Category Archives: Harlem

Take a walk at Harlem Art Walk Tour October 6-7

Posted on October 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

There is so much happening in the month of October in Harlem. Love it! In addition to the Harlem Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 6, there is the annual Harlem Art Walk Tour. This weekend event provides an opportunity to walk around Central Harlem Saturday and Sunday, October 6th and 7th, from 12 pm to 6 pm. The tour features the work of more than 80 artists living and working in Harlem.

Casa Frela Gallery, located at 47 West 119th Street, is the starting point where maps will be distributed to tour participants. The maps highlight the various stops on the walking tour including open artist studios, museums, and cultural and historic venues.  All forms of art will be featured including sculptures, ceramics, painting, photographs, etchings and prints and textiles.

For further information about the tour please visit the Casa Frela Gallery website  or call the information hotline at 212-722-8577.

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

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Introducing Belle, a new restaurant coming to Harlem by Chef Darryl Burnett

Posted on September 29, 2012 | 1 comment

The restaurant scene in Central Harlem continues to grow with new places planned for this year and 2013. Recently mentioned was Vinatería, which is opening up (hopefully this year) on Frederick Douglass Blvd and 119th. Maison Harlem on 127th Street and St. Nick is getting close to opening up. That place looks practically ready. Chef Stephen Putnam, the former chef at Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar, recently announced he is planning to open up his own restaurant in Harlem in the near future.

Next up is Darryl Burnett, a former chef at Bergdorf Goodman, 5 and Diamond Harlem and a resident of Harlem. Burnett recently announced on Kickstarter that he is starting his own restaurant in Harlem, which will be called Belle. As for location, Chef Burnett says Belle will be located “in the center of Harlem’s restaurant row and within walking distance of other new and hot Harlem restaurants, bars, and lounges.”

According to Burnett, Belle Harlem will be a “casual dining restaurant focusing on Southern classics with a modern vision with touches of French, Italian, Moroccan and Asian.” Belle Harlem already has a Facebook page where friends can see some of Burnett’s delicious creations. I have experienced Chef Burnett’s delectables and it is fantastic!

Interested in helping Chef Darryl Burnett and his Belle restaurant, go here to learn more.

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Posted in 110th Street, 116th Street, 125th Street, 5 and Diamond Harlem, Bars, business, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar, restaurant row, restaurants

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One week away, Harlem Harvest Festival October 6

Posted on September 29, 2012 | 4 comments

Some of us will be checking out the Common Ground Festival today in Morningside Park, but then a week later its time to head over to the Harlem Harvest Festival on October 6, which I believe its in its third or fourth year. The Festival starts at 116th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue. See details below and read last year’s blog post on the Harlem Harvest Festival.

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Posted in 116th Street, art and culture, Community, entertainment, Events, food, Harlem, kids

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Old Harlem newspaper stand becomes The Harlem Pearl by 5 and Diamond and The Lyn-Genet Plan

Posted on September 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

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For those of you wondering what’s up with the old Harlem newspaper stand at 112th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd and why it was getting a makeover? HarlemGal has the answer. This old vintage newspaper shed, which is owned by the owners of 5 and Diamond Harlem, will be turned into The Harlem Pearl, which is where The Lyn-Genet Plan and 5 and Diamond Harlem are coming together to bring to our community The Plan’s 4-Day Detox to go. More info to come on The Plan.

This is good news! What a great use of this space! And it’s being used for something extremely meaningful and helpful to us all, which is our health. I love this new partnership and what it means. Way to go Lia and Selene! What do you think about this? Do you like how the space is being used?

And guess what, we are all invited to learn more about The Harlem Pearl. Hint: save the date of October 2 in the evening. Stay tuned for more…

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Posted in 5 and Diamond Harlem, business, Community, education, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, health and wellness, restaurant row, restaurants

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Attend Morningside Park’s Common Ground Festival in Harlem

Posted on September 28, 2012 | 2 comments

Have no plans for Saturday? Head on over to Morningside Park in Central Harlem for the Common Ground Festival, organized by Friends of Morningside Park. The Common Ground Festival takes place on Saturday, September 29 from 2 to 8 pm. Enter at 114th Street and Morningside Avenue.

This year the Common Ground Festival will feature pony rides, lantern making, various dance performances, music and will also align with the “Morningside Lights” Arts Festival installation and puppet parade.

The Common Ground Festival will also have several food vendors, including Snap Food Truck, Yogo Frozen Yogurt and Cuzinz Duzins.

Should be a fun day! See you there!

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Posted in Community, entertainment, Events, food, Free!, Harlem, kids, Morningside Park, music

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Attend Maysles Members Night Out in Harlem

Posted on September 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

Listen up! The Maysles Institute in Harlem will be hosting an exclusive event soon for its members. It’s one you don’t want to miss if you love Cuban history as I do (see blog post on visit to Cuba). And if you’re not a member, you may want to become one to meet fellow members from the Harlem and NYC area.

