Category Archives: real estate

In the News: Victoria Theater Development Project in Harlem moves closer to reality

Posted on October 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

The Victoria Theater Project is moving closer to becoming a reality. On September 26, Real Estate Weekly reported that Danforth Developers, the developers behind the project, picked Aufgang & Subotovski as the designers of the commercial and residential project. The article also states that construction is “slated to begin early next year.”

Fast forward to this week and we have the Globe St. And The New York Observer reporting that there are more changes to the design plans. The Empire State Development Corporation approved plans for two 26-story towers: a 230-unit apartment tower and a 210-room hotel versus the previously planned 140-unit rental tower and 175-room hotel.

So in 2014 or 2015, West 125th Street will have two new towers that will be the tallest buildings in Harlem. Stay tuned.

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Posted in 125th Street, apartments, business, commercial real estate, Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, real estate

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Dear Harlem: Is it better to buy or rent?

Posted on August 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

There are those so-called “million dollar question(s)” out there in the universe around housing that we have all asked ourselves at one time or another. I know I have. And that is…is it better to buy or rent? It’s a loaded question…huh? Well, there is actually an online, interactive tool available now that is trying to help consumers answer that question: buy vs rent? It’s in The New York Times’ Making the Most of your Money section.

To use the online tool, fill in the information on your left, i.e. monthly rent, home price, etc. After you fill out the information, then place your cursor over the grid and it will reveal whether its better to buy or rent? Below are two samples.

Try it by going here. And good luck with finding the answer to that familiar question.

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Posted in apartments, education, Free!, Harlem, Money Series, New York, New York City, NYC, real estate, spending

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250 Park View joins condo market in Harlem

Posted on August 11, 2012 | Leave a comment



If you want to live right across the street from the Morningside Park Farmer’s Market in Harlem, now is your chance. Renovated condos called 250 Park View hit the Harlem condo market on Manhattan Avenue this past week. They are located exactly across the street from the park and a stone throw away from Central Park North.

According to its website, 250 Park View has an exposed-brick entryway which leads into 20 elevator-accessible units, a live-in super, security camera and color video intercom. The 20 units range from studios to 3 bedrooms with either park or courtyard views. Studios start at $450k, and the largest 3 bedroom duplex penthouse are going for $999. Wow!

Better hurry if you’re interested in living in Harlem at this location, which I think is a good one since it’s by two big parks, close to Harlem’s restaurant row and its very close to a subway stop, 110th Street B/C. Out of the 16 apartments listed on its site, only 8 are left. Harlem apartments clearly sell like hot cakes!

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Posted in apartments, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, real estate, restaurant row

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Harlem neighborhoods experience price jump in rental market

Posted on July 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

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According to RentJuice®, a Zillow® business and provider of lease marketing technology to thousands of real estate property managers and brokers, the uptown part of Manhattan, specifically Harlem neighborhoods, experienced a price jump in the rental sector of real estate. In a news release distributed today, it stated that “over the last quarter, the city’s average cost for space remained stable at $4.98 per square foot-exactly the same as at the close of the first quarter. The largest hike in price per square foot occurred uptown in Harlem. Neighborhoods such as Central Harlem, Harlem and Morningside all experienced 11 percent jumps in average price per square foot in the second quarter. Renters in Hamilton Heights, however, saw a five percent decrease in average price per square foot.”

To read the full news release, click here.

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Posted in 110th Street, 116th Street, 125th Street, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., apartments, commercial real estate, Community, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Lenox Avenue, New York, New York City, NYC, real estate

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Save the Date: Annual Mount Morris Park House Tour is June 10

Posted on May 24, 2012 | 1 comment

For more than 20 years the community of Mount Morris Park has been opening its doors and inviting New Yorkers and visitors from around the world to come in and see all the beautiful homes that are in Harlem. The tradition continues with the annual Mount Morris Park House Tour, which is set for June 10.  The schedule is listed below and tickets are now available at the Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association. Click here to purchase tickets.

11 AM to 4 PM: Follow the Self-Guided Tour of Homes at your leisure. Guests will visit 10 venues including inside brownstone homes, urban live/work apartments and landmark churches.

1 PM and 3 PM: Join the Architectural Walking Tour and explore this historic neighborhood’s rich architectural detail and history.

Noon and 2 PM: Inside Historic Harlem begins with Yale-trained architect and historian, John Reddick.

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

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Rental building planned for St. Nicholas Avenue in Harlem

Posted on May 22, 2012 | 2 comments

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For the last several years, all Harlem has seen is condo buildings going up-one after the other-especially on or near Frederick Douglass Blvd. Another building is going to be constructed in this Harlem area. However, it’s not going to be a condo. Several sources tell Harlem Gal Inc that the next building to be built from the ground up in Central Harlem will be a rental building and the developer responsible for this will be Hans Futterman. Futterman has built 2280 FDB and several other buildings in the surrounding area in Harlem.

