StreetEasy.com’s VP of Research Sofia Song indicates that while prices across Manhattan have remained relatively flat since last year’s first quarter, Central Harlem has seen a 6.6 percent increase in median closing price. This is the highest of any neighborhood in the city. Additionally, the supply of available apartments is down 17.7 percent from 2011.
For instance, One Museum Mile with condos above the Museum for African Art at 1280 Fifth Ave., have seen units selling for as much as $3.1 million. Nearby The Related Companies have started marketing 1214 Fifth Ave., Mount Sinai’s newest tower, which features 30 floors of rentals and the amenities of a luxury condo, including a pool, fitness center and a screening room.
The Harlem Arts Festival gala fundraising event on May 16 at the Alhambra Ballroom was a smashing success raising $6,000 bringing the total amount of money raised to over $18,000 with all proceeds going directly to artists.
The Harlem Arts Festival’s mission is:
“To produce a multidisciplinary arts festival, showcasing local performers and visual artists that will inspire and nourish the artistic community in Harlem. It aims to promote arts education and literacy by implementing arts-related discussion forums, educational workshops, performance opportunities and activities for youth and family. This project will be part of Harlem’s addition to the larger, citywide commitment to provide free art in the public parks during the spring and summer months.”
The event was well attended with stylishly dressed benefactors and performers and founding members of the organization. The tables had beautiful centerpieces, with well dressed waitstaff circulating drinks and tending an open bar.
A diverse group of artists provided the evening’s entertainment. Artists included Saxophonist Ben Barson, a recent Harlem resident and one of the artists selected for the upcoming Harlem Arts Festival.
HAFArtistQueenEsther
HAFArtistBenBarso
Queen Esther, with Dan Rosengard on piano, and Briana Thomas, with Conun Pappas Jr. on piano. A special dance performance by eight children of the Ballroom Basix program, a Harlem-based nonprofit non-competitive dance program that teaches children ballroom and Latin dancing skills.
For me the highlight of the evening was singer Brianna Thomas, a vocalist, teacher, composer and arranger who reminds me of my sister and who is very talented and who brought the house down. Below is my favorite performance. Please visit HarlemCondoLife.com on YouTube for more videos.
I also enjoyed catching up with founding members J.J. El-Far, Neal Ludevig and Chelsea Goding and Sakita Holley, Founder & CEO of the House of Success, all of whom impressed me with their stories of how things came to be and their passion and commitment.
My only regret is not having won anything at the silent auction, which included paintings, and offerings from Land Yoga and 67 Orange. But clearly the event did well, which is of great pleasure to me.
The inaugural Harlem Arts Festival is scheduled to take place in the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater at Marcus Garvey Park June 29-30. Out of a pool of 75 applicants, 35 artists have been selected to be part of the festival.
“There’s a very rich, creative legacy here in Harlem, but there is also a lot of talent here right now,” said J.J. El-Far, Harlem Arts Festival’s creative director. “We wanted to create a festival that celebrates all of the arts. Our artists have a diverse array of talents and they all have roots or connections here.”
This Thursday night on May 17th the 11th Annual “A Great Night In Harlem” concert will be held at the Apollo Theater. The event starts at 7PM and tickets are still available for this star studded event including an exciting line up of celebrities and musicians.
Special Guest – Quincy Jones
Performances by Macy Gray, Bono, Randy Weston, Bettye LaVette, Sweet Georgia Brown, Bill Saxton, Dr. John, Pacquito D’Rivera, Rebirth Brass Band, Treme Brass Band and Stanley Jordan just to name a few
Comedy stand up by: Darrell Hammond
The 2012 Gala Honoree: Claude Nobs
For more information on this event including ticket prices and the full list of performers please click on the link.
This Saturday, April 28th, learn how to make your home more energy efficient at WE ACT‘s Earth Day 2012 Conference. A variety of speakers will talk about the ways you can save money and make your home more energy efficient at the same time. Topics will include weatherization, solar panels, green roofs and healthy homes. The program will run from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm at the Oberia D. Dempsey Multi-Service Center (3rd Floor Gymnasium) 127 West 127th Street New York, NY. The event is FREE but registration is mandatory. Lunch will be served.
