Category Archives: Harlem

To the Village of Harlem: Merry Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2011 | Leave a comment

HarlemGal Inc would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! May your holiday season be merry and bright!

-Your devoted blogger, HarlemGal

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Posted in 125th Street, Community, Harlem

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Reminder: Harlem’s Lee, Lee’s Bakery to be featured on New York’s WABC

Posted on December 14, 2011 | 2 comments

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About a month ago HarlemGal Inc. told you about Alvin Lee Smalls of Harlem’s Lee, Lee’s Bakery being interviewed by New York City’s WABC. Well, we know the dates on when the interview will air on Channel 7. Tune in this Saturday, December 17 at 7 pm and then on Sunday, December 18 at 5:30 am. After those air dates, the interview will be streamed on WABC’s website. Hope everyone will watch!
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Posted in baking, business, Community, Events, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC

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Community Board 10 in Harlem looking to limit new bars and restaurants from serving alcohol past 2 AM

Posted on December 14, 2011 | 4 comments


If you like having your brewski past 2 AM in Harlem, enjoy it now at your favorite hangout cause there is talk of the drinking hours changing for new bars and restaurants to 2 AM. The topic has been in the press everywhere and last night it was covered on Channel 7 with bier international serving as one of the interviewees. Click on the image to see the video. According to several news reports, Community Board 10 is currently study the topic of not allowing new establishments to serve alcohol past 2 AM. What do you think about this? Should Community Board 10 pursue this or drop it and focus on other matters, such as gun violence?

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Posted in bier international, Community, drinks, Harlem, New York City, restaurant row

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Alpine New York coming to Manhattan Avenue in Harlem

Posted on December 12, 2011 | Leave a comment

Has anyone noticed the work being done at 256 Manhattan Avenue in Harlem? Apparently, a takeout place is opening up and it’s called Alpine New York! We saw the workers on site over the weekend! The place looks small so that’s why I’m dubbing it a takeout place. I called the phone number and it’s not connected yet. Has anyone heard of Alpine New York? When they open, it will join The Orange Peel, which is up the street on Manhattan Ave!

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Posted in drinks, food, Harlem, New York City, NYC

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Two Harlem Tree Lightings happening December 12

Posted on December 12, 2011 | Leave a comment

West Harlem and Central Harlem are having their holiday tree lighting ceremonies tonight.

Starting at 5:30 pm, West Harlem Piers Park will hold their tree lighting along with caroling. All the details are in the photo below!

Then at 6 pm it’s the 35th Annual Harlem Tree Lighting Ceremony on 125th and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd. At this event, Grammy and Oscar nominated music group Impact Repertory Theatre will perform as well as live performances by R&B crooner Jeff Redd, soul singer Alyson Williams, cast of Sistas and many more!

It’s a busy night in Harlem December 12, but it’s the holidays. Let’s all enjoy!

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Posted in 125th Street, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., art and culture, Community, entertainment, Events, Harlem, music

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Is there still a possibility for Andy Shallal’s Busboys and Poets to expand into Harlem?

Posted on December 11, 2011 | 3 comments

Around this time last year, I blogged that Busboys and Poets’ plans to open in Harlem at 2280 Frederick Douglass went bust. Ironically, I am now blogging about them same time, but a year later, asking: is there still a possibility that Busboys and Poets could open in Harlem?  According to a recent article in The Washington Post, there is a smidgen of hope. Andy Shallal, the owner of the Washington, DC eatery and longtime activist, recently told the Post that “he has been courted to put a Busboys in a proposed National Jazz Museum near the Apollo Theater…” How cool would that be if Busboys and Poets opened in Harlem on 125th Street?

Shallal tried landing the retail space at 2280 Frederick Douglass a little over a year ago, but something happened and the deal went south. I wonder if the developer of 2280 FDB is having any regrets now on not cutting a deal with Shallal, especially given all the enormous/positive press coverage Central Harlem has been receiving over the months? The most recent praising news clip comes from The Wall Street Journal.

In my view, the developer of 2280 FDB totally lost out by not scoring something with Busboys and Poets in their commercial space. As the WSJ said, there’s a restaurant boom happening in Harlem. With this recent article in the Post,  there’s hope the folks behind the National Jazz Museum could pick up where 2280 FDB left off and seal the deal with Shallal. Let’s all hope so! I think Busboys and Poets is a perfect fit in Harlem!