Futterman purchased the space on St. Nicholas Avenue between 121st and 122nd Street. It’s where the gas station use to be. If you walk by you will see that it’s been closed and permits are hanging on the fence. Futterman has told several business people in Harlem that he is going to build a rental building at this location in Harlem since most of what he has built has been condos!

There is no word yet as to what the building will look like in terms of layout or how high. As with most stories, that information will unfold over time.

As for whether this building will be an affordable rental building, I seriously doubt it. Most of what Futterman builds is mid-to-high end. Stay tuned!

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Posted in apartments, business, commercial real estate, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, real estate

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‘Across the Universe’ star and singer buys home in Harlem

Posted on May 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

One of my favorite movies is Across the Universe by Julie Taymor and I really enjoyed the performance in the film by the actress and singer who played Sexy Sadie, which was Dana Fuchs. The New York Times reported this past weekend that Fuchs, a well-known and highly established singer and musician, has made Harlem her home. Fuchs recently purchased a 1500 square foot, three bedroom apartment with her companion at Fifth on the Park in Harlem. The article states Fuchs was a drawn to Fifth on the Park in Harlem because of the amazing views. “With big windows overlooking so much greenery, I was just wowed,” Fuchs told the Times.

If you have never heard Dana Fuchs’ music before, check out the video below. And now that I know Fuchs lives in Harlem, I will silently wish that she and her band will one day perform live in Harlem. Wouldn’t that be so cool?

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Posted in apartments, art and culture, entertainment, Harlem, music, New York, New York City, NYC, real estate

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Gateway Condo in Harlem near capacity in commercial and apartment space

Posted on April 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

The diligent PR folks over at Halstead Property have let us bloggers know, through a press release, that The Gateway Tower in Harlem is more than 90 percent sold. However, the release did not mention the commercial space of the Gateway Condo is full. It’s all gone! There is Express Dry Cleaning, Coco Nail Salon and Marcos Leatherlab that are already open for business.  And two more businesses will be opening soon, which is Harlem Food Bar and Frederick Cafe Bistro. This area has shaped up nicely with Melba’s Restaurant leading the way in dining area and I believe Gateway Condo was the first new condo on this block and immediate area?

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Posted in apartments, business, commercial real estate, Frederick Cafe Bistro Harlem, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, real estate, restaurant row, restaurants

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116th Street in Harlem featured in The Wall Street Journal

Posted on February 17, 2012 | Leave a comment


Generally when reading about Harlem’s famous or busy streets in the press, it usually about 125th Street, Lenox Avenue or Frederick Douglass Blvd. This time in today’s (Feb. 17) Wall Street Journal, the focus is on West and Central 116th Street in Harlem. The article states there is a gathering of new businesses and future projects, many of them created due to the large condominium buildings, and many of them are drawing more street traffic to a gentrifying stretch of 116th Street, specifically from FDB to Fifth Avenue.

The existing businesses mentioned in the article are very well-known already in the neighborhood, such as The Winery and its plans to open up a Japanese restaurant, Harlem Shambles and BBraxton, a sleek male salon on 116th and Fifth Ave. What was surprising-at least to me-is that the developers of the Kalahari Condo “hope to begin construction within a few months on two new buildings: a proposed 85-unit building on West 116th, across the street from the Kalahari, and a mixed-income building with about 110 “affordable” rentals on West 117th.”

To read the full article, click here.

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Posted in 116th Street, apartments, business, commercial real estate, Harlem, real estate, restaurants, shopping

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Bier international in Harlem takes over Society Cafe commercial space

Posted on February 6, 2012 | 5 comments

Thank goodness for readers and their juicy tips. Those tips can eventually lead to correct facts. For example, look at our post about a Japanese restaurant opening on Frederick Douglass Blvd. The Winery is opening up the Japanese restaurant. Now the latest tip in is how the owner(s) of bier international in Harlem have taken over the commercial space of where Society Cafe use to be. Society was located on the southeast corner of 114th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd before it closed in 2011.

Apparently the plans for this space on FDB and 114th Street are to keep it as it was, a cafe, where sandwiches and coffee are sold. The other tip is that the place will more than likely be called Cafe Frederick! Not a bad name…right?

Once this new cafe opens, all the commercial space in the Gateway Tower will be filled and another place can be added to the Frederick Douglass Blvd tourist map, a.k.a. restaurant row, which The Daily News reported on recently.

Update: The name of this establishment ended up being named Frederick Cafe Bistro.

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Posted in Bars, bier international, business, commercial real estate, drinks, food, Frederick Cafe Bistro Harlem, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, real estate, restaurant row, restaurants

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