The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association

Neighbors united to improve the quality of life in Harlem

Category: Local Businesses

311 Wants to Hear From You

Posted on by Harlem Shill

New York City’s 311 app wants to hear from you. Specifically, they want to hear about your experience using the 311 App and so are inviting you to participate in a survey

To tell them how you love/hate the 311 App, click the button below.

Tell NYC What You Think About the 311 App

Where McDonalds Stood, A Tower Grows

If you remember the McDonalds on 125th Street, under the 1 Train, and on the corner of Broadway, that site (600 West 125th Street) is the location of a large new sustainable and eco-friendly designed building that Columbia University is putting up.

The new building will include elements like a high-performance façade, vegetated roof space, storm water collection and retention, optimized equipment efficiency, and an enhanced Clean Construction program. Amenities include a 150-bicycle storage room, storage space, a fitness center, and lounges on the second and sixth floor with adjoining outdoor terraces. It will have commercial space, and 142 residences for Columbia graduate students and faculty.

And, maybe, just maybe, a McDonald’s franchise would return to occupy the tower’s ground-floor retail space.

Harlem Wellness Fest TODAY

IT’S A MOVE & STRETCH PARTY! Join us for Harlem Wellness Fest @harlemwellnessfest — where you can get to know Harlem’s homegrown fitness & wellness businesses, and map out your wellness routine for fall.

Harlem has seen enormous growth in our fitness and wellness scene over the course of the past decade. While we were hit hard by COVID-19, we’ve built a strong network of minority-owned and women-led small businesses — with amazing teachers and trainers who are expanding and energizing our community culture of fitness & self-care.

Save the date for TWO BIG TENTS with a lineup of FREE classes ranging from dance to yoga, boxing to strength training, and kettlebells to meditation. You can also explore the Humana Pavilion, where you’ll get to know each small business and sample wellness offerings including massage, acupuncture and plant-based nutrition.

REGISTER ON EVENTBRITE IN ADVANCE TO CLAIM YOUR FREE SWAG BAG! (While supplies last, and link in our profile.)

Participating businesses include:
💪🏽Harlem Cycle @harlemcycle
💪🏾Harlem Wellness Center @harlemwellnesscenter
💪🏼Harlem Yoga Studio @harlemyoga
💪🏿Harlem Kettlebell Club @harlemkettlebellclub
💪🏾Women’s World of Boxing @wwboxnyc
💪🏽Cliffs of Harlem @thecliffsharlem
💪🏿Harlem Pilates @harlempilates
💪🏾Benswic @benswic
💪🏽Hurricane Fitness @hurricanefitnessnyc
💪🏼Uplift Spa @upliftspa
💪🏽Harlem Chi Community Acupuncture @harlemchiacupuncture
💪🏿Spa Boutique & Wellness Lounge @spa_boutique_2go
💪🏼Art of Massage @artofmassage_nyc
💪🏽The Juicery Harlem @juiceryharlem
💪🏿Juice Max Eatery @juicemaxeatery

With thanks to Humana @humana, lululemon @lululemon, and our partners at Uptown Grand Central @uptowngrandcentral & TBo Harlem @tbo.harlem.

#Harlem #EastHarlem #ElBarrio #SmallBusiness #Community #Health #Fitness #Wellness #HarlemWellnessFest

National Night Out 2022

Posted on by Harlem Shill

The ever-amazing Kioka Jackson is asking for help with this year’s National Night Out on Tuesday, August 2nd:

I hope everyone has had an amazing start to summer.  I know a lot has been going on around the country and within our own backyards but It is my hope that as a community we can share as much love as we can to overpower the negative things that we are experiencing.  

As many of you are aware, National Night Out is quickly approaching. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community relationships/partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie with effort to make our neighborhoods safer.  The goal is for the community to engage with the law enforcement in our community in a more light-hearted; fun way to build relationships outside of emergency purposes.  Every Precinct around the Nation does this on the same night.  We use fun festive activities, food and music to come together as one community.  This year National Night Out is on August 2nd.  We are hosting it right in front of the Precinct on East 119th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues.

We are asking our Community Based Organizations, Businesses, Retail stores, and Elected Officials to assist us in putting on a great party for that evening.  Because of the Pandemic we have not done any fundraising activities so we really need everyone to partner with us.  

  • If your organization wants to table please contact us.  We welcome you to come bring information about your org but we are asking that you put together a fun activity to be done at your table too.  A game, arts and crafts, etc…. 
  • If you are willing to donate either something in-kind or monetary to help us produce this event – please contact us.  
  • If you are coming to be a guest to just shake a leg with us – we need you too.  You can also help us by sharing the flyer and telling your neighbors to come out and hang with us.

