Category Archives: New York City

Part Two: NYLean25 day two was tough at Twirl Harlem

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Apr 7, 2011 @ 11:00
On Monday, we told how one of our readers is taking the  NYLean25 April Challenge on behalf of HarlemCondoLife.com.  She provides her second diary entry. And based on her words, NYLean25 is getting demanding and at the same time promising.

Dear HarlemGal,
I’d like to first say a quick thanks to my fellow HCL readers for the comments they posted so far. It’s a big help to me and I want them to know it. Keep those comments coming in!

I went to my second class at NYLean25 at Twirl Lounge in Harlem. The class was so full the moved us to the Kennedy Community Center in Harlem.

Day two proved to be much harder than day one. I didn’t realize just how sore my body was until I worked it out again! This session we focused on legs, so there were lots of squats, leg lifts and all that fun stuff. Each week focuses on a different area, so one class will be legs, another will be arms, followed by core. All sessions include high intensity cardio intervals, which is no joke!

I must admit I wasn’t very good on the diet that goes along with the program for the first few days. I hadn’t gone food shopping with my work schedule packed, so I was improvising with stuff I already had. The diet consists of a high fiber, low carb breakfast, non-creamy soup and/or salad for lunch and dinner, and a healthy snack in the morning and afternoon. I finally went food shopping. Currently, I’m stocked up with the right food. I have no excuse!

NYLean25 gave me a list with nine weight loss tips.  I will share them with you throughout my diary entries.  Here is tip #1: drink a minimum of 8 glasses of COLD water a day.  You will burn around 150 calories of energy to heat the cold water to body temperature while simultaneously boosting your metabolism.  (And it’s good for your skin and hair too.) I could go for that!

More soon…

Best,
HCL reader committed to weight loss (HCL reader C2WL)

 

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Posted in Community, education, Events, Harlem, health and wellness, New York, New York City, NYC

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Five and Diamond Harlem participates in Village Voice Annual Tasting, Spring/Summer menu arriving soon

Posted on July 5, 2011 | 4 comments

Apr 7, 2011 @ 7:30
By HarlemGal
The Village Voice’s Fourth Annual Tasting took place recently and Harlem’s very own 5 and Diamond, located at 2072 Frederick Douglass Blvd., participated. The event allowed some 1,700 guests to sample food from more than 30 nations. We hear it is an honor to be invited to participate in the Village Voice’s Annual Tasting. It’s by invite only. Ooh-la-la. Kudos to Selene Martinez (co-owner, left in photo) Executive Chef David Martinez (no relation to Selene, center), and Lia Sanfilippo (co-owner, right).

We also hear that, 5 and Diamond is getting ready to unveil its Spring/Summer Menu for all. Now that it is April, perfect time to fill the belly with some incredible cuisine by Chef Martinez! See you there!

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Posted in Community, Events, Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants

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Amkoullel to perform for first time in Harlem, Shrine and Farafina host Malian hip hop artist

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Apr 6, 2011 @ 7:23
By HarlemGal
World music takes center stage this Thursday and Friday in Harlem. Amkoullel, the Malian hip hop artist will  be performing for the first time in Harlem (and in the USA) this Thursday and Friday (April 7-8).

On April 7th, see Amkoullel perform at the Shrine, located at 2271 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. The show starts at 8 PM. At Shrine, there is no cover charge.  The next day (April 8), see the Afro-beat artist perform at Farafina Cafe, located at 1813 Amsterdam Avenue. This show starts at 11 PM on Friday.

Aside from his music, Amkoullel is known for “harmoniously combining traditional and contemporary global cultures to promote social responsibility.”

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Posted in art and culture, Community, entertainment, Events, Harlem, music, New York, New York City, NYC

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One of Harlem’s A-List couples graces the cover of Uptown Magazine

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Apr 5, 2011 @ 11:06
By HarlemGal
It’s Spring time! That means it’s time for magazines to feature the most beautiful people on the planet on the cover. Uptown Magazine falls in line and starts off April right by pleasing the eye. In their annual Gourmet Issue, one of Harlem’s A-List couples graces the April cover. It is Red Rooster Harlem owner and celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson and his drop dead gorgeous wife and model Gate Maya Haile.

For the Gourmet edition, the Samuelsson’s gave Uptown Mag incredible access. The Harlem couple allowed the magazine to photograph them all over Red Rooster. Take a look at the behind the scenes coverage. The pictures and video are incredible. If you can get past that part, feel free to click on over here to read what’s inside Uptown Magazine’s Gourmet Issue!

