says their products can be purchased in Harlem at the wonderful Harlem Flo on Frederick Douglass Blvd and 122nd Street. Owners Stefan and Louis have reordered from Uptown Soap since they started. Very cool. I know where I’m buying me some pretty soap! See ya at Harlem Flo!

This weeks HGTV Selling NY to feature Harlem again

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A real estate broker has given us the heads up that Harlem real estate and Harlem’s restaurant row will be featured in this weeks edition of HGTV Selling NY. The broker and two of her clients, who are looking to purchase their first home together, venture into Harlem to look at apartments in the neighborhood. In the course of the episode, the clients receive a tour of Harlem restaurants and shops to show them that everything they have become used to downtown can be found right here in Harlem, specifically along Frederick Douglass Blvd.

Check out the TV show this Thursday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 pm.

Harlem’s Park Wine Bar adds exterior wood work

Has anyone noticed the nice exterior wood work on the Harlem building where The Park Wine Bar will be located? It’s on Frederick Douglass Blvd between 112th and 113th Street. I like it! It gives the upcoming Harlem establishment a warm and comfortable look. Let’s hope the wine selection is on par with the decor!

What do you think? Do you like the exterior wood work at The Park Wine Bar?

To view prior blog posts on The Park Wine Bar, go here!
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Dr. Mehmet Oz to visit Harlem Children’s Zone for ‘Brush Up Smile Zone’

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According to a media advisory, the TV doctors are coming to Harlem. Actually the real ones, not the TV actors who play doctors on TV. This coming Thursday, Jan 24, Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Jonathan B. Levine, who is a national oral health expert and regular contributor on “The Dr. Oz Show,” will join more than 300 kids (ages K-12) at the Harlem Children’s Zone to host a special themed event, “Brush Up Smile Zone!” The event will include a variety of fun and educational activities that spread the message about the importance of good oral health-as it relates to overall health.

jj1Oral-B is the corporate sponsor. Through a charitable partnership, Oral-B and Dr. Levine’s GLO Good Foundation are educating Americans on the importance of having good oral health. They will be visiting select areas throughout the country. The first stop is starting right here in Harlem on January 24th.

This event is happening from 4:30 to 6 pm at the Countee Cullen Community Center, PS 194, which is located at 244 West 144th Street between Frederick Douglass Blvd and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.

Wafels & Dinges to return to Harlem this coming Tuesday, Jan 22

If you missed trying out Belgium waffles this past week in Harlem, there will be another opportunity! Wafels & Dinges is returning to the same spot Jan 22 in Harlem, which is right in front of Best Yet Market on Frederick Douglass Blvd. The waffle food truck is returning to Harlem after a successful night of sales this past week!

The owner tells HarlemGal Inc that if strong sales continue, the Wafels & Dinges truck will be parked on FDB every Tuesday from now on.

To purchase waffles this coming Tuesday in Harlem, walk along FDB between 118th and 119th Street. Wafels & Dinges will be there from 6-10 pm!

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Award winning Wafels & Dinges food truck visiting Harlem tonight, Jan 14

Wafels & Dinges, a Belgian food truck, just sent us an email saying they are planning a visit to Harlem tonight, Jan 14. Around 6 pm, they will be serving up some of their waffle specialties on Frederick Douglass Blvd between 118th and 119th Street.

According to their email, Wafels & Dinges serves up one of the best Belgian waffles in NYC by winning the “Best Midtown Sweet” Award for three years in a row, ZAGAT’s “Best Food Truck” in 2010 and 2011, Winner of the 2009 NYC VENDY AWARDS and a Winner of “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” on the Food Network.

To learn more about Wafels & Dinges, visit their website.

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The Park Wine Bar in Harlem receiving push back from neighbors

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Did anyone notice the recent article in The New York Daily News about the upcoming Park Wine Bar in Harlem? Apparently, Harlem neighbors, mainly those that live in building above where the wine bar plans to open, are already complaining to Community Board 10 about the self-serve wine bar’s plans to have an outdoor patio in the back of the building. The Park Wine Bar will be located at 2080 Frederick Douglass Blvd between 112th and 113th.

For those of us who have lived in Harlem a while, know that this location was an abandoned lot for the longest time. No building/business/residents existed there until the building went up. Fast forward to today and we have a wine bar moving in and neighbors above complaining. Cheez…how things change.

Just curious. What are your thoughts on the subject?