Cuban born and Harlem based Yosvany Terry performs in Marcus Garvey Park

Feel like listening to jazz in Harlem, but not sure where to go? The Jazzmobile has the answer.  As part of their summerfest,  Yosvany Terry will be playing tonight, July 22nd from 7:00 – 8:30 pm in Marcus Garvey Park  at the new Richard Rodger Amphitheater. Enter at 5th Ave & W 122nd St.

Atomic Wings in Harlem turns a page…for the better

By HarlemGal and Austin2Harlem
There’s that saying “give me a second chance.” Sound familiar? We
decided to act on that attage by giving Atomic Wings in Harlem another try recently. Why? Because we know for a fact that Atomic Wings, located at the northeast corner of Frederick Douglass Blvd and 113th Street, is entirely under new management (they have nothing to do with prior management) and their menu has changed. And we can confirm, Atomic Wings, which reopened May 13, is not anything like it was before. We know. We use to go there. Atomic Wings in Harlem has started a new chapter and it is definitely for the better.

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The new owners are David Singh and Bobby Singh. They are from Queens and the Atomic Wings franchise is their first endeavor into the food business. Don’t be alarmed that they are not seasoned food chain owners. From what we witnessed, they want to succeed in Harlem. They care about the customer and appear to be very focused on making the Harlem customer happy. What steps have they taken to try to please the Harlem customer? Plenty.

First, there is a decrease in prices on the menu. “The items on the menu are .50 to .75 cents less than the prior menu,” says David Singh. They want to offer some saving to their already affordable prices. A plate of chicken wings at Atomic Wings costs $8.99 for 10. At Rack and Soul, a plate of 6 wings will cost you $10.95 according to a takeout menu we have.

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There are signature salads on the menu. Instead of having a long list of salad options, Atomic Wings has narrowed the choices down to four options. The reason is they want to focus on quality not quantity.

Atomic Wings in Harlem now offers pulled pork sliders and chipotle fried shrimp sliders. No more hamburgers, folks! Their strategy is to focus on the quality. We tasted these two items and they are a home run! We highly recommend these items. The country buns are very fresh. The pork was tender topped with cheddar cheese. And the fried shrimp was very meaty. We recommend ordering these items with sweet potato fries. Each plate is $7.99 and plentiful.

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the chicken wings. Atomic Wings has new sauces. They have added honey mustard, jerk BBQ, sweet and tangy and chipotle BBQ sauces. Out of the new sauces offered, we tried honey mustard, sweet and tangy, and garlic parmesan. We both loved garlic parmesan the best. Not that the other sauces were not good. We just like the garlic taste! And we liked eating our chicken wings boneless. However, customers can order them either way-with bone or without.

I can’t recall if waffle fries were on the prior menu. However, the ones we tried at the new management Atomic Wings were excellent. They were big and crispy. Even after setting on the table for a while, the waffle fries remained crispy. They did not get lumpy and sloppy after while. We also recommend trying the waffle fries.

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Home delivery is available by Atomic Wings. Go on GrubHub or their website or call, and they will deliver. Their commitment is to deliver within 35 minutes with a 14 block radius.

If delivery is not your preference, dine in at Atomic Wings. They offer free unlimited wi-fi and they will soon offer beer. They have applied for a beer license and hope to get approval in the immediate future.

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While we have outlined all the improvements at Atomic Wings in Harlem and encouraging Harlemites to give them a second chance, readers are probably wondering, what happened to the previous place and why did Atomic Wings close? From what we have learned from various sources is that the place was poorly managed. The old management had five owners, there are only two now, and rent and taxes got backed up so much they could never catch up. Once rent and taxes become a challenge, the state and Feds come into the picture. And most of us who walked by the Atomic Wings saw the obvious signs on the wall.

We hope this restaurant review will give you a better understanding of Atomic Wings and that Harlemites do what we did, which was to put the past behind on the old and give the new Atomic Wings a second chance. We just did and are very pleased to report a second chance resulted in two happy bellies. The food was dee-li-cious!

