Category Archives: New York

Attend Harlem Focus May 8 by Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum

According to Dexigner, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum will launch a programming series this Spring called the Harlem Focus. The first installment is May 8 from 6:30 to 8 pm at their new Harlem location, 111 Central Park North and Lenox Avenue. Harlem Focus will highlight “designers, architects and artists whose work engages and affects the local Harlem community.”

The museum will feature a series of talks curated and led by architectural consultant and Harlem historian John Reddick at the Cooper-Hewitt Design Center.

Interested in attending? Tickets are $10 for non-members and free to members and students. Click here to purchase tickets.

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Serena Bass, executive chef at Lido Harlem, featured in NY Times Thursday Styles

Check out today’s New York Times Style section! Harlem ‘s Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar is featured via its executive chef, Serena Bass. The article focuses on the different stages of Ms. Bass’ successful career as a caterer in London and New York City. Bass started at Lido Harlem last Fall and the article mentions some of her clientele has actually come uptown to Lido to dine in Harlem.

To read the full article, go here!

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Vinateria Harlem not open yet, but it will soon

If you’re wondering like I am when Vinateria Harlem, located at 118th 119th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd., is opening, it’s not tonight or tomorrow night. I have heard from a very good source that Vinateria will not open to the public more than likely until later in the week. But stay tuned here. As soon as this blog receives confirmation of the exact opening day, we will pass along.

And if you see people inside Vinateria Harlem tonight or tomorrow night or you saw  people inside over the weekend, those are private events happening or also known as practice events. Generally, restaurants do practice runs with friends and family first before they open their doors to the public.

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Friends of Frederick Douglass Circle in Harlem invites community to meeting April 23

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A group of Harlemites, who live near the Frederick Douglass Circle in Harlem, have formed a community organization called Friends of Frederick Douglass Circle. The Friends of Frederick Douglass Circle aim “to beautify this particular area of Harlem and bring events to the circle.”

This organization is having a pubic meeting April 23 at 301 Cathedral Parkway and we are all invited to attend. See details below if interested in participating.

Read prior blog coverage of Frederick Douglass Circle here.

Friends of Frederick Douglass

Spring special at Aloft Harlem, book by April 5 and save at least 20 percent

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Aloft Harlem is having a special offer for those who need a hotel during Spring in New York City-or to be more specific in Manhattan. Guests can save at least 20 percent if they book by April 5!

To take advantage of this special, book online or call 866-716-8143 by this Friday, April 5 and ask for rate plan STARPICKS.  Rates are pre-paid and valid April 4-May 15th, non-refundable and blackout dates may apply.

Don’t miss out on great savings at Aloft Harlem!

ALOFT HARLEM
2296 Frederick Douglass Boulevard
New York, NY 10027 USA
Phone: (212) 749-4000 Fax: (212) 678-6000
Special Offer Reservations: 866-716-8143

Attend MillionTreesNYC Tree Care Workshop at Harlem’s Casa Frela Gallery

imageMillionTreesNYC will be giving a tree care workshop for the Harlem community on April 6th at Casa Frela Gallery, 47 West 119th Street, 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm.

The workshop will run 2 hours and consist of two parts. The first part will be 30-40 minutes and will take place in the gallery, covering the importance of trees, tree care, and the reasons behind Million Trees NYC’s mission to plant a million more trees throughout the five boroughs. Part 2 of the workshop will be hands-on, where attendees will go outside and actively steward the two new trees on 119th Street — and beyond, time-permitting. At the end of the workshop if attendees pledge to care for a new tree in their neighborhood, Million Trees NYC will give them a free toolkit (collapsible watering bucket, trowel, weeder tool, and cultivator) and a tree care manual with step by step guide to caring for their tree.

To learn more about MillionTreesNYC, visit their website.

Harlem loses one of its celebrities for now, The View’s Sherri Shepherd moves across the Hudson

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A HarlemGal reader recently left a comment saying Sherri Shepherd, comedienne, actress, and television personality of ABC’s The View, is not residing in Harlem anymore. My reaction was WHAT! I just saw her online mentioning she’s hanging at the Corner Social in Harlem. So I followed up with the lovely and funny Mrs. Shepherd-Sally to see what’s up.

Shepherd confirmed via direct message on Twitter that she and her family (Lamar and Jeffrey) moved to New Jersey three months ago. But before I explain why Shepherd had to move plan-d-book-mockup400from Harlem, let me quickly point out that Shepherd unequivocally stated that she and her husband Lamar love Harlem and find it to be “a great community and plan to return in a couple of years.” They had an unexpected situation arise and had to react.