There will be a showing this Saturday night on April 14 at 9:30 PM, of HANDS TO THE SKY at Dixon Place, NYC’s Laboratory for Performance. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. For those of you who enjoy the Sundae Sermon parties with DJ Stormin’ Norman and a variety of guest DJ’s, you will definitely enjoy this film.
My House Rocs presents Hands to The Sky. Domingo Canate - Executive Producer; Angelo Boyke - Director/Editor; JP Noel - Co-Director/Producer; Wendy Arimah - Literary Supervisor/Associate Producer; Kervyn Mark - Music Supervisor/Co-Producer. Hands to The Sky is documentary that focuses on the House Music outdoor movement. It removes the dance experience from the confines of the box and plants it in the park, lays it on the beach and sets it in unexpected and exciting places. The adroit camera crew captures the passionate connection between the dancers and the DJ’s, as they explore the themes of love and unity that emanates from the speakers. It calls souls to a common heartbeat and reveals a mystical, musical revolution on the strength of radical peace and a powerful reflection of freedom.
Dixon Place
161A Chrystie Street (btwn rivington & delancy)
New York, NY 10002
Next Saturday, April 14th, you can take a ride on the ArtCrawl trolley as it makes its rounds – this year’s tour to selected East Harlem galleries and public spaces will showcase Hispanic artists. The informative tour (12 noon- 4 pm) will be followed by dinner (4pm -6pm), complete with wine and music.
Jacqueline & Averlyn
ArtCrawl was created by Jacqueline Orange and Averlyn Archer to introduce New Yorkers to the many galleries and art spaces in Harlem. The guided tour & dinner are $55 per person. Art will be available for purchase. Call 212 866-7427 or go to www.artcrawlharlem.com to reserve your seat.
This Saturday, March 24th from 12 noon – 3:00PM you can join “Walk It Out!” at the 2012 Annual Family Walk and Run! This is a fun-filled, physical activity-centered, free, family event that seeks to bring awareness of the need for participation in community programming to support health in Harlem! This year’s event highlights senior fitness and intergenerational community health. The walking will be indoors, at the Harlem Children’s Zone Armory. The team with the most revolutions wins a prize! Free Registration, which includes a Healthy Lunch. Free Health Screenings by Harlem Hospital Center. Free Exercise Demonstrations by New York Road Runners.
The Harlem Children’s Zone Armory is located at 40 West 143rd Street – between Lenox and Fifth Avenues
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), 9 out of 10 Americans have too much salt (sodium chloride) in their diets. For those of us who have or are at risk for developing high blood pressure, reducing sodium intake is particularly important.
Not adding salt to cooked foods is a good first step but most of the salt we eat comes from processed foods and foods prepared in restaurants. Sodium is already part of processed foods and cannot be removed but we can select lower sodium foods when possible and cook more foods ourselves, to better control how much sodium we eat. Read the Nutrition Facts label while shopping
to find the lowest sodium options of your favorite foods.
According to a recent national CDC study, the leading sources of overall sodium consumption are bread and rolls, cold cuts/cured meats, pizza, poultry, soups, sandwiches such as cheeseburgers, cheese, pasta mixed dishes such as spaghetti with meat sauce, meat mixed dishes such as meatloaf with tomato sauce, and savory snacks like chips and pretzels. Together, these account for more than 40% of sodium consumption. For kids, hotdogs and ready-to-eat cereals are in the top ten. Click here to learn about things you can do at home, when eating in restaurants and while shopping to cut back on salt.
Londel Davis, longtime Harlemite & owner of Londel’s Supper Club at 2620 Frederick Douglass, has opened his new “L” (or is it “EL”?) Lounge about 25 blocks south of his well known restaurant. There is no sign on the door yet but friends who attended a pre-opening private event say the lounge is named for the long since dismantled 8th Avenue elevated train, pictures of which adorn
8th Avenue El, May 1939
this classy new addition to Harlem’s “Gold Coast”. Fans of Londel’s unique blend of “continental, Cajun, and traditional Southern cuisine” will still have to travel to the 139th Street establishment – his new place is a bar lounge, not a restaurant.
