Category Archives: Harlem

Café Amrita: The Harlem Chameleon

Mar 31, 2010 @ 1:00

By Austin2Harlem

Café Amrita, located at 301 West 110th Street, can be almost anything you want it to be. In the morning, it’s a bright, airy spot for coffee, hot chocolate and a breakfast sandwich or toasted bagel. At lunch it’s a good place to grab a quick and delicious grilled Panini.  The roast beef and swiss Panini is my favorite along with chips. Hang out a little later in the evening as the lights are turned down and it transforms into the perfect neighborhood watering hole.

If you show up before 8 p.m., you’ll be treated to happy hour specials including $4 draft beer and $5 wine. I generally order Samuel Adams on tap or Blue Moon. After happy hour ends, it’s just a buck more, so feel free to stick around and enjoy the game on the big screen TV or just chat with the friendly patrons and staff.  You can choose from the numerous small tables or grab a stool at the long wooden bar.

No matter when you visit, you’ll find Café Amrita in Harlem to be a warm, relaxed, and a welcoming venue filled with tasty food and drinks at reasonable prices. Throw in the affable mix of Harlem locals, and it may just become your favorite place to spend an hour…or three. I know that for this recently transplanted Texan to Harlem, it’s a spot where you’ll often find me hanging my hat.

Cafe Amrita
301 West 110th Street
New York, NY 10026
t: 212-222-0683
Open from 8 am to around midnight -1 am every day

Harlem’s first beer garden expected to open in May? I don’t think so!

Mar 26, 2010 @ 12:40
By HarlemGal
In my mind, there is no question that Frederick Douglass Blvd is fast becoming a hot spot to hang whether for drinks or dining out or both. Heck, I have been saying all along and I will say it again that FDB is destined to be dubbed restaurant row especially now since this well known Harlem avenue called 8th Ave is getting a beer garden at 2099 Frederick Douglass Blvd.

On their website it states the beer garden will open early Spring. Hmm… Other reports say May. Below are pics taken of 2099 FDB today. Do you see any workers there? I think Bier International hired some ghosts to do construction work because I walk by this space practically every day and I have not seen any action-not a peep, not a sound coming from this space, which leads me to believe “we’re not getting any beer garden in May.” Maybe late June or July it will open, which will be nice to have. Don’t get me wrong. Drinking a brewski during those hot, humid summer days sounds delightful! I cannot wait! Harlemites will now have another option to throw back a few beers then head over to Slyvia’s for some good grub and then on to Harlem Lanes to bowl the night away!

Man-oh-man, I love Harlem and all that it offers! Have a great weekend!

Sneak peak of Harlem’s Just Wingin It

Mar 23, 2010 @ 13:37
By HarlemGal
In January, we told you how Construction Intervention, the Discovery Channel TV show, was at 2190 Frederick Douglass Blvd performing some construction magic on Harlem’s Just Wingin It! Well, the magic/makeover is finished! Here is a sneak peak at what the public will see when Construction Intervention debuts April 13, 2010 at 10 PM ET/PT April or May.

Check your local listings for exact air date and time of Construction Intervention!

What a difference a day makes for Ryan Skeen’s 5 & Diamond in Harlem

Mar 17, 2010 @ 7:30

HarlemCondoLife

By HarlemGal
As that familiar saying goes, what a difference a day makes. I walked by 5 & Diamond, the latest addition to Harlem’s restaurant scene, Tuesday evening and the place looked completely different from Sunday night, which then looked a bit disheveled. The tables are now organized and set with glasses. The bar, or what looked like a bar, was being stocked and one of the investors was on site, i.e. Chef Ryan Skeen. He was there talking away on the phone in what appeared to be a telephone media interview. Clearly, they had some sort of PR push Tuesday cause there are several online articles about the place and the menu was released to NY Magazine.

HarlemCondoLife

I inquired again about opening day.  The folks on site said they would not be ready to open on Wednesday, hopefully Thursday or Friday (March 18 or 19th)  at best. Either way, we all have another option for dining to choose from in Harlem and you can pretty much count on HCL to visit the place soon!

2072 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York 10026
(Btwn 112th & 113th St)
T: (646) 684-4662

5 & Diamond is the new restaurant on Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem

Mar 16, 2010 @ 14:26
By HarlemGal
We now know the name of the restaurant space we have been following for months! It is called 5 & Diamond located at 2072 Frederick Douglass Blvd. The chef will be Ryan Skeen.

