Category Archives: history

‘Central Harlem has experienced a revival’

Mar 7, 2011 @ 11:00
By HarlemGal
These days one can’t swing a bat without hitting the words “Harlem and real estate” together! By that, I mean Harlem is constantly being covered by the main stream press. Searching through my clips this past weekend, I came across another flattering article about Harlem. The Wall Street Journal reports “Central Harlem has experienced a revival. New businesses have moved in, ranging from upscale restaurants and wine bars to cutting-edge boutiques. Dozens of condominiums have sprouted around the neighborhood…”

It’s great to see these articles about my Harlem from the traditional press. However, I am getting to the point when I see these write ups is shouting “tell me something I don’t know.” This article re-hashes what’s already been printed. Come on mainstream press! There are a ton of other positive angles to cover about Harlem. For example, I wish they would profile some of the people who decided to choose Harlem as their home, what was the rationale? Profile those that have new or existing businesses in Harlem. How has this revival impacted local businesses? How are schools affected now compared to years ago? What’s the ratio of families versus single people moving to Harlem? And of course, the money trail is always a good one to follow. A story always arises from the money and paper trail!

These ideas come to mind for me. I’m sure there are more. What other positive angles do you think the mainstream press should cover about Harlem? Tell us!

Zagat surveyors grant Lenox Lounge in Harlem high marks

Mar 1, 2011 @ 23:40
By HarlemGal
According to NY1,  Zagat surveyors, the experts on rating everything, have bestowed our historic and charming Lenox Lounge in Harlem with strong ratings, not necessarily for drinks and music, but for food, i.e. dining out. Sharron Cannon, general manager of Lenox Lounge, said their entire menu has been revamped where they now offer homemade made items.

In the NY1 video, the Lenox Lounge food dishes look divine and they must be because Zagat issued Lenox Lounge high marks. Located at 125th Street and Lenox Avenue, Lenox received a 23 for appeal, nineteen for decor, twenty-one for service and an E for expensive. What can one expect from a place where legends like Billie Holiday, BB King and Miles Davis use to hang.

Lenox Lounge
288 Lenox Avenue
212-427-0253
www.lenoxlounge.com

Harlem Biennale presents: Lectures with Author Jonathan Gill

Feb 18, 2011 @ 7:57
By HarlemGal
In recognition of Black History Month, Harlem Biennale, a non-profit arts organization that combines a focus on Harlem and Upper Manhattan with community-engaged artistic practices, is offering interesting lectures, starting this weekend and mostly all taking place in Harlem, with Jonathan Gill, the author of Harlem: The Four Hundred Year History from Dutch Village to Capital of Black America.

Gill’s book is about Harlem’s 400 years of fascinating history—from the arrival of the first Europeans on America’s shores to the political struggles, joyful music, and economic traumas of the 20th century.

There are several lectures offered including Gill with Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts, who is the author of “Harlem is Nowhere.” I plan to check out the lecture on Feb. 22, listed below. Two authors in one place, who wrote recent books on Harlem, I find that interesting.

Saturday, February 19, 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Museum of African Art
1280 Fifth Ave. at 110th St., New York, NY 10029 – Tel: 718 784 7700 ext.127
http://www.africanart.org

Tuesday, February 22, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Tenement Museum
108 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002
Tel: 212 431 0233
With SHARIFA RHODES-PITTS,
author “Harlem is Nowhere”
www.tenement.org

Wednesday, February 23, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Harlem School of the Arts
645 Saint Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY 10030 Tel: 212 926 4100
www.harlemschoolofthearts.org

Thursday, February 24, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Taller Boricua At the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center
1680 Lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10029 – Tel: 212 831 4333
www.tallerboricua.org

Friday, February 25, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Aloft Harlem
2296 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, New York, NY 10027 – Tel: 212 749 4000www.AloftHotels.com/Harlem

New York Magazine acknowledges, Harlem is hot

Feb 8, 2011 @ 10:30
By HarlemGal
What a difference a year makes?  Let’s reflect! April 11, 2010 Harlem is poorly ranked by Nate Silver for New York Magazine’s Neighborhood Issue. Does anyone remember this article? I certainly do. That article inspired me to write Top ten reason why Harlem is one of the best neighborhoods to live in. Let’s fast forward to today. Harlem and several local establishments are currently featured bright and big this week in a series of articles under the banner The Everything Guide to Harlem in NY Mag. It’s a creme-de-la-creme of articles featuring restaurants, markets, shops and bars in Harlem. My favorite article is The New New Harlem, which is sort of a “Whose In and Whose Out.” In my view, featuring several establishments in this type of format demonstrates the caliber and variety of places located in Harlem. Plus in order to pit two businesses against each other, there has to be plenty of selection. Clearly, Harlem has reached that point.

