Category Archives: Harlem

Indulge in African teas at Serengeti Teas & Spices in Harlem, now open on Frederick Douglass Blvd

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At the recommendation of a longtime reader of HarlemGal Inc., I stopped by Serengeti Teas & Spices in Harlem yesterday, which opened a week ago at 2292 Frederick Douglass Blvd at 123rd Street. A big thanks for the recommendation. My visit to Serengeti in Harlem did not disappoint. And as one Facebook friend said, “it’s a must stop on FDB! The attention to details and explanations are great!” I couldn’t agree more.

Serengeti in Harlem offers all the tea imaginable, loose or bagged, strong or light, from the continent of Africa. And the staff is willing and ready to provide any guest a tutorial on the variety of teas offered. Plus Serengeti offers samples to taste if one is not sure what to purchase. I owned up to being tea illiterate and the staff person who assisted me (and by the way I did not disclose I was a local blogger) was extremely helpful and knowledgeable in all the teas offered. This staff person walked me through every inch of the products available. Overall, my experience at Serengeti in Harlem was completely delightful! I ended up purchasing two canisters of tea, the Bassa Blood Orange Organic Tea for $12 and Berry Rooibo’s 20 Tea Bags for $10.

If you’re walking along Harlem’s restaurant row, aka FDB, HarlemGal Inc recommends a quick stop by Serengeti Teas & Spices in Harlem at 123rd and FDB. They offer pastries and coffee as well. Serengeti in Harlem is open from 10 am to 9 pm. A website will be available at a later date.

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Harlem Fire Watchtower celebration happening today September 21

The Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association along with Marcus Garvey Park Alliance and New York City Parks and Recreation are hosting a celebration today, September 21, in honor of the successful fund-raising efforts recently achieved to restore the Harlem Fire Watchtower.

The celebration is happening at the Acropolis in Marcus Garvey Park so that guests can get a close up view of the Harlem Fire Watchtower before it is disassembled for restoration. Start time is at 3 pm. Entrance is at 124th Street and Fifth Avenue. See you there.
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Citi Bike Share good enough for ‘Annie’ movie set filming in Harlem, not good enough for real life Harlem residents to use

Did anyone notice all the publicity, irony and major hypocrisy around adorable actress Quvenzhané Wallis riding a Citi Bike through Harlem on the set of ‘Annie’ this past week? When I saw several news clips stating how the character of ‘Annie’ was spotted in Harlem riding a Citi Bike, all I could think about was…wow, how interesting that the Citi Bike Share is being used on the set of the remake of ‘Annie’ now filming in Harlem, but none of us who live in the Village of Harlem actually get to use the bike share program because Citibank has not made it available to those of us who live uptown. What a double standard by Citibank?

It’s obvious that Citibank paid the big time producers of the remake of ‘Annie’ for product placement. I guess Citi Bike Share wants to give the appearance in this upcoming movie that all poor little black children get to use their bikes. Bull! Do the producers of this movie know Harlem residents do not get to use this bike share?

At this time, no child who lives in Harlem or friends or family get to use Citi Bike Share. In my view, this is hypocrisy at its best. There is not one Citi Bike location in Harlem to date. And there’s been no explanation (that I can find) for why the Citi Bike Share has not been made available to Manhattanites who live Uptown! Talk about a hard-knock-life. Harlem residents are the real life orphan-Annie’s when it comes to the Citi Bike Share program. I guess we are not good enough to work on our carbon foot print. But hey in a movie, lets fool everyone else that this might be happening in Harlem.

All I can say is, if the Citi Bike Share program is good enough to use on the movie set of ‘Annie’ currently filming in Harlem, then Citi Bike Share is darn well good enough to implement and use for the people living in Harlem. Hope Citi Bike Share comes to their senses and changes their locations. Hypocrisy will get you no where.
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Meet and mingle at the new Harlem Garage October 10

Save the date of October 10th! That’s when we are all invited to meet and mingle at the new tech space called Harlem Garage! That same evening provides an opportunity for us to meet the team behind Harlem Garage. Read past blog coverage here of Harlem Garage.

