Category Archives: history

Meet muralist “Franco the Great” and his contribution to Harlem

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Dec 10, 2010 @ 0:14
By HarlemGal
The Uptowner has shed light on the muralist who “paints winter scenes and other holiday-themed decor on storefronts across Harlem,” during the holiday season and specifically on 125th Street.  Meet Franco Gaskin, who calls himself “Franco the Great” or as others call him “Franco the Magnificent.” Watch this video! It will explain why Gaskin earns both titles!

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Posted in art and culture, business, Community, Events, Harlem, history, New York, New York City, NYC

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Frederick Douglass Boulevard featured in The New York Daily News

Posted on July 5, 2011 | 1 comment

Dec 6, 2010 @ 7:31
By HarlemGal
My favorite boulevard has been featured – once again – bright and big!  This time in The New York Daily News.  The article talks about all the “chic boutiques, restaurants and cocktail lounges the have cropped up on Frederick Douglass Boulevard above 110th St” in the last few years. It mentions Frederick Douglass Circle, MODSquad, bier international, 67 Orange, Patisserie des Ambassades and more.  The article even takes a page right out of HarlemGuy’s word playbook by stating “realtors call this bustling stretch of Eighth Avenue Harlem’s Gold Coast.” As with the other positive articles about Harlem, such as in The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal, I love this clip right up there with others!

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Posted in art and culture, baking, Bars, business, Community, fashion, Harlem, history, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants, shopping

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Harlem makes its debut on YouTube search stories

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Aug 27, 2010 @ 11:30
By HarlemGal
As a blogger, I am constantly on the internet using various search terms to help with blog posts about Harlem. I decided to take some of those search terms I use frequently about Harlem and apply them to YouTube’s search stories, which allows users to create their very own Google commercial on a topic of their choice. After several hours of reviewing a ton of search terms about Harlem, I narrowed them down. The result a video titled: Your Gateway to Harlem! Check it out below!

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Posted in entertainment, Harlem, history

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Dr. Maya Angelou says Harlem is going through a rebirth

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Aug 24, 2010 @ 7:30
By HarlemGal
In an exclusive TV interview with New York’s 24-hour local news channel, Dr. Maya Angelou, famed novelist, poet, professor, American icon and best of all…a Harlemite, recently told NY1 that Harlem is going through a rebirth. “What we are dealing with [in Harlem] is what has to be continually dealt with, that is a renaissance,” said Angelou. The video piece goes on to state that Angelou lives in a gorgeous Harlem brownstone and that there’s no question about her loyalty to Harlem. Angelou’s heart is in Harlem reports NY1.  Click here to see the entire interview.

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Posted in Community, Harlem, history

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Experience the three C’s in Spanish Harlem

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Jun 30, 2010 @ 7:30

By HarlemGal

I recently had the opportunity to experience the three C’s at the Museum of the City of New York located at 103rd and Fifth Avenue in Spanish Harlem. What do I mean by the three C’s? I am talking about Cars, Culture, and the City, the first exhibition to explore the Big Apple’s century-long relationship with the automobile. I was fortunate enough to see Cars, Culture, and The City at the beginning of the week (June 28), along with a one time special event at the Museum called Designing Women. (See slide show of the exhibit below!)

The special event was about how female designers at General Motors (GM) have had a critical impact on car design. Christine Park, one of the lead designers at GM, gave an in-depth demo on how they sketch at the company. It was very impressive to see Park sketch especially when she created an initial sketch of a car right before the audience’s eyes and then revealed what the final product looked like in real form. Pure talent comes to mind when thinking about Park. And it was interesting to see that talent; however, the actual exhibition at the Museum about cars and its connection to New York City was much more fascinating. Call me biased, but I am a New Yorker and I enjoy learning about the ‘Greatest City in the World!’

Cars, Culture and The City explains in visual detail how the automobile entered the Big Apple in the early 1900’s, the introduction of automobile shows, which are still in existence today in NYC I believe at the Javits Center, cars designed in New York, futuristic design, NY films and cars, and the car challenges of New York. There is so much to see and learn at this exhibit. I found the entire exhibit fascinating and it caused several ah-ha moments for me. My favorite portion of the exhibit was the compilation shown high up on a white wall of all the amazing movies that have featured New York City and the car. The looped video showed films and television, such as Solid Gold Cadillac, Midnight Cowboy, Taxi Driver, The Godfather, Vanilla Sky, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Seinfeld, Saturday Night Fever, When Harry Met Sally, and much more.

If you like history, cars, Hollywood films, sketching or would like to experience a museum on Museum Mile that is not crowded or expensive ($10 bucks a visit), then go see Cars, Culture and The City exhibit in Spanish Harlem at the Museum of the City of New York. It’s there until August 8!

Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd St.
New York, NY 10029
212.534.1672

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Posted in Harlem, history, New York, New York City, NYC

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Frederick Douglass Circle in Harlem opens, people already visiting

Posted on July 5, 2011 | 2 comments

Jun 2, 2010 @ 20:27

By HarlemGal

Today is the first day that Frederick Douglass Circle in Harlem is available to the public. Yes, it is officially open after more than seven years in the making.Wow. It’s about time and long overdue. According to a worker at Cafe Amrita, City workers were taking down the barriers last night around 1 AM.

