Tag Archives: Frederick Douglass Boulevard

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!

20110401-112702 20110401-112723

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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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New York Magazine acknowledges, Harlem is hot

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Feb 8, 2011 @ 10:30
By HarlemGal
What a difference a year makes?  Let’s reflect! April 11, 2010 Harlem is poorly ranked by Nate Silver for New York Magazine’s Neighborhood Issue. Does anyone remember this article? I certainly do. That article inspired me to write Top ten reason why Harlem is one of the best neighborhoods to live in. Let’s fast forward to today. Harlem and several local establishments are currently featured bright and big this week in a series of articles under the banner The Everything Guide to Harlem in NY Mag. It’s a creme-de-la-creme of articles featuring restaurants, markets, shops and bars in Harlem. My favorite article is The New New Harlem, which is sort of a “Whose In and Whose Out.” In my view, featuring several establishments in this type of format demonstrates the caliber and variety of places located in Harlem. Plus in order to pit two businesses against each other, there has to be plenty of selection. Clearly, Harlem has reached that point.

In closing, I will use soccer terms to describe this Harlem milestone. This article is another G-O-A-L for Harlem. Remember, we won Curbed Cup 2010 too. More importantly, it recognizes (again) what most of us have known all along, and now NY Mag too, Harlem is hot! Adelante!

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Posted in art and culture, baking, Bars, business, Community, entertainment, fashion, Harlem, history, New York, New York City, NYC, real estate, restaurant row, restaurants, shopping

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Harlem’s Frederick Douglass Blvd wins 2010 Curbed Cup Neighborhood of the Year

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Jan 3, 2011 @ 12:10

By HarlemGal
We won it! Harlem’s Frederick Douglass Boulevard has been named 2010 Neighborhood of the Year by Curbed.com. Yes! Congrats to FDB!

And might we respectfully add, winning the Curbed Cup brings sweet vindication and acknowledges what we have been saying all along, this area is hot! Go back to November 19, 2008 on this site. We predicted that FDB was headed to restaurant row status. Then a year later HarlemCondoLife.com, was the first to use the term “gold coast” to describe the FDB area!

Since our inception in 2008, we have taken some serious blows via blog post comments about focusing on this area. At times it was hurtful and hard not to take personal. However, we looked to our core beliefs and said “blog about your Harlem experience” and this area kept coming forward in our words! Despite these feelings, we emphatically have to state “We love every inch of Harlem.”

And to those who knocked us for believing in FDB, we say “truth is generally the best vindication…” Next up for FDB, New York Magazine!

 

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Posted in art and culture, Bars, business, Community, Harlem, history, New York, New York City, NYC, real estate, restaurant row, restaurants, shopping

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Frederick Douglass Boulevard featured in The New York Daily News

Posted on July 5, 2011 | 1 comment

Dec 6, 2010 @ 7:31
By HarlemGal
My favorite boulevard has been featured – once again – bright and big!  This time in The New York Daily News.  The article talks about all the “chic boutiques, restaurants and cocktail lounges the have cropped up on Frederick Douglass Boulevard above 110th St” in the last few years. It mentions Frederick Douglass Circle, MODSquad, bier international, 67 Orange, Patisserie des Ambassades and more.  The article even takes a page right out of HarlemGuy’s word playbook by stating “realtors call this bustling stretch of Eighth Avenue Harlem’s Gold Coast.” As with the other positive articles about Harlem, such as in The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal, I love this clip right up there with others!

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Posted in art and culture, baking, Bars, business, Community, fashion, Harlem, history, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants, shopping

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Harlem merchant association kicks-off Oktoberfest

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Sep 30, 2010 @ 7:00
By HarlemGal

Have no clue how to celebrate Oktoberfest in Harlem?  Look to Harlem Park to Park to assist. They offer plenty of options starting tomorrow (October 1)! Harlem Park to Park Initiative is a merchants association formed in 2009 to encourage and sustain commerce throughout the upper part of Manhattan, known as Harlem.

From October 1 to October 31 it is Restaurant and Retail Month where participating restaurants will offer three course prix fixe menus. Local shops that are participating in Oktoberfest in Harlem will offer select retail items for $20.10. Harlem Park to Park is co-hosting the Harlem Harvest Festival October 9 at St. Nicholas Avenue and 116th Street. And on October 28th end the fest with a Harlem Restaurant and Bar Crawl along 8th Avenue, i.e. Frederick Douglass Blvd.

So there are plenty of options to celebrate Oktoberfest in Harlem. I definitely plan to partake in one or more of these events. Hope to see you around!

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Posted in Community, Events, Harlem, restaurants, shopping

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Harlem rezoning plus Frederick Douglass Boulevard equals restaurant row

Posted on July 5, 2011 | 1 comment

Sep 24, 2010 @ 6:00

Frederick Douglass Blvd. street sign

By HarlemGal
Frederick Douglass Blvd is in the news again! Some entities are clearly getting it that FDB from 110th Street to 125th Street is the place to be! DNAinfo.com and The New York Times have recently filed stories about FDB and how it’s experiencing a boom in drinking and eating establishments. These articles even mention the buzz words “restaurant row.” Hmm…sounds familiar?

