Category Archives: Harlem

Harlem Shambles Grand Opening, you’re invited

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Harlem Shambles is having their grand opening this week and we are all invited! The local butcher shop on Frederick Douglass Blvd between 115th and 116th Street is hosting its official grand opening this Thursday, December 1st. All guests will be able to check out Harlem Shambles’ products prepared by several local chefs. Food and drink will be prepared by bier international, Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar, Nectar Wine Bar and many more! Shop tours and cutting demonstrations will also take place. Below are the exact details! See you there!

Harlem Shambles Grand Opening
Thursday, December 1, 2011
6-9 PM
2141 Frederick Douglass Blvd.

Attend Harlem Holiday Lights 2011 tonight

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You are invited to the Harlem Holiday Lights Ceremony taking place this evening, November 21. The 125th Street Business Improvement District, Community Boards 9, 10, 11 and the New York City Housing Authority have partnered together for the Holiday Season to “light up” one of New York City’s, and Harlem’s, most legendary thoroughfares from river to river-125th Street! At 5:30pm, the celebration will begin with sounds and lights on the plaza of the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building. Attendees will enjoy live performances provided by legendary pioneer, producer, and publisher, Vy Higginsen, and her Mama I Want to Sing Foundation as well as the Harlem Arts Alliance and other special guests. Click here to see the entire program and watch the video below.

What to do today Saturday in Harlem? Land Yoga, Harlem Flo and The Dwyer

Its another beautiful Fall day in Harlem and there are several events happening today for your consideration!

This morning Land Yoga is holding its first full LED Primary Ashantga Yoga Class  at 11:15 AM to raise money for Mother Hale Learning Center. The cost is $20 dollars. That fee gives you entrance to an afternoon fundraising reception, which will take place at 3 pm at Land Yoga, located near the corner of 114th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd. This event also serves as a Bon Voyage party for Lara, the owner and teacher at Land Yoga. She’s heading back to India for a month!

Harlem Flo is having there annual trunk show featuring several local artists, such as the work of watercolorist Lynn Lieberman. That event starts at 2 pm. Harlem Flo’s Lifestyle Boutique is located at 122nd and Frederick Douglass Blvd.

Nick Coker’s Creative Vision, Inc. presents ‘A journey into the Art, the Psyche, and the Spirit of Nick Coker’s Visions’, a narrated tour and examination of the late Harlem artists’ art, poetry, prose and music at The Dwyer Cultural Center. This event starts at 6 pm and ends at 8 pm!

Nick Coker grew up in Harlem during the Renaissance era. Coker became the first black artist to work for leading advertising agencies and fashion houses on Madison Avenue. He worked for artists and organizations such as Emilio Pucci, the Seventh Avenue Fashion District, Bobby Hooks and the Negro Ensemble Company, along with many others. Coker was also the first artist to put art on t-shirts and remove a piece from the iconic apple that is now a signature of New York City tourism.

The Dwyer is located at 258 West 123rd Street in Harlem.

Harlem has another dining option, The Orange Peel

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The Orange Peel in Harlem is ready to take your order! The charming miniature cafe is now open on Manhattan Avenue between 116th and 117th Street. They offer breakfast, sandwiches and salads for lunch and a variety of dinner platters. Prices start at $1.50 for hot drinks and go all the way to $14.00 for pork chops. Not bad! And to back up the name, they offer fresh squeezed orange, apple, carrot, and celery juices!

So if you’re interested in trying out a new place in Harlem, check out The Orange Peel! See details below.

The Orange Peel
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
390 Manhattan Avenue
New York, NY, 10026
Phone: (212) 510-8444
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Lee, Lee’s Bakery in Harlem to be featured in holiday special on WABC

Lee, Lee’s Bakery in Harlem was hopping yesterday. Not only was Alvin Lee Smalls busy filling up his shelves with baked goods, such as his famous rugala, he was busy being interviewed by WABC’s Channel 7! The New York City TV station stopped by in Harlem yesterday to interview Mr. Lee about his boutique style bake shop, along with a few loyal customers of his. What for you may ask? WABC is including Lee, Lees Bakery in their holiday special, which is tentatively schedule for December 17 at 7 pm! Apparently, the word continues to climb that Alvin Lee Smalls of Lee, Lee’s Bakery in Harlem make some exceptional rugala. It’s so good it’s gotta be on TV!