It’s all happening the evening of the 10th and tickets to attend are only $10. I plan on attending! So join me in meeting up at the new Harlem Garage at 318 West 118th Street. Go here for details!

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Village Voice names 10 Best Fried Chickens in NYC, two Harlem restaurants make list

Who makes the best fried chicken in New York City? According to the Village Voice, Charles’ Country Pan Fried Chicken at 2839-2841 Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem is ranked first out of all the five boroughs! The Voice says “Charles Gabriel seasons his chicken three separate times before it gets to the warming tray at this renowned Harlem buffet.”

Next up, is Amy Ruth’s at 113 West 116th Street in Harlem. Amy Ruth’s is ranked fifth in the City. The Voice says “this Harlem fried chicken hotspot in a neighborhood teeming with quality birds gets it right on many levels, including a closing time of 5:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.”

To read the full article on The 10 Best Fried Chickens in NYC, go here.

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Attend artist reception at Chocolat in Harlem September 24th

Next Tuesday, September 24th from 6-9 pm, Chocolat Restaurant in Harlem will be hosting an intimate reception for two exhibiting artists, Anton and Bai. Some of Anton and Bai’s paintings and mixed-media work has already been on view at Chocolat this past summer. At the Sept. 24th artist reception, guests can meet and socialize with the artists and see more of their creative works.

To learn more about the art at Chocolat go here. Or stop by Chocolat in Harlem at 2217-23 Frederick Douglass Blvd. at the corner of 120th St. or call at (212) 222-4545.
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View photos of ’13 African-American Day Parade in Harlem




HarlemGal-Inc.com checked out the African-American Day Parade in Harlem once again-and photographed the entire event. It’s a fun event to take pictures of. Hope you enjoy!

Harlem Shambles and the Perfect Steak

BigAppleCurry profiles one of our Harlem favorites, Harlem Shambles.

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Hello all! It’s Sean here. With its great food, people, and places, I’m loving Harlem more and more everyday. Our latest exciting discovery is Harlem Shambles, the (relatively) new local butchery located on Frederick Douglass Blvd. They source everything locally, mostly from the nearby Hudson Valley. As they describe, “Harlem Shambles is a boutique butcher shop serving locally sourced beef, lamb, pork and poultry. We work with a handful of New York farms.” As soon we heard from local Harlem blogs and the New York Times that two young brothers had launched a locally sourced butchery in the neighborhood, I knew it would be a great find for me and Ina. Why? What makes this such a great and timely discovery is that lately I’ve become more and more concerned with finding meat that is sourced from livestock that has been both a) ethically raised and b) properly…

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Harlem Haberdashery turns one, chosen as must see and shop for men by New York Magazine

Reading my latest edition of New York Magazine, I noticed Harlem Haberdashery received a nod by our City publication. Harlem Haberdashery, which recently turned one, was chosen as a “must-see and shop for any stylish man” in the NY Mag September 9th edition. The Harlem men’s shop is located on Lenox Avenue between 122nd and 123rd Street and open seven days a week.

Sharene and Guy Woods are the “parents” of Harlem Haberdashery and 5001 FLAVORS. Louis Johnson, Jr. is also a partner and general manager.

Check out the New York Magazine article below. And congrats to the team by Harlem Haberdashery on their NY Mag mention and turning one!
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The African-American Day Parade is happening in Harlem tomorrow, September 15

Don’t forget, tomorrow in Harlem is the largest parade in America dedicated to the black community. It’s the African-American Day Parade, which starts at 1 pm and runs along Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd from 111th Street to 136th Street in Harlem. It is a fun event for family, friends and all. See you there.

Take a look at last years photos of the African-America Day Parade!

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