I believe Sherri Shepherd and her family will return in the near future to live full-time in Harlem. Why? As an influential celebrity, she could have easily avoided my request.  Shepherd responded in a timely manner and took the time to explain what happened. She was crystal clear in her communication. In my view, this is an example of a Harlemite who deeply cares about the community she lived in and still loves by personally taking the time to communicate what happened. Why even bother explaining to a Harlem blogger? But Sherri did.

As to what happened that caused Sherri, her son and her husband to depart Harlem, it’s a typical New York situation. Shepherd had been renting a beautiful Sherri_Shepherd_Lamar_Sally_s_Wedding_Pics_Harlem brownstone for almost three years. Her landlord gave notice that they planned to move back into the property and gave Shepherd 30 days notice. Shepherd and her husband looked at other places in Harlem because they wanted to stay, but given the time constraints they did not find a place they wanted within their budget so they moved to New Jersey for the time being. That’s it folks! That’s what happened and it happens to most New Yorker’s at one time or another.

Shepherd maybe living in NJ for now, but she has been taking the time to return to Harlem weekly. She visits the Corner Social on Lenox Avenue and 126th Street once a week and she visits Elsie’s Caribbean Cafe twice a month. Her heart is still in Harlem.

Let’s wish Sherri Shepherd and her family all the best with this change and pray for a speedy return back to Harlem. Amen!

Attend Guiltless Gourmet for a Healthy Harlem, an event to help stop hunger

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According to a news release by Beth-Hark Christian Counseling Center (BHCCC), there is an estimated 1.4 million New York City residents who are food insecure and rely on the city’s network of emergency food organizations. BHCCC hopes to VanKline223raise $20,000 through their second annual Guiltless Gourmet for a Healthy Harlem Celebrity Food Tasting and Silent Auction. Funds raised will help the organization keep pace with an increasing demand for emergency food services driven by food insecurity. Guiltless Gourmet for A Healthy Harlem takes place Friday, March 22 at Harlem’s Gran Piatto d’Oro on Fifth Avenue and brings together the celebrity chef triumvirate of Melba’s Melba Wilson (Food Networks’ former Fat Chef), Kimberly Van Kline of Passion for Palate Catering and Ronaldo Calle of Gran Piatto d’Oro.

Guiltless Gourmet for a Healthy Harlem will open with a VIP Reception/Chef Rolando2_smallerMeet and Greet followed by Food Tasting and Silent Auction. Guests will sample a range of celebrity chef gourmet delights from appetizers to main dishes and bid on auction items from jewelry to vacations with starting bids as low as $50. Two-tiered priced Guiltless Gourmet tickets are $65.00 for Food Tasting and Auction. The $75.00 tickets include admission to the Guiltless Gourmet VIP event. Tickets can be purchased at God’s Answer Bookstore and BHCCC offices co-located at Bethel Gospel Assembly, Inc. BHCCC is the social services arm of Bethel Gospel Assembly, Inc. For more information visit www.bethharkccc.org.

Tribeca Pediatrics signs lease in Harlem, former 99 cent store to become children’s medical facility

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The Commercial Observer reported last week that Tribeca Pediatrics is opening up a branch in Harlem. Tribeca Pediatrics signed a 10-year, 2,500-square-foot lease at 2111 Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem, which most of us know as the 99 cent store.

The reason for the upscale facility coming to Harlem? According to Douglas Elliman’s retail group team Faith Hope Consolo, who represented both the landlord, Tahl-Propp Equities, and the tenant in the transaction told National Real Estate Investor that “just as Starbucks is a marker for an emerging neighborhood, a sophisticated pediatric clinic is a sign it has arrived. This now coveted corner is transitioning from a 99 cents store to a cutting-edge medical facility for children.”

To learn more about Tribeca Pediatrics, visit their website.

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Wanna work at Harlem Shake? Yes, the real Harlem Shake

Interested in working at the real Harlem Shake in Harlem on 124th and Lenox? Here’s the lowdown. Harlem Shake will be doing their hiring through a NY Job Bank. It’s part of a NY state program. Prospective employees may contact Ms. Jai Popat at jpopat@grantassociatesinc.com for more information on job listings and details on sending job applications, starting on or around March 21st, which is coming up soon!

So there you have it. If you wanna work at Harlem Shake, you have the scoop! Good luck to those applying!

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