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Celebrate Harlem Week with Marcus Samuelsson with Macy’s A-Go-Go Food Truck

I have more details about Marcus Samuelsson’s July 31 participation in “Macy’s Chefs A-Go-Go,” a national food truck tour showcasing the Macy’s Culinary Council. The Macy’s Food Truck is rolling into upper Manhattan-126th Street and Riverside Drive to be exact-with our fellow Harlemite during Harlem Week, a month long celebration of the culture, arts, civil rights, politics, religion and community education. Perfect timing! Love it!

From noon to 4:00 p.m., Red Rooster Harlem owner and Chef Marcus Samuelsson will be on board at the Harlem stop, cooking his signature recipes and dishing them out for free! And guess what Marcus will be cooking? He will be serving catfish sandwiches with fried caper slaw and sweet potato fries! Yummy! That sounds delicious for lunch on Sunday, July 31.

If you have not tried Marcus Samuelsson’s cuisine, here is your opportunity! And the best ingredient in Marcus’ food that day, it’s FREE! See you at 126th and Riverside, July 31 at noon! Cheers!

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Come to Land Yoga Harlem Grand Opening Celebration, discounts to be offered

Land Yoga in Harlem at 2110 Frederick Douglass Blvd has been open for about a month and like most new businesses in Harlem, it hasn’t had a slow day since. Their schedule is in full swing, students are showing up in large numbers in LED classes and specialty teachers are in place, such as a health and wellness counselor. With these building blocks in place, it is now time to celebrate with a grand opening celebration. Land Yoga Harlem invites you to their grand opening this Saturday, July 23 from 4-7:00 pm. Lots of cool stuff are planned. Here is the lowdown:

  • There will be yoga demonstrators doing yoga in front of the building!
  • Packets of material will be available that includes schedule, regular and one day only party rates, and information on wellness practitioners: Ed Genece, Serena Dawn, and Candice Taylor!
  • All retail will be 10% during the party!
  • Free reiki or wellness treatments and henna will be offered!
  • The yoga room will be decorated in a moody world theme with flowers and candles by Franz James Floral and accented with music design by DJ David Chang.
  • There will be a sampling of all natural, no cal sokenbicha tea by Anita Bryant.
  • Food and Drink will be provided by 5 and Diamond, 67 Orange, bier international, Harlem Tavern, Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar, Nectar, Red Rooster Harlem, Society, and Zoma.
  • Land Yoga will announce one day discounts, which can be added to any existing package.
  • A PERKS program will be launched, which will offer gift cards from bier international, Lido, and Society for 3, 6, and 12 month Land memberships. 3, 6, and 12 month members also get in-house perks such as 5%, 10%, and 20% off wellness services and retail discounts too!
  • Also, Land Yoga will introduce a Friday night interactive workshop series, a workshop on Mindful Eating hosted by wellness guru Candice Taylor and based off the book Savor, which is sold at Land Yoga.
  • Special guests include the local Daily Troop. They will be in attendance in uniform. Land Yoga is a site sponsor for the local Daisy troop.
  • And most importantly, Land Yoga will be raising money for a local food bank.

So a lot is happening for Land Yoga’s celebration. Come out Saturday afternoon and have some fun with us. I will be there as well as some of my fellow yoga classmates! Hope to see you there!

Burger drama in East Harlem could prove profitable for Milk Burger

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There is a burger-gate happening right now in our own backyard. The owners of East Harlem’s Milk Burger, located at 2056 Second Avenue, are currently fighting off accusations that they cloned their menu and website from the popular and expensive Shake Shack. This all came about when SeriousEats.com blog posted about Milk Burger’s marketing material looking very similar to Shake Shack. The burger drama happened in the last 24 hours.

So where does the burger drama currently stand? Milk Burger has taken all previous material down from their website and has a static page up. The owner has given interviews explaining it was a mistake executed by an intern, and a ton of free press has been given to an East Harlem establishment that most businesses could only dream of!

In summary, this whole burger drama talking place between David (Milk Burger) and Goliath (Shake Shack) could prove profitable for one business here. Milk Burger just opened. They are not the Rupert Murdoch of hamburgers. I believe the owner. It was an honest mistake. He probably just looked at the material that was presented to him for sign off and quickly approved it. Now there is only one place to potentially go from here when you’re starting a business at the bottom…and that’s up!

My advice to the owner of Milk Burger, start drafting the apology letter to Shake Shack and a big fat thank you note to SeriousEats. You are about to get some serious burger business! Who is going with me to eat at Milk Burger in East Harlem?