I will be reaching out to many individually as well so don’t block me.  LOL! We need you. We appreciate you and we look forward to working with you to make National Night Out a blast. 

I have attached the flyer for your perusal.  Sponsorship logos will be updated. 

Have a great day all!

Kioka Jackson: koco922

National Black Theater Building Back on Track?

The National Black Theater’s redevelopment has been a tale of false starts, missed deadlines, and likely financing/development drama.

There seems to be some life in the building site, again. We’ll have to wait and see, whether or not construction will begin. And, as we all know, it isn’t over until the building is occupied.

Invest in Shares (of a Harlem Building)

Posted on by Harlem Shill

The Wells Fargo building that sits on Lenox across from Whole Foods sits, of course, on hallowed ground – the site of Lenox Lounge. The latest iteration of real estate news focused on that site involves a unique investment strategy. The building has been taken public as an entity on the stock market, and shares are available for purchase.

The retail and office site at 286 Lenox Ave. – whose three tenants include a Wells Fargo branch – quietly began trading on the over-the-counter markets last week. It’s the first time that a building in New York has been securitized and offered to all investors via the secondary market, according to Jesse Daugherty, co-founder and co-CEO at Lex Markets, which handled the offering.

The building’s stock, which trades under the ticker symbol TESLU, was recently at $250, giving the building a market capitalization of more than $11 million.

According to the company, owners of commercial real estate can use the Lex platform to raise capital by securitizing a portion of their property. This allows them to recapitalize their equity and take out cash while still receiving management fees. At the same time, members of the public can invest in single assets without being accredited investors.

Stormwater

Posted on by Harlem Shill

With Ida in many residents’ minds, it’s useful to look at the latest maps of predicted flooding if another hurricane hits NYC.

New York City is facing multiple climate hazards that will impact daily life in the City in the future. Coastal storms, heat waves, sea level rise impacts, and extreme rain will strain our infrastructure and put New York City’s homes and businesses at risk. As climate change continues, these impacts are predicted to worsen in the coming decades.

The Stormwater Resiliency Plan and associated rainfall maps (beta) are the first City-wide analysis of how extreme rainfall will impact New Yorkers now and into the coming decades. The Plan also establishes key goals and initiatives for the next 10 years to ensure future investments made by City agencies consider and address impacts on rain-driven flooding vulnerability. The Plan and maps will be updated at minimum every four years. Read the Stormwater Resiliency Plan here: nyc.gov/resiliency

The maps focus on rain because it is by far the most common cause of precipitation-based flooding in NYC (as compared to other forms of precipitation, such as snow or sleet). Flooding caused by rainfall is more difficult to map than flooding from coastal storms like Hurricane Sandy. Unlike coastal flooding caused by hurricanes and Nor’easters, rainfall-based flooding can be caused by isolated storms in both waterfront and inland areas. Some may remember the heavy rains that fell in July of 2019. At the peak of the storm, the City’s weather stations recorded rates of almost five inches of rain per hour in central and northern Brooklyn. This resulted in flooding deeper than one foot in several locations across the City. By the 2080s, we know that extreme rain events are predicted to become 1.5 times more likely than today, and sea level will continue to rise by as much as 6 feet. Many of our sewers end up draining at or near coastal waters. As sea level rises, our sewer system cannot drain properly. On top of these stressors, NYC is similar to other cities in the US in that it is working with a sewer network first constructed decades ago, when we did not expect this amount and intensity of rainfall. By publishing this Plan and maps, the City is working to prepare for a future where extreme storms are more common.

The first map (below) shows what a moderate rainfall’s impact is predicted to be (darker blue meaning flooding more than 1 foot in the neighborhood:

The second map (below) shows what an intense rainfall event is likely to cause.

Again, dark blue indicates you can expect 1 foot or more of water on the street, and in houses and businesses:

You can read NYC’s full report on Floodwater here:

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/orr/pdf/publications/stormwater-resiliency-plan.pdf

The full, interactive map, is here:

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/4b290961cac34643a49b9002f165fad8/

Stellar Harlem Restaurants

Eater has a map and listing of a number of stellar restaurants in Harlem and East Harlem:

https://ny.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-harlem

Dog Run Volunteers Needed

Posted on by Harlem Shill

JOIN US ON
SUNDAY, MAY 1 @ 9 AM – 1 PM

for our Spring Cleaning event.  Tasks will include spreading mulch, raking, weeding, and painting.  These cleanup events are not just an opportunity to tidy up and beautify our park, it’s an opportunity to get to know your neighbors.  As usual, we will provide hand, sanitizer, face masks and gloves, and there will be coffee and breakfast treats.