Maysles Cinema, which is located at 343 Lenox Avenue between 127th and 128 Street, is having a reception for members only on Monday, October 15 at 6:30 pm. After the reception, Maysles Cinema will be screening the film titled Cuba: An African Odyssey at 7:30 pm. “Cuba: An African Odyssey explores the 300,000 Cubans who fought alongside African revolutionaries: from Che Guevara’s military campaign to avenge Lumumba in the Congo up to the fall of apartheid in South Africa. Cuba, an African Odyssey is the previously untold story of Cuba’s support for African revolutions, one of the Cold War’s most vigorous contests over resources and ideology.” Click here to watch a trailer of the film.

As mentioned,  this event is exclusive to Maysles cinema members and requires a reservation to attend. To RSVP email member@mayslesinstitute.org and to become a member go to mayslesinstitute.org/membership.

Hope to see you there!

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Posted in art and culture, Community, education, Events, film, Harlem, history, Lenox Avenue, New York, New York City, NYC, politics

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Celebrity-filled weekend at Melba’s Restaurant in Harlem, Ashton Kutcher spotted

Posted on September 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

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It was hopping at Melba’s Restaurant in Harlem this past weekend (well, it always is from what I witness)! But according to Melba’s Facebook page, she had some celebrities over for brunch at 114th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd., which is where Melba’s is located. The celebs that stopped by were Ashton Kutcher, and Tamar and Vince.

This past Saturday, the TV and film actor Ashton Kutcher was in Harlem dining at Melba’s. It must have been for brunch because another website reports he was in the West Village at night for dinner. There is no word from Melba’s Facebook page on whether his new girlfriend, Mila Kunis, was with him? Hmmm…

Then on Sunday, Tamar Braxton and Vincent Herbert from the new TV show Tamar & Vince paid a visit to Melba’s Restaurant. This married couple is currently out and about all over New York City promoting their new television show, according to online reports. However, Tamar and Vince must know good food cause no matter how busy their schedule was this past weekend, they made time to dine at Melba’s Restaurant in Harlem.

If I was a celeb (or not), I would be hanging at Melba’s too! Us Harlemites know, the food there is delicious!

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Posted in Bars, entertainment, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Melba's Restaurant Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants

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West Harlem’s Morningside Heights to get its own glossy magazine

Posted on September 24, 2012 | 3 comments

Read all about it right here. You’re the first to learn that Morningside Heights, a section of Harlem located on the Westside, is getting their own general interest magazine reporting on all aspects of living in the area. The magazine will be named…Morningside Heights (of course) and plans to profile “local people, business owners, restaurant reviews, calendar of events, trends, and ideas that capture the spirit of life in Morningside Heights” in West Harlem.

The publication debuts in December and will be mailed to 5,000 residents of Morningside Heights. Interested to know more about Morningside Heights magazine, email morningsideheights@hibu.com.

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Posted in 110th Street, art and culture, business, Community, education, entertainment, Harlem, Morningside Park, New York, New York City, NYC

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NY Mag’s Grub Street lists Twelve Harlem bars to check out

Posted on September 20, 2012 | 1 comment



Yesterday afternoon, Grub Street, New York Magazine’s blog, posted about the bars to bottoms up at in East,Central and West Harlem. Some of the establishments mentioned are no surprise that they made the cut, such as Ginny’s Supper Club, 67 Orange, bier international, Harlem Tavern, Corner Social, etc. What is a surprise is that Grub Street mentions some great places to check out in East Harlem, new places, and along Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd that rarely get mentioned but deserve the recognition, such as Shrine (very fun place in my view), Harlem Public, its brand new, and The Duck, who wouldn’t want to head to East Harlem and drink at a place that’s named ‘the duck.”

Where Grub Street misses the mark is naming Harlem Lanes. Isn’t that place closed? Clearly whoever wrote the blog post has not been to Harlem or did not do their research or Harlem Lanes is not closed.

It’s a comprehensive bar list by Grub, but Harlemites know best. Tell us if Grub overlooked a particular drinking establishment or if they got it right!

To read the entire article, click here.

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Posted in 110th Street, 116th Street, 125th Street, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., Bars, bier international, Corner Social, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Harlem Tavern, Lenox Avenue, New York, New York City, NYC, Red Rooster Harlem, restaurant row, restaurants

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Beurre & Sel made in East Harlem

Posted on September 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

A reader from Battery Park City shared some sweet news with us about Beurre & Sel, which mean butter and salt, and it’s connection to Harlem. Beurre & Sel is a French cookie business owned and operated by a mother and son duo, Doris Greenspan and Joshua Greenspan, along with a business partner. The Greenspan’s recently opened up two Beurre & Sel locations: one on the Lower East Side and the other at La Marqueta in Spanish Harlem, 1590 Park Avenue and 115th Street to be exact! According to a New York Times article, all the baking is done in East Harlem. So when the hipsters are nibbling on a fancy French cookie from Beurre & Sel on the LES, they’re eating something that’s handmade in Harlem! Love it!

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Posted in 116th Street, baking, business, Harlem

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