Tag Archives: 2098 Frederick Douglass Blvd.

Marcos Leatherlab Shoe Repair coming to Harlem’s Frederick Douglass Blvd

Looks like one business person is going to mix it up on Harlem’s Frederick Douglass Blvd by not open up a dining establishment, but by opening up a shoe repair store. Marcos Leatherlab has paper signage up on one of the retail spaces in the Gateway Tower/Condos saying they are coming soon! How soon? I don’t know. Hopefully in 2012.

I checked out Marcos Leatherlab’s website and it says they are a long time family shoe repair business from the Bronx.

I think this is a nice change to the area and a much-needed service. It is not a diner, which some people have left comments here asking for, but for those that need shoe repair close by this should help. What do you think? Do we need a cobbler in this part of Harlem?

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Coco Nail Salon on Frederick Douglass Blvd is open for business

I walked by Coco Nail Salon, located near the corner of 114th Street and FDB, to check if they are open and they are! They opened last night, October 10.

As for rates, I know they are a few dollars cheaper than Z Nails on 116th. Their mani/pedi is $25 during the week and $29 on the weekends. Z Nails charges $35 for mani/pedi any day of the week. However, I am not sure on service and quality with Coco. They maybe less expensive, but let’s see how they perform on quality and service. If you check out Coco Nail Salon in the days ahead, please let us know what you think of the place?

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Coco Nail Salon in Harlem displays rates

The new nail salon called Coco Young wants all of us Harlemites to know what a mani/pedi will cost if you go there-based on the photo below! It appears the salon, located on Frederick Douglass Blvd between 113th and 114th Street, wants $4 more from customers if they go on a weekend! Hmm. I wonder how that is going to play out given Z Nails on 116th Street has one flat rate no matter what day you walk in. I believe Polished Fingertips up the street on FDB is the same. Harlem gals, what do you think? Will you pay more on the weekend to get your hands and feet done at this new nail salon scheduled to open soon?

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Coco is the name of the upcoming nail salon on Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem

The new nail salon that is opening on Frederick Douglass Blvd between 113th and 114th Street on the eastside of the street has a name! The place will be called Coco! Interesting. Maybe it’s named after that reality show on E!?

Apparently, the owners that are opening up this salon in Harlem are seasoned professionals. This will be their third nail salon in Manhattan. Plans to open Coco Nail Salon are slated for mid-September! So stay tuned.

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Yogurt store planned for Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem falls apart

I hate being the messanger of bad news especially since I only like blogging about things positive happening in Harlem.  However, I came across some reliable information about the planned yogurt store in Gateway Condominiums, located on Frederick Douglass Blvd. between 113th and 114th. Apparently, the deal for a yogurt place to open in the retail space of 2098 Frederick Douglass Blvd. fell through. A credible source tells HarlemGal the business person(s), who is from Westchester County, pulled out recently from plans to rent the commercial space in Central Harlem for a Baby Yogurt store. However, they are the same investor/business person(s) opening up the nail salon next door and those plans appear to be moving forward since construction is actively happening. So as of now, Harlem will not getting another yogurt place, i.e. Baby Yogurt, unless the parties involved reconsider. Total bummer. I was looking forward to that.

Progress being made on upcoming nail salon in Harlem

If you’re drop by Society Cafe at 114th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd. soon, you may notice there is some construction happening next door. That’s where a new nail salon is moving into the retail space near 2098 Frederick Douglass Blvd., which you first learned about here not too long ago. According to workers on site, they are hammering, painting and nailing away because they’ve been given a deadline to be done in about one month. So stay tuned. We may have a new business opening up soon in this block!

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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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New yogurt store and nail salon coming to Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem


Have you walked by the Gateway Condominiums lately, the condo building located at 2098 Frederick Douglass Blvd., and noticed how the majority of its retail space on the first floor has been vacant for a while? Well…that block on the eastside of FDB is about to change. Word has it that a yogurt store and a nail salon have signed a long-term lease with the developer who owns the large portion of commercial space, located right next to Society Cafe.

Apparently the leases were signed recently for a yogurt store and nail salon to move in, and work has already begun by dividing up the space for these two new businesses in Harlem. Notice in the photo, there are two separate doors on the commercial space. For the longest time, that commercial space only had one door to enter.

No exact confirmation on the names of each business yet. As soon as I know, I will pass along!

This portion of Frederick Douglass Blvd from left to right will eventually appear and operate as Society Cafe, which most of us know is owned by Karl, then next to Society Cafe will either be the nail salon or the yogurt place. After the nail salon and yogurt place is the lobby of the Gateway Condos. Next to that lobby is vacant space. A Metro PCS use to be there. However, we hear a shoe repair is hoping to move in there. And finishing out the complex is Express Dry Cleaners.

The new yogurt store will join the recently opened Chill Berry at 414 Lenox Avenue. And the nail salon joins stiff competition. There is Polished FingerTips on FDB and 118th, and Z Nail Salon on 116th between FDB and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.

Overall, I personally like that these two new businesses will be moving into Harlem. I like eating yogurt and I definitely like getting my nails and feet done. I just wish someone would open a 24 hour diner around this portion of Harlem! Don’t you think so as well?

Breakthru Radio struts through Harlem inquiring about decision making tips

Jan 27, 2011 @ 7:00

By HarlemGal
Breakthru Radio, the hipster site that airs independent music on demand, strolled the streets of Harlem recently asking locals about the tools they use in making decisions on where to dine or go see movies. Most man-on-the-street responses were they rely on word of mouth or local experts. Our very own Karl, the owner of Society Cafe and 67 Orange, was featured in the piece.

In the video, it appears they filmed in several Harlem locations, such as along 110th Street/Cathedral Parkway and right in front of The Gateway Condominium, which is at 2098 Frederick Douglass Blvd.

Harlem’s Frederick Douglass Boulevard is a finalist in Curbed Cup

Dec 30, 2010 @ 17:20
By HarlemGal
Pardon my lateness regarding this post. I have been on holiday…(still am) and have fallen behind on my blog posting. Any how, I have received several messages about our awesome neighborhood/community, ie the surrounding area of FDB, being chosen as a finalist in Curbed.com’s New York City neighborhood of the year for 2010. That is wonderful news. However, it’s quite not good enough. We need to win it! If you believe our community should win, click here to vote. My understanding is the poll is open until January 1, 2011!

I cast my vote! Did you?