Stop by Lee, Lee’s Bakery at 283 West 118th Street now to purchase baked treats and tune into WABC on Dec. 17 at 7 pm to see Alvin and a few other locals from Harlem talk about why they love Lee, Lee’s Bakery!

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Harlem Tavern starts to build roof for outdoor space

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Back in September, HarlemGal Inc. blogged about how Harlem Tavern, located on the northwest corner of 116th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd., had plans to weatherize its outdoor space. According to these pictures taken last night (November 15), the work has begun!

Having a roof cover their outdoor space is a great idea. I am so happy that Harlem Tavern is taking this approach! Now we just need to see evidence of heating lamps to go along with that new roof!

Celebrate Albert Maysles 85th birthday with ‘What’s Happening: The Beatles in the USA’

In honor of legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles’ 85th birthday and the release of his new film ‘The Love We Make’, a collaboration with Paul McCartney, Maysles Cinema will present a very special screening this coming Friday, November 18, for one night only, of the director’s cut of the Maysles’ Brothers’ documentary ‘What’s Happening: The Beatles in the USA”. Along with this special screening will be a Q&A with Albert Maysles.

“What’s Happening! The Beatles in the USA” was made in 1964 by the Maysles. It is a humorous, freewheeling and candid account of The Beatles arrival in America in February in the mid-1960s. The Maysles follow the Fab Four for five days, from the crazed JFK airport reception to unguarded moments inside the Plaza Hotel in preparation for their landmark Ed Sullivan Show appearance to their equally frenzied homecoming.

To attend and purchase tickets to this event, click here.

Chocolat in Harlem reopens after health violation by the City

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A reader informed HarlemGal Inc over the weekend that Chocolat Restaurant and Lounge, located on the corner of 120th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd, was closed and had a big old health violation sticker slapped on the double doors. I went by to check out it over the weekend and someone on site told me they would reopen Saturday night. I went by yesterday (Sunday) and Chocolat was definitely open with people inside dining.

My guess is the Health Department came by announced and found several health code violations. Then slapped them with a fine and closed their doors until they corrected the violations. That’s my guess. What do you think?

Harlem’s Houses of Worship In the News


The man up in the sky has been doing some public relations work lately and blessing Harlem’s historic houses of worship with some good publicity! On November 8, The New York Daily News featured Harlem and its many gorgeous houses of worship in an article stating “walk down just about any block in Harlem and you’ll find at least one church.” That is so true. There are many places of worship everywhere in Harlem. If you want to attend a Sunday service in Harlem, the choices are unlimited. If you want aspirin or cold medicine after 8 PM, forget it. One has to walk far in Harlem after hours to get their medicine, but for prayer and worship, no need to walk far. This is the interesting fabric of life in Harlem!

On the East side of Harlem, one former church is being turned into a cultural community space, according to The New York Observer. Sculptor Ugo Rondinone purchased the former Mt. Moriah Baptist Church at 2050 Fifth Avenue for $2.775 million. According to the article, locals are happy that the former place of worship will be turned into some sort of community center rather than being developed into a residential building!

Save the Date: Harlem Holiday Lights Fundraiser

The 125th Business Improvement District (BID) would like to invite all of us to their Harlem Holiday Lights Fundraiser scheduled for November 15  from 6 to 8pm. The money raised at this Fundraiser will benefit the implementation and maintenance of our holiday lights along 125th Street in Harlem this holiday season. See exact details below!

The 125th Street BID, Community Boards 9, 10, and 11, and the NYC Housing Authority have partnered to light up 125th Street from river to river this holiday season. This year’s decorations include 36 Skyline Streamers draped across 125th Street from First to Twelfth Avenues.

So mark your calendar for Nov 15 and let’s all head on over to 125th BID located at 360 West 125th Street, Suite 11!