From the pics below, workers have been working overtime and told us they are suppose to open tomorrow night, Wednesday. Yikes! Ahh…it appears they have a lot to do from these pics. Stay tune for more info!!!!

WATCH: How to make it in Harlem

Mar 15, 2010 @ 23:09
By HarlemGal
I believe we can all agree there are a lot of video parodies and spinoffs out in cyberspace about popular TV shows or films, and some of those ideas take off and become contagious-if they are presented in a timely and creative manner. Here is one video trailer that embodies those qualities-and “is divine.” The video trailer How to make it in Harlem appears to be some sort of spinoff of HBO’s How to make it in America. I don’t know a thing about the artist rapping in this video  and I can’t say that it is going to make me go out and buy their album. However, what I can say is I really like this video and it did get me to stop, pay attention and post. That’s some powerful stuff given this artist is entirely unknown to me…until now.

I just want to give the folks behind this video some serious props! I think this video is packaged perfectly. They created a darn good video featuring major buildings, people, monuments, and intersections that identify every beautiful inch of Harlem. And the timing in releasing this video couldn’t be better since HBO’s How to make it in America is airing right now, which I have not seen and will more than likely now check it out.

What do you think of this video trailer? Do you like it or not?

Harlem’s El Museo del Barrio and Havana Film Festival New York present Uprooted and El Play

Mar 15, 2010 @ 12:50
By HarlemGal
Looking for interesting films to see right here in Harlem and for FREE? Then save the evening of April 7, 2010. That’s when El Museo del Barrio in collaboration with Havana Film Festival New York will be showing two short films titled: Uprooted and El Play.

Uprooted, directed by Juan Mejia Botero of Colombia, “takes an intimate look at the aspirations of an Afro-Colombia women, one of the more than a million people displaced by Colombia’s violance since 1990.”

El Play “follows the hard knock journey of a Dominican teen hoping to make it into baseball’s major leagues.” This film is directed by Pablo Medina from the Dominican Republic.

Again, this event is free and it will also give you a sneak peak at some of the fascinating films that will be showing during the Havana Film Festival New York, which starts April 16-23, 2010.

Uprooted and El Play
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
6:30-8:30 PM
El Cafe in El Museo del Barrio
1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street
Admission: Free

UPDATE: 2080 FDB in Harlem construction continues

Mar 10, 2010 @ 12:36

By HarlemGal

The construction site we first told you about awhile back, continues to make building progress in the lot right next to 67 Orange and two spaces away from the new restaurant opening soon on FDB! Today, at 2080 FDB they had the gates wide open! From the pics, they drilled fairly deep. It appears they are placing layers of concrete down along with those finder steal poles!

There goes another vacant lot to condos on FDB!.  A lot is happening on and around this little blvd of ours in Harlem!

UPDATE: New FDB restaurant in Harlem may open next week

Mar 10, 2010 @ 11:32
By HarlemGal

HarlemCondoLife

Not too long ago, HarlemCondoLife told you about a new restaurant developing on Frederick Douglass Blvd. between 112th and 113th Street. Apparently plans are still underway to open soon.  According to a HCL reader, they heard from a worker on site recently that the place is aiming to open up next week and the cuisine will be American. From the looks in this photo, they are definitely trying to hide the decor from street walkers. Maybe ’cause they are more than likely in place and ready for patrons?  I hope it’s true!

Best Yet Market grand opening in pictures

Mar 5, 2010 @ 13:37
By HarlemGal
If you did not have a chance to swing by Best Yet Market, located at 118th and Frederick Douglass Blvd., today for their grand opening…not to worry. Fellow HarlemCondoLife blogger, Austin2Harlem, walked by and photographed the ceremonial event!

Several VIPs attended and ABC’s Channel 7 was present. The most notable VIP was Congressman Charlie Rangel, and of course Mr. Best too! Rangel said the new supermarket created 100 plus jobs and other speakers emphasized that Harlem is now getting quality, healthy food at low prices, including fresh produce, meat and fish.

HCL would like to add that Karrott at 117th and FDB and Organic Forever at 112th and FDB offer Harlemites healthy food options as well for reasonable prices.

This concludes the Best Yet blogging saga. May we all go forward now and shop and dine at all our local Harlem businesses! Stay tuned for a post about Chez Lucienne and upcoming films at El Museo del Barrio!