In closing, I will use soccer terms to describe this Harlem milestone. This article is another G-O-A-L for Harlem. Remember, we won Curbed Cup 2010 too. More importantly, it recognizes (again) what most of us have known all along, and now NY Mag too, Harlem is hot! Adelante!

Apollo Theater Exhibit starts February 8th at MCNY

Feb 7, 2011 @ 7:30
By HarlemGal
This week the Museum of the City of New York kicks off their three-month exhibition about our beloved Apollo Theater. Starting February 8 through May 1, 2011 , see  Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment at MCNY, located  in Spanish Harlem at 1220 Fifth Avenue at East 103rd. The traveling Smithsonian exhibit traces the evolution of the Apollo-from its origins as a segregated burlesque hall to its starring role at the epicenter of African-American entertainment and American popular culture.

To learn more about the exhibit, click here.

East Harlem’s La Marqueta to hold Open House February 2

Jan 29, 2011 @ 11:14
By HarlemGal
In the photo above, that’s what East Harlem’s La Marqueta looked like a few decades back. The marketplace, located at East 115th Street and Park Avenue, started back in the 1950’s, grew to more than 400 vendors and suffered its own down period. That was then. Now the East Harlem market is having its own rebirth and they’re giving the public an opportunity to see it in an Open House on February 2! All the details are listed below.

Also, watch what vendors are in place at La Marqueta in this news feature on NY1. See you at La Marqueta!

Harlem and Cuba share another common interest, Floridita

Jan 26, 2011 @ 7:15

Photo by HarlemGal

By HarlemGal
While on an approved trip to Cuba last week, I wanted to photograph something there I could link back to Harlem for my blog. I found it while walking around Revolutionary Square! In Havana, Cuba, they have a Floridita just like we do in West Harlem. Similar to our Floridita located at 3219 Broadway in Harlem, they serve Cuban food and its Cuban owned. The major differences between the two restaurants, aside from location, are the history, notable guests and operations.

Photo by HarlemGal

At the moment, the Floridita in Harlem is closed temporarily. However, it opened some 30 years ago in Harlem and the food has received much praise. The Floridita in Cuba has been open since the early 1800s and it has received guests, such as Ernest Hemingway and Graham Greene.

To learn more about the Floridita in Cuba, click here. And as for our Floridita, I hope it reopens soon. I am going to be craving some roasted chicken with black beans and rice soon! If anyone has any information on when Floridita might reopen, please pass along!

HarlemGal Inc remembers Haiti Earthquake

Jan 12, 2011 @ 0:31
By HarlemGal
I came across this powerful message below on one of my friend’s Facebook page. It’s moving, powerful and speaks for itself. It must be passed on. Let’s remember what happened one year ago today in Haiti.

At 4:53 p.m. on January 12th, 2010, more than one-quarter of a million people lost their lives in the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that sent 33 aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 4.2 to 5.9 and left more than 3 million people in need of emergency aid. Please stop what you’re doing at 5pm on Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 to remember those who perished in last year’s devastating earthquake, and to pray for those still in desperate need of help.

Too many people have forgotten about the earthquake  in Haiti and the many lost in this tragedy. Awareness can change all of that. Invite your friends by clicking here and posting this to your profile…

Harlem’s Frederick Douglass Blvd wins 2010 Curbed Cup Neighborhood of the Year

Jan 3, 2011 @ 12:10

By HarlemGal
We won it! Harlem’s Frederick Douglass Boulevard has been named 2010 Neighborhood of the Year by Curbed.com. Yes! Congrats to FDB!

And might we respectfully add, winning the Curbed Cup brings sweet vindication and acknowledges what we have been saying all along, this area is hot! Go back to November 19, 2008 on this site. We predicted that FDB was headed to restaurant row status. Then a year later HarlemCondoLife.com, was the first to use the term “gold coast” to describe the FDB area!

Since our inception in 2008, we have taken some serious blows via blog post comments about focusing on this area. At times it was hurtful and hard not to take personal. However, we looked to our core beliefs and said “blog about your Harlem experience” and this area kept coming forward in our words! Despite these feelings, we emphatically have to state “We love every inch of Harlem.”

And to those who knocked us for believing in FDB, we say “truth is generally the best vindication…” Next up for FDB, New York Magazine!

 

Christmas in Harlem’ by Kanye West named one of the best by Rolling Stone Magazine

Dec 22, 2010 @ 9:36
By HarlemGal

Rolling Stone Magazine recently announced the greatest rock and roll Christmas songs. They named 16 songs and Kanye West’s “Christmas in Harlem” was ranked #16. Apparently the song is a follow-up to Run-DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis.”

Congrats to the artist and to the name of our community, i.e. Harlem! Its everywhere…books, movies, songs, and even bottles of liquor!

See the complete list of the greatest rock and roll Christmas songs here! And listen to “Christmas in Harlem.”