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Posted in art and culture, Community, entertainment, fashion, Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, shopping

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Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park and Hamilton Heights make New York Mag’s Next Big Neighborhood List

Posted on July 5, 2011 | 1 comment

Apr 5, 2011 @ 7:00

By HarlemGal
It is that time of year where New York Magazine profiles some of the upcoming neighborhoods for 2011. In this week’s edition (April 3), they list 20 of The Next Big Neighborhoods in New York City and two Harlem sections made the list!

A big congrats to Marcus Garvey Park.  This area located in Central Harlem was ranked fourth out of 20. NYMag says Marcus Garvey Park “is undergoing a several million dollar renovation, including smoothed-out sidewalks and the transformation of its existing bandshell into a state-of-the-art amphitheater.” In addition to park renovations, several buildings have sprung up, such as 5th on the Park, located at Fifth Avenue and 120th Street; and “the recently constructed Windows on 123, a pair of buildings graced with limestone-balconied apartments and full-floor lofts.”

Hamilton Heights located in West Harlem, finishes out the list placing 20th on the list.

Another notable mention, is Manhattan Valley, which is right below Harlem on the Westside. They were ranked second out of 20.

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Posted in art and culture, Community, Harlem, history, New York, New York City, NYC, real estate, review

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See The Faces Behind Madame Alexander Dolls in Spanish Harlem

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Apr 4, 2011 @ 7:00
By HarlemGal
This week the 12th Annual Havana Film Festival New York kicks off in the City and runs from April 7-15. This year they have carved out a new prize called the Havana Prize for Best Documentary. Seven films are in competition and one of the seven is The Faces Behind Madame Alexander Dolls, a documentary that pays tribute to the Dominican and Latin American workers who have worked in the famous doll factory, located in Harlem at 615 West 131st Street, dedicating their lives to creating beautiful dolls that have delighted children and adults around the world since the early 1920s. These dolls have been collected by queens, business women, actresses, and world leaders.

The Faces Behind Madame Alexander Dolls is screening this Wednesday, April 6 at El Museo del Barrio in Spanish Harlem. The event is FREE, starts at 6:30 PM and includes a post-show Q&A with director Freddy Vargas and cast members.

Details:
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
El Teatro, El Museo del Barrio
1230 Fifth Avenue (At East 104th Street)
Admission: Free

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Posted in art and culture, Community, entertainment, Events, film, Harlem, history, New York, New York City, NYC, shopping

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My Bad Horse Pizza experience in Harlem

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

20110403-120639 Apr 3, 2011 @ 12:23
By HarlemGal
Last night (April 2), I did my usual! I put my money where my blog [mouth] is. My theory is, I can blog a ka-chillion posts as a Harlem blogger and receive a ton of hits. However, in my view it don’t mean a thing, especially to readers, if one doesn’t actually go out in Harlem, spend money on the Harlem places one blogs about and share it . Catch my drift? So last night I met up with a friend, who recently bought an apartment in Harlem, to checked out Harlem’s newest restaurant on Frederick Douglass Blvd, i.e. Bad Horse Pizza.

20110403-120403When we arrived, we had to wait a bit for a table. Bad Horse Pizza was busy for its second night of business. Eventually, we were seated in the back. From there, you can see how the interior is designed to look like a barn. The windows near the bar have old fashion, wooden barn doors next to them. The dining tables are wood and the bar has a rustic metal look to it. The place looks great and you feel comfortable inside. Plus if you’re walking to Bad Horse Pizza from the south, you will see the pizzas being made fresh. The kitchen is completely wide open!
20110403-120549As for the food, we ordered a mixed green salad to share, a ten inch acropolis and secaucus pizzas. What we received was a salad, bad horse pizza and a secaucus. We looked at the two-meat pizzas and said…oh well. Let’s eat these. The place is still figuring out their game, which is ok since they just opened, and we were hungry. We devoured two meat pizzas. They were good and filling. If you like Italian sausage and real big pieces of steak on your pizza, you will like these two pies. Our pizza and salad was coupled with free glasses of red wine. Can’t beat that! Overall, our bill was $49, not including tip.

If you’re looking for freshly made house pies, check out Bad Horse Pizza, located at 2222 Frederick Douglas Blvd, for yourself. Then stop by HarlemCondoLife and tell us about your experience!