Lido Harlem joining sidewalk seating club soon?

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Back in May, I told you about how Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar was petitioning Community Board 10 to receive approval for sidewalk seating. It appears they have received the green light based on these photos! Walking by the Harlem establishment, located on the southeast corner of Frederick Douglass Blvd and 117th, last night there was white metal fences on display perfectly lined up outside the Italian eatery. The way the fences were placed it’s an obvious signal that Lido Harlem are joining the sidewalk seating club very soon, which includes bier international, 5 and Diamond, Harlem Tavern, Les Ambassades Red Rooster Harlem, Settepani, Nectar, Chez Lucienne and more! Maybe they will open the sidewalk seating to patrons this weekend?

This is good news. Harlemites have another place to hang while dining that offers outdoor seating! Congrats to Susannah, her business partner, chef and their entire team! Way to go!

Next time I stop by Lido Harlem for dinner, this chica wants the seat right outside on the sidewalk. Can’t wait!

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Manhattan Valley and Morningside Heights Town Hall

For those interested in voicing their concerns or have questions about Manhattan Valley and Morningside Heights, there is a town hall meeting this Thursday, July 21, with elected officials and government agencies at The Church of the Ascension, located at 221 West 107th Street. Start time is 6:00 p.m. See details below to RSVP!

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A Midsummers Night Picnic in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park

The Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association (MMPCIA) is holding their annual A Midsummer Night’s Picnic in the Park in Harlem today, July 19, in Marcus Garvey Park. This is the time when MMPCIA says thank you to its current member and welcomes new members.

The Summer Picnic is free to existing members and to those who want to join or renew their membership. There is an additional cost of $10 for family of members and friends who are not quite ready to join. Children 12 and under are free.

If you decide to attend this event today,please RSVP and register your dish ASAP by e-mailing: membership@mmpcia.org.

The potluck picnic is from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Enter Marcus Garvey Park in the SW corner, near the  West 120th Street entrance. For more information, click here.

Harlem Gal invites you to see ‘Attack the Block’

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Don’t forget you can see a free movie Tuesday, July 19 at Magic Johnson Theater! You and a guest are invited to a screening of Attack the Block.

From the producers of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Attack the Block follows a gang of tough inner-city kids who try to defend their turf against an invasion of savage alien creatures, turning a South London apartment complex into an extraterrestrial warzone.

Here is the lowdown on how to see Attack the Block:

To download a free screening pass, go to Gofobo.com/RSVP and enter the RSVP code HLMGAL55U0.
Date: Tuesday! July 19th
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Where: Magic Johnson Harlem

And please remember, screenings by HarlemGal Inc. are on a first come first serve basis.

Harlem real estate progress report: Gateway Towers seventy percent sold

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Recently, I blogged about how some condos in Harlem were meeting their mark in terms of sales. There is another condo development that has achieved similar success. The Gateway Towers, located at 2098 Frederick Douglass Blvd. and also known as Gateway Condominiums, is 70 percent sold. I have confirmed this with two sources. There are only a limited number of properties left in this two-phase condo development.

I am surprised by this figure. It took a while for the Gateway to be completed. One would think buyers would just forget about places that take forever to be finished. However, this is not the case when it comes to New York real estate. There seems to be about 12 apartments left on the market according to Streeteasy.com. My guess is the apartments on the upper level of the tower were snapped up first and then the lower level next. The apartments on the higher floors have unobstructed views. The rooms are also big and spacious and like most new developments, the Tower has washer and dryers in the apartments.

The 70 percent sales were also probably achieved due to location and the rooftop views I have been on several rooftops in Harlem, such as The Douglass, 2280 FDB, Parc Standard, Fifth on the Park and Livmor. However, Gateway Condo has one of the best rooftops in Harlem. It has a clear shot of Central Park and Morningside Park from the roof. Also, the view of St. John the Divine is just that…divine. The view of East Harlem is nice as well. That view offers seeing brownstones from overhead.

I had the opportunity to take some photos from the rooftop at Gateway. I could not resist. When the real estate agents show the apartments, they take visitors up to the roof. Hopefully, these photos give you a sense of why the roof at Gateway Towers is one of my favorites!

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