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Posted in 125th Street, art and culture, Bars, business, commercial real estate, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, jazz, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants

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Santa Claus is coming to Harlem at bier international for St. Nikolaus Day

Posted on December 11, 2011 | Leave a comment

Parents bring your kids to bier international in Harlem today! Santa Claus is coming for St. Nikolaus Day! Bier international, located at 2099 Frederick Douglass Blvd., will be holding their second annual St. Nikolaus Day today, December 11, from 3-6 PM where kids will have an opportunity to meet Santa and have their stocking stuffed with a treat. Photos with Santa will also be available.

According to bier, the tradition of St. Nikolaus Day, usually the first week in December, is a festival for children in many European countries. It finds its roots in legends dating back to the year 346 when Nikolaos of Myra, a saint and Greek Bishop was reputed to hand out gifts secretly. He became the model for Santa Claus whose English name derives from the Dutch Sinterklaas. It’s a European tradition that can be enjoyed universally by kids of all nationalities.

Hope to see you there. Details below!

St. Nikolaus Day at bier international
3:00 to 6:00 pm
2099 Frederick Douglass Blvd, between 113th and 114th Street
212-280-0944

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Posted in Bars, bier international, Community, drinks, entertainment, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, restaurant row, restaurants

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See ‘Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale’ at National Black Theater, a play written by Harlem natives

Posted on December 10, 2011 | Leave a comment


This is the last weekend to see “Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale” at the National Black Theater, located at 2031 Fifth Avenue. This play is about three women dealing with the effects Harlem’s rebirth. It’s also written by Harlem natives making the play very authentic. The New York Daily News reported the play and the playwrights recently. Read the article here. And if you don’t have any plans this weekend, check out “Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale” at the National Black Theater.

To purchase tickets, visit the SmartTix website at or call SmartTix at (212) 868-4444. For group sales, call the National Black Theatre at (212) 340-1121.

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Posted in art and culture, Community, entertainment, Events, Harlem

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Harlem’s LeRone Wilson takes Bombay Sapphire Top Title at Art Basel Miami

Posted on December 9, 2011 | Leave a comment


Hey, if you see Harlem resident and sculptor LeRone Wilson in the area, tell him “congratulations!” Why? Word has it Wilson entered the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series, which is a nationwide juried art competition in conjunction with Rush Philanthropic, the Foundation founded by Russell and Danny Simmons, and took home the coveted prize recently.

His piece, “A Path Through the Sky,” was selected as winner of the juried competition, which is a nationwide search for the newest talent in art. Nearly 4,000 artists submitted work for this search. Eighteen artists were sent to a final competition at Art Basel in Miami and two final winners were selected, one being Wilson, for the overall prize of a two-man show at Russell Simmons’ Rush Arts Gallery in Chelsea. That show is scheduled for February 2012.

And if you’re wondering who collects our fellow Harlemites’ work-sculpted 3 dimensional paintings made from encaustic? According to Wilson’s peeps, Marea restaurant in Columbus Circle own 2 pieces that hang in the restaurant.He was among the first group of artists to hang work at Red Rooster Harlem. And Wilson commissioned pieces for socialite and New York Interior designer Jennifer Post featured in Architectural Digest. Not bad…huh?

So next time you see Harlem resident LeRone Wilson, give him a high-five! And stay tuned here on this blog for more information on the Rush Arts Exhibition of Wilson’s work slated for February 2012.

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Posted in art and culture, Community, education, Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, Red Rooster Harlem

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Shop Harlem for the Holidays

Posted on December 9, 2011 | Leave a comment


Spend the Holidays shopping with Harlem’s premier artisans at Harlem for the Holidays where different artists are featured each weekend, December 10-11 and December 17-18 at the Gadson Gallery 225 W 134th Street.

Artists participating in Harlem for the Holidays include: quilt and fiber artist Laura R. Gadson, jewelry designer Shimoda, Sistaah Hats by Cat Skerrett, needle arts connoisseur Michelle Bishop, quilter Pat Mabry, accessories designer Audrey Weaver, artist Sherry Shine and knitter Gail Edwards.

For more information on this event, contact Shimoda at (212) 491-6726.

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Posted in art and culture, business, Community, Events, Harlem, shopping, spending

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