The dog park is maintained solely by volunteers, and is funded by charitable donations.  If you are unable to participate in this event, please consider supporting our efforts by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance.  When donating, please make sure to indicate that your donation is to support the Dog Park.  

  For more information, or to get more involved, 
email [email protected]

See you there!

MMPCIA Stoop Sale

May 1st is MMPCIA’s Stoop Sale Day!

Congressman Espaillat Announces A Plan For 125th Street In Collaboration With Mayor Eric Adams

Posted on by Harlem Shill

Harlemites have been at the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic for two years, hard hit by the immediate health emergency and the longstanding challenges that the pandemic underscored. On our road to recovery, we must address High unemployment, rising gun violence, a houseless and affordability housing crisis, food insecurity, systemic mental health and psychiatric care failures, poor sanitation, and inadequate access to open spaces.

I am working in collaboration with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, local elected officials and community stakeholders to address the ongoing needs of our community and enhance the safety of West and East Harlem through criminal justice and health reform.

(photo: Espaillat tour with Mayor Adams, March 2022)

In coordination with key local stakeholders, the following suggestions to help address some of these issues have been put forth:

1.         Amplify Neighborhood Safety Teams in West and East Harlem.  

2.         Reduction of Methadone Clinics and other related services in the 125th Street corridor by no less than 50%. 

3.         Crack down on the “Iron Pipeline” and “Ghost Guns” in the 125th Street Corridor.

4.         Increase Violence Interrupters in the 125th Street Corridor – specifically in neighborhoods that currently have few or none. 

5.         Establish additional bus routes from Randall’s and Wards Islands.  

6.         Support Mental Health Assistance throughout West and East Harlem and Enhance Homeless Services. 

7.         The establishment of an ad-hoc committee composed of senior leadership members of the offices of the Mayor, Representative Espaillat and the Governor, key agencies including OASAS and DOHMH, MTA, DOT, NYCT, DSNY, law enforcement including the NYPD and the Manhattan DA, and lastly- elected officials and key stakeholders on 125th street. 

8.         Engage and Support Youth in the 125th Street Corridor. 

9.         Mitigate Financial Stress in the 125th Street Corridor.  

10.      Increase the number of Park Enforcement Patrol officers at ART Park, Dr. Ronald McNair and Marcus Garvey parks to help discourage illicit activity and encourage a safe welcoming open space environment. 

Sincerely,

Image

Adriano Espaillat
Member of Congress

============================

Los residentes de Harlem han estado en la primera línea de la pandemia de COVID-19 durante dos años, y han sido muy afectados por la emergencia sanitaria inmediata y los desafíos de larga data que subrayó la pandemia. En nuestro camino hacia la recuperación, debemos abordar los índices alto de desempleo, el aumento de la violencia con armas de fuego, una crisis de viviendas asequibles y de personas desamparadas, la inseguridad alimentaria, las fallas sistémicas en la atención psiquiátrica y de salud mental, el saneamiento deficiente y el acceso inadecuado a espacios abiertos.

Estoy trabajando en colaboración con el alcalde de la Ciudad de Nueva York, Eric Adams, los funcionarios electos locales y las partes interesadas de la comunidad para abordar las necesidades actuales de nuestra comunidad y mejorar la seguridad en el Oeste y el Este de Harlem a través de reformas de la justicia penal y de la salud.

En coordinación con participantes locales clave, se han presentado las siguientes sugerencias para ayudar a abordar algunos de estos problemas:

1.         Ampliar los Equipos de Seguridad Vecinal en el Oeste y el Este de Harlem.

2.         Reducción de clínicas de metadona y otros servicios relacionados en el corredor de la calle 125.

3.         Tomar medidas enérgicas contra la “Iron Pipeline” (ruta de contrabando de armas ilegales) y las “Armas indetectables” en el Corredor de la calle 125.

4.         Aumentar los Interruptores de la Violencia en el corredor de la calle 125, específicamente en los vecindarios que actualmente tienen pocos o ninguno de estos servicios.

5.         Establecer rutas de autobuses adicionales desde Randall’s y Wards Island

6.         Apoyar la asistencia de salud mental en todo el Oeste y Este de Harlem y mejorar los servicios para personas desamparadas.

7.         El establecimiento de un comité ad-hoc compuesto por interesados clave en la calle 125, miembros de las oficinas del alcalde, la gobernadora y yo, agencias clave que incluyen OASAS, DOHMH, MTA, DOT, NYCT, DSNY, agencias de aplicación de la ley, incluyendo el NYPD y el fiscal de distrito de Manhattan y, por último, los funcionarios electos locales.