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Posted in business, Community, Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants, review

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UPDATE: Harlem Tavern receives a big delivery, no April Fools

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Apr 1, 2011 @ 11:27
By HarlemGal
While Bad Horse Pizza opens this evening (April 1), looks like Harlem Tavern is slowly moving forward with building the place. This morning there was a large truck spotted at 301 West 116th Street delivering what I assume is hardwood floors. Plus renderings posted on Harlem Tavern’s website show hardwood floors around the indoor bar and dining section!

Given it is April 1st, it’s no joke that Harlem Tavern wants to experience soon what Bad Horse Pizza will experience today, opening day!

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Posted in business, Community, Events, Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, real estate, restaurant row, restaurants

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Land Yoga lands in Harlem, studio to open up on Frederick Douglass Boulevard

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Mar 30, 2011 @ 7:00

By HarlemGal
We received some wonderful and different news in our inbox yesterday! It’s generally real estate stuff in our inbox. We were informed that Land Yoga will be opening up a yoga studio at 2110 Frederick Douglass Blvd. The exact location is right next to Franz James Floral Boutique in The Douglass Condo.

Land Yoga in Harlem is expected to open in about two months. The space will include two private rooms and will offer adult classes as well as extensive children’s programing, including yoga mini camp this summer on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00-4:30 PM. Land Yoga is also seeking wellness practitioners in acupuncture, chiropractic, nutrition, or Alexander technique who are interested in subletting space in Central Harlem.

We were also informed by Land Yoga they are running for a very special grant opportunity that will support their dream to bring yoga to the Harlem community. They need 1,000 votes by this Thursday, March 31. To vote and support Land Yoga, text the word Land to 244326. There is no charge and no spam. Participants will receive two follow-up texts asking name and reasons for voting for this business. Participants must respond to these texts to finalize your vote.

If you want to “like” and learn more about Land Yoga, check out their Facebook page or better yet, learn about the yogi launching Land Yoga by clicking here!

Again, this is refreshing news. We couldn’t be more excited! Namaste!

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Posted in business, Community, Harlem, health and wellness, New York, New York City, NYC, real estate

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What should President Barack Obama order at Red Rooster Harlem?

Posted on July 5, 2011 | 2 comments

Mar 29, 2011 @ 7:00
By HarlemGal
The barricades are up on Lenox Avenue and 125th Street, the $30k checks are in, and the articles have been written about how POTUS Barack Obama will be in Harlem this evening (March 29) at Red Rooster. I feel like I have all the information that’s out there about this visit with the exception of one thing! No one has covered the menu for this swanky fundraiser-that I am aware of. I wonder if there is a special menu for 30 grand. Let’s pretend there is not a special menu and that President Obama is using the everyday dinner menu for this expensive occasion. Under this scenario, shall we ask the question? What should President Obama order at Red Rooster?

First off, I think he should hang out at the bar for a while and throw back a few drinks, such as the Brownstoner or Rooster Punch. POTUS Obama needs to drink a lot so that he can move the Secret Service out-of-the-way in order to stand close to the window so some of us can see him from afar. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Then after a few cocktails, Obama should sit down with guests that should be asked to fork over another $30k for actually getting to eat at Red Rooster before most Harlemites get to and then discuss reelection strategy over cornbread, Pulled Pork; and Dirty Rice and Shrimp. Those food items seem appropriate for the conversation and asking for the additional funds…don’t ya think?

For the main course, I believe Obama should either have the Braised Oxtail or the Uptown Steak Frites. For $30,000 dollars a head, OBAMA PLEASE DON’T EAT CHICKEN or FRIED YARD BIRD. That is a no, no given the price guests are paying to dine with an awesome POTUS. Plus the Food Network police will never forgive you or Marcus if you eat chicken at such an expensive event!

As for desert, it is a toss up on what Obama should order. I like both the Sweet Potato Doughnuts or Spiced Bread Pudding. I have had them both and they are delicious!

After his fabulous meal at Red Rooster Harlem, I hope President Obama walks a long rope line near the popular restaurant and shakes plenty of Harlem hands. My guess is there will be a ton of people waiting and watching for him to arrive and depart. Given who President Obama is and what Harlem stands for, in my opinion it would be a perfect way to end the evening to what I am assuming will be a perfect meal.

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Posted in art and culture, Bars, business, Community, entertainment, Events, Harlem, history, New York, New York City, NYC, politics, restaurants

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