The “First Saturday” of each month, the Schomburg Center presents a family-oriented program. This Saturday, March 4th, internationally acclaimed fashion designer Imani McFarlane will show your children how to use gorgeous fabrics and African styles to highlight their hair. For ages 12 and up. All materials will be provided. Free!
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
515 Malcom X Blvd at 1
Saturday, March 3, 2012, 4 – 6 p.m.35th Street
February is Heart Health Month, and unfortunately, most of us know someone who has heart disease or has had a stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States – for both men and women.
In the U.S., one in every three deaths is from heart disease or stroke. In our beloved community of Harlem, the prevalence of heart disease and the risk of death from heart disease is even higher than the national average. There are things that each of us can do to improve our heart health.
Let’s fight back against heart disease and strokes by making heart-healthy choices about what we eat and how we live. For more information about how to make heart healthy choices, check out the New York City Department of Health or American Heart Association websites.
* If you’re not already please follow us on twitter @HarlemHCL.
As part of Black History Month, the Grace Congreagtional Church is hosting two performances by the Oikos Ensemble. The Church is located on W 139 Street between Edgecomb and Frederick Douglass. Please call 212 694-8658 for more details.
When it opened in 2005, Melba’s was one of the first new restaurants to arrive on Harlem’s Frederick Douglass Boulevard. This warm, welcoming, elegant establishment serves “American comfort food”. The menu now includes a few “healthy eating” items as well as traditional southern dishes. Melba’s is a favorite of local residents as well as a destination of choice for celebs, political VIPs, and New Yorkers in-the-know . The owner, Melba Wilson, can often be seen greeting her guests with the grace and style that are her trademarks. NativeNewYorker recently shared an outstanding meal there with other HCL founders HarlemGuy, HarlemHouse and ICare4Harlem. Melba wasn’t there but the place still ran smoothly. From the moment we walked in, her friendly, knowledgeable and efficient staff made us feel at home. We started with appetizers – the catfish strips were yummy, and the drinks were also a hit. I am not a Mojito lover but my colleague assured me that his was first rate. Our entrees were all beautifully presented as well as delicious.
HarlemGuy had the Melba’s signature Southern Fried Chicken and Eggnog Waffles, HarlemHouse really enjoyed the salmon with Melba’s famous mac & cheese and sauteed spinach; ICare4Harlem had the wine braised short ribs of beef and yours truly had the Chilean Sea Bass which was perfectly cooked.
We were almost too full for dessert but couldn’t resist sharing the chocolate mousse cake and the scrumptious homemade green apple sorbet. We lingered long after the last morsel was finished, enjoying the amazing selection of old school music that was playing throughout our meal. Often the music at Melba’s is pumping (sometimes a little too loudly for my taste) but this was a Sunday night and the sounds were perfect for ‘chillin’ with good friends.
If you haven’t been to Melba’s – go. This small, classy establishment is still the Queen of Frederick Douglass Blvd.
Melba Wilson
Melba’s is located at 300 West 114th Street on Frederick Douglass Blvd. It is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday and for brunch on Saturday & Sunday. Call (212) 864-7777 or email melbas@melbasrestaurant.com for information or reservations. Melba’s also does catering; for information email melbascatering@gmail.com.
We have some updates about the newest addition in Harlem on Frederick Douglass Boulevard Harlem Savour Of Seafood, Inc.
After speaking with the owner Angela, she informed us that Harlem Savour’s Facebook page, Website, Twitter and ability to text in your order will be up and running shortly. Their Facebook Page is expected to be up by tomorrow and text-to-order by Friday.
She also informed us that they will have outdoor tables this summer which will be a nice addition for extra seating. There will be a bar as well and they are in the process of getting their liquor license.
I already like how tech savvy this place is and that you will be able to call or text in your order.
“Those that don’t got it, can’t show it. Those that got it, can’t hide it.” - Zora Neale Hurston * An American folklorist, anthropologist and author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance. Of Hurston’s four novels and more than … Continue reading →
In the U.S., one in every three deaths is from heart disease or stroke. In our beloved community of 