Thank you to whomever said or convinced the City to open the circle now. Nice timing. Harlemites can enjoy the Circle during the summer months and on. I was out there today looking at every aspect of the Circle. It looks fabulous.

Below are pictures of locals looking around Harlem’s brand new Frederick Douglass Circle or better yet, come by and see it for yourself! Take the B/C to 110th Street/Catherdral Parkway or the 2/3 to 110 Street/Central Park North.

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Posted in art and culture, Community, Harlem, history

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“Remembering Lena Horne in Harlem”

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

May 10, 2010 @ 22:30
By HarlemGal
NBC New York honored Lena Horne on Monday with a TV news package highlighting her ties to Harlem. It is a touching news piece on the lovely, talented, and legendary jazz singer. I encourage you to see it. Click here or on the photo to watch.

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Posted in entertainment, Harlem, history

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Top ten reasons on why Harlem is one of the best places to live in New York City

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Apr 14, 2010 @ 7:19

By HarlemGal
This is a blog that writes about all things positive about Harlem. We tell our stories from “nuestros corazones.” Unfortunately, we don’t have data, grids or a fancy magazine to back up our stories. We only have words, life experiences and a love for all things Harlem. And what better time to use these descriptions and tools than right now-especially given the recent edition of New York Magazine.

To profess our reasons on why we believe Harlem is one of the best places to live in New York City, we created our own Top Ten List. Sorry Dave. We have to borrow a page right out of your playbook to make our point. Here we go….

Top Ten Reasons on why Harlem is one of the best places to live in New York City:

10. Harlem is almost 400 years old. And guest what?….we will still be around for another 400 years! Isn’t lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn suppose to sink under water?

9. Harlem is very green. We are near several three parks: Central Park North, Jackie Robinson Park, Morningside Park, Riverside Park, Riverbank State Park and Marcus Garvey Park. Harlem also has St. Nicholas Park, which a reader told us “is one of the most historical (along with Hamilton Grange, City College, Hamilton Heights and Striver’s Row near).” Shouldn’t we count Riverside Park too? Then that would be four parks we are near.

8. We are home to the highest institution of higher learning in the State of New York, Columbia University. Park Slope kids will be living in Harlem when they get older and head to Columbia.

7. We have many different neighborhoods and some of their names are sweet, like sugar, or romantic as Spanish.

6. We are one of the happiest according to a recent survey. To tell the truth, we are very happy in life. However, we are not happy with New York Magazine right now….

5. Because you can have a date with red, not Red Butler, but red as in red velvet cake at Lee Lee’s Baked Goods on 118th Street. Delicious!

4. We have famous songs about or that mention Harlem that are as diverse as its people. Harlem River Quiver is by Duke Ellington. Angel of Harlem is by U2. Spanish Harlem Incident is by Bob Dylan and Across 110th Street is by Bob Womack.

3. We have some serious wide sidewalks where there is plenty of elbow room for you and your baby stroller. Parts of the Village are like walking through a football field.

2. We have the famous Apollo Theater. Need we say more.

1. And the number reason on why Harlem is one of the best places to live in New York City, because This blog is going to go negative for once on its blog. We don’t believe or give a flying hoot about Nate Silver and his recent findings. Politics done right does not necessarily mean neighborhoods done right!

Nate, come up and visit us any time. We will show you all the great things Harlem has to offer!

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Posted in Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., apartments, art and culture, business, commercial real estate, Community, education, entertainment, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, health and wellness, history, Lenox Avenue, New York, New York City, NYC, real estate, Red Rooster Harlem, restaurant row, restaurants, shopping

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Tarp down at Frederick Douglass Circle in Harlem

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Sep 19, 2009 @ 13:16
By HarlemGal
From this photo it looks like our circle at the intersection of 110th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd is ready with the exception of the sculpture! All I can say is “it’s about time” and as a Harlemite I am ready to visit the circle!

HarlemCondoLife

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Posted in Community, Harlem, history

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UPDATE:New National Parks book to benefit General Grant National Memorial

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Aug 25, 2009 @ 14:55
By HarlemGal
HarlemCondoLife attended the official book launch of The National Parks: Our American Landscape. We wanted to see exactly what this book entailed since a portion of the proceeds are going to National Parks. The entire evening ended up being more than we expected. First, we learned that a book about National Parks had not been published in awhile. And second, Ian Shive, the photographer, took time to tell stories with the guests one-on-one about how the book came to light.

We asked Shive what he takes away from this project. “I encourage people to go visit a national park. You may see something you have never seen before.”

If you want a nice coffee table book for your office or home that will spark interesting conversation, we recommend buying this book. Plus it’s $40. Not bad since it will help our National Parks, such as General Grant National Memorial in Harlem.


HarlemCondolife readers are cordially invited to attend a lecture, Q&A and booksigning on the upcoming release of The National Parks: Our American Landscape with photographer Ian Shive. See exact details below. Why should you attend? A portion of the proceeds are going to the National Parks and the General Grant National Memorial, which is located in the Morningside Heights section of West Harlem. HCL will be there! Hope to see you there!

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