Frederick Douglass Blvd. (Circa 2008)

On September 23, DNAinfo wrote about the booming restaurant and bar business along FDB.  It was a good story. They introduced us to new information about what the Livmor is up to with their commercial space. However, I was wondering why they left out other notable places, such as Mojo, Billie’s Black Bar, Questan’s and Cafe Amrita? Amrita is at the base of 110th and FDB. Mojo and Billie’s are technically on 119th Street, they are less than a block away from FDB and Mojo and Questan’s opened for business in the last five years. I think all these venues deserved a mention in DNAinfo and The Times. Also, why not mention the proposed Cupcake Suite opening on FDB, Aloft Hotel or the rumored Busboys and Poets coming to Harlem? I guess there is so much action happening on or near FDB, it is a challenge for these news outlets to keep track!

Frederick Douglass Blvd. today

In addition, I noticed that both publications did not mention much about vacant commercial space. What are The Douglass and Gateway Condominiums planning for their commercial space? I would bet that they are aggressively trying to sell their space. I hear Society Cafe is interested in expanding their space right next door once Gateway finishes their construction. If that ends up being true, that would be great for them. They appear to have outgrown their current space.

Overall, it is awesome media coverage for Harlem once again. I love it! Out of the two articles, I will end with my favorite quote from Chris Pollok, co-owner of bier international. “My sense is that this [Frederick Douglass Blvd.] is going to be the Restaurant Row of Harlem.” I will drink to that, Chris! Strawberry beer, please!

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Posted in business, Community, Harlem, restaurant row, restaurants

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Gateway Condo in Harlem sheds part of scaffolding curtain

Posted on July 5, 2011 | 1 comment

May 14, 2010 @ 10:52
By HarlemGal
If you were wondering what’s behind those scaffolding curtains drapping over Gateway Condominiums located at 2098 Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Central Harlem, we now have a preview! Part of the curtains are down. I believe it came down yesterday. I guess the developer wants us Harlemites to see that the center part of the construction is almost finished. I use the words “almost” cause I am hoping the center building will be painted to match the other buildings it is joined next to.
The center building that we can all see now was a vacant lot. There’s not too many of those lots left at the base of Central Harlem. Vacant lots are slowly vanishing.
As for Gateway Condo, let’s hope the other part of the curtain comes down soon from the part of the building that’s sitting on top. Last week, I saw a giant crane taking big items to the very top of the building. The construction worker on site said they were trying to cover the 11th floor.
Given all this recent activity, let’s just hope those efforts continue so that the project can be finished!

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Posted in Harlem, real estate

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UPDATE: New FDB restaurant in Harlem may open next week

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Mar 10, 2010 @ 11:32
By HarlemGal

HarlemCondoLife

Not too long ago, HarlemCondoLife told you about a new restaurant developing on Frederick Douglass Blvd. between 112th and 113th Street. Apparently plans are still underway to open soon.  According to a HCL reader, they heard from a worker on site recently that the place is aiming to open up next week and the cuisine will be American. From the looks in this photo, they are definitely trying to hide the decor from street walkers. Maybe ’cause they are more than likely in place and ready for patrons?  I hope it’s true!

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Best Yet Market grand opening in pictures

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Mar 5, 2010 @ 13:37
By HarlemGal
If you did not have a chance to swing by Best Yet Market, located at 118th and Frederick Douglass Blvd., today for their grand opening…not to worry. Fellow HarlemCondoLife blogger, Austin2Harlem, walked by and photographed the ceremonial event!

Several VIPs attended and ABC’s Channel 7 was present. The most notable VIP was Congressman Charlie Rangel, and of course Mr. Best too! Rangel said the new supermarket created 100 plus jobs and other speakers emphasized that Harlem is now getting quality, healthy food at low prices, including fresh produce, meat and fish.

HCL would like to add that Karrott at 117th and FDB and Organic Forever at 112th and FDB offer Harlemites healthy food options as well for reasonable prices.

This concludes the Best Yet blogging saga. May we all go forward now and shop and dine at all our local Harlem businesses! Stay tuned for a post about Chez Lucienne and upcoming films at El Museo del Barrio!

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More Red Rooster Harlem details surface

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Feb 26, 2010 @ 11:42
By HarlemGal

NY Magazine caught up with Marcus Samuelsson recently and asked him about Red Rooster, his new upcoming Harlem restaurant. According to the article, the Red Rooster menu will be a giant melting pot of diverse cuisine – a true representation of Harlem.  Yum! Can’t wait!

My question now is, will Samuelsson open up Red Rooster on Frederick Douglass Blvd? If so, I believe the opening of Red Rooster on FDB could potentially validate my prediction that this busy, “gold coast,” boulevard will become Harlem’s restaurant row? Start placing your bets folks!

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