UPDATE:
A couple of months ago we started snooping around regarding these Lions casually hanging around on 11th Ave. We then found out a Latin-Thai fusion restaurant called Alma Thai was slated to open there. Well I’ve got your update right here! I was walking by the area yesterday and workers were putting the final touches on the restaurant. The place looks slamming! They were painting the doors black and gold when I arrived. The lions had some paint work done on them as well. I was able to look past the paper covering parts of the windows and the place looks flipping awesome! Spacious and swanky! I asked the guys who were around and they told me they were opening next week. The valley is quickly becoming a POWERHOUSE of nightlife in Harlem. You already have Dinosaur BBQ and Hudson River Cafe who kicked things off. Now in Just one building structure alone you have a perfect trifecta! Body Bar & Grill A.K.A. “Club Body” (which at 6:30PM already had a line of people going in), Covo’s Italian cuisine, and now Alma Thai! You heard it here first! Snapshots to follow tomorrow!
uptowner
May 19, 2008
the location really is unfortunate, especially at night
sphh
May 19, 2008
It’s hardly a welcoming trip to get down there, especially at night. Best accessed by car, it seems. I’ve passed some shady characters, even during the day, and the side streets from Broadway are pretty deserted.
I live right in the neighborhood and would go to these places more often if they were more accesible.
illoquentgent
May 19, 2008
Ha…I actually used to hang out on those stairs as a kid. Though it has been for the most part “cleared out” it’s still a bit sketchy at night. Same for the steps near Bradhurst that lead up to 155th St. No matter what neighborhood, some places are just naturally lend themselves to be a trap if anything goes down.
i livethere
May 19, 2008
oh yea its safe, and that isnt a gang symbol painted on the walkway, and the 10 guys with screwdrivers and hammers in their back pocket hanging out on the stairs going up to riverside are construction workers. i will come to your funeral. you dont have a clue.
Anonymous
May 18, 2008
I’m guessing you’re right Cap’n. The area is becoming quite swanky these days!
Captain Happen
May 18, 2008
Good lord. I remember when the stairs across the street that run up to Riverside driver were called the “crack stairs”.
I’m guessing the campsite of 10-15 homeless people who lived under riverside drive at 135 / 12th got run out.
anon
May 18, 2008
I just passed it this morning. It does look great. Also, they’ve painted the name on the door and I guess they changed it to Talay. You can see they are hiring for staff.
http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/fbh/684615759.html
Harlem Up and Coming
May 16, 2008
Finally – people are figuring out that Harlem is the perfect place for these cool places. Halrem piers will open soon and I think those restaurants will become a destination for bike and rollerblading visitors from downtown when traveling up the park.