8.         Involucrar y apoyar a los jóvenes en el corredor de la calle 125 a través de servicios de mejora de la educación y el empleo.

9.         Mitigar el estrés financiero en el corredor de la calle 125 a través de oportunidades económicas.

10.       Aumentar el número de agentes de la Patrulla de Vigilancia de Parques en los parques ART, Dr. Ronald McNair y Marcus Garvey para fomentar un ambiente de espacio abierto seguro y acogedor.

Atentamente,
Image

Adriano Espaillat
Miembro del Congreso

Construction Has Topped Off

Construction on a massive new building east of the State Office Building.

Staying in Harlem

Posted on by Harlem Shill

With pandemic concerns abating and rules relaxing, tourism is tentatively returning. Harlem World Magazine has partnered with Stay in order to produce a curated list (mostly Booking.com listings) of places where guests can find Harlem accommodation.

Harlem Stay
The options range from $100 at the Harlem Lodge on West 119th Street:

through the very stylish Northern Lights Mansion on West 122nd Street:

Up to a more corporate spot in Aloft:

There are, of course, scores of other booking sites and likely many, many more options out there. It will be interesting to see what the summer holds for COVID, tourism, and Harlem.

Hue Arts: The Brown Paper

Posted on by Harlem Shill

Hue Arts has released a Brown Paper on the experiences and realities of Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and all People of Color arts entities. The project seeks to reveal the value they bring to their communities and to the cultural ecosystem of New York City as a whole. Ensuring that arts leaders, artists, and organizations of color reap the same benefits for their work as their predominantly white counterparts is essential for racial and cultural equity and for the continued vitality of the NYC arts field.

Hue Arts is demanding that the deep systemic inequity that has spread to the art community, including institutions, funders, and policy makers, as well as the artists and communities served, be addressed by New York City, including public and private philanthropy. Until financial resources from both private and government entities are distributed more equitably, there will never be more equitable access to staffing, working conditions, professional training, or space, and there will never be a genuinely equal chance to realize artistic visions and dreams. This is far from the first time this issue has been raised—the tireless efforts of the Cultural Equity Group for over the past 15 years is one notable example. Numerous initiatives over the years have raised many of the issues captured in this report. The gulf in support between the entities studied here and predominantly white-led organizations is both immense and long-standing.

It is important to make the data, stories, and experiences in this report widely visible, but it is equally important that these data, stories, and experiences are heeded. The inequity and imbalance in the distribution of resources cannot be accepted as a given. We must take action as a collective community.

To read the full paper: https://www.hueartsnyc.org/brown-paper/

In addition, Hue Arts has produced a map of POC arts organizations that you can explore:

To see the interactive map, and to add your organization to this repository, please see:

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/867189184f3247daaec186b7dcd33c41/?data_id=dataSource_1-17c760b66fd-layer-5%3A10

Claire Oliver Gallery

Some images from a wonderful recent show at Claire Oliver Gallery:

A Contemporary Black Matriarchal Lineage in Printmaking

Dessert

Posted on by Harlem Shill

In a pair of recent Eater articles, Harlem restaurants got shout outs for superlative conclusions to any meal or evening.

Field Trip and Settepani are both highlighted. Read the reviews (below) to learn why you need to sample these local jewels.

https://ny.eater.com/maps/best-tiramisu-nyc

https://ny.eater.com/maps/best-desserts-nyc

The Lindy Hop Went to Scandinavia

Listen to the story of the Lindy Hop dance, as it travels out of Harlem’s history, and into Sweden.

From NPR’s Rough Translation.

https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1066965712/1067022541

Black Resilience and Sustainability Exhibit at Calabar Gallery

Calabar Gallery has a powerful new show up.

New Supermarket Opening

Posted on by Harlem Shill

A new supermarket – Lidl – will open tomorrow at 8 AM. The first 100 customers will get gift cards ranging from $5-$100.

The German discount grocer, which spent more than $5 million renovating the old Best Market that
closed in that space in early 2021, will offer private label items (many organic and gluten-free), produce, bread and pastries in its bakery, flowers and much more.

2187 Frederick Douglass Blvd and 118th St

127/Park

Harlem Bespoke has a piece on the buildings that were located at the corner of 127/Park Avenue.

The new building by Artimus will hopefully bring life back to this block which has otherwise been a parking lot for decades.

Job Opening: Licensed Clinical Social Worker

OnPoint is looking for a licensed social worker. Details below:

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We Act – Learn More About Environmental Justice Legislation

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