My Image Studios under construction

The journey Back in 2007, I met with the developers of the Kalahari. Carlton Brown and Walter Edwards, of Full Spectrum, were extremely excited about the opening of their first green residential development in Harlem.  The development was to include space for a custom-designed, state-of-the-art movie theater, dedicated to showing independent black and Latino films.… [Read more…]

Tocara Live Generously

Tocara Tocara Tocara  Live generously and purchase an Abyssinian Fund Tocara bracelet for $5. Then spend at participating Harlem Park to Park restaurants and shops, and 10% will go to The Abyssinian Fund.    

Mount Morris Park Community Association Monthly Meeting

Tonight Mount Morris Park will be having its monthly meeting to discuss the annual Father’s Day Skyscraper Classic Bike Race around Marcus Garvey Park next month and its annual House and Garden Tour also taking place next month. A newly proposed restaurant, The PInk Heifer, plans to open on Lenox Avenue. Attendees will have an opportunity… [Read more…]

Le Femme Suite 1st Anniversary Extravaganza

This past Friday night Le Femme Suite celebrated its first year anniversary with a ladies’ night celebration at their studio at 2364 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard. They pulled out all the stops for the event, including red carpet, professional photos, male models, disco lights, a DJ, and a delicious array of soul food samples, hors… [Read more…]

Harlem’s Supermarket Sweep

A recent article in Crain’s reminded us about a post we wrote a few years ago bemoaning the dire state of Harlem’s supermarkets. In 2009, CNN reporter Soledad O’Brien shocked many  of her viewers when she exposed Harlem’s dirty secret about being able to buy a gun easier than buying a fresh tomato in the… [Read more…]

Twirl Fitness Lounge – update

Admittedly, I was confused for awhile. First Le Femme Suite appeared where Twirl Studios used to be and then I saw Twirl Fitness Lounge on 135th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. Was Twirl Lounge once Twirl Studios? See what I mean? What I do know is that they both seem to offer pole dancing fitness classes and… [Read more…]

The Power of One Vendor Fair

Spa Ha Cafe This weekend The Power of One hosted a vendor’s fair at Hue Man Books. The Power of One is an initiative to encourage community members to reinvest in local businesses. For $1 you can purchase a card that offers discounts at neighborhood businesses. Vendors that participated in the fair were Harlem Vintage,… [Read more…]

What’s New in Harlem

If we look at the businesses along the lower end of Frederick Douglass Blvd. we might get the impression that Harlem’s economy is booming! This year has ushered in a few new businesses to fill the empty storefronts along Harlem’s main condo thoroughfare. Lido is a new Italian eatery that replaces the short lived Frizzante. Lido… [Read more…]

The game of musical storefronts continues: B.Oyama Moves

A game of real estate roulette is happening all over Harlem. First we noticed that Sade Skincare moved into Pollen Nation’s old shop and now B. Oyama has moved into Montgomery’s old shop on Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. Montgomery had been at the uptown location since 2003 when it relocated from SoHo. We aren’t… [Read more…]

Rethinking Possible with Daymond John and Common at the Apollo

The Apollo has been dubbed the place where stars are born and legends are made. So it was apropos that AT&T celebrated past history makers and future innovators by bringing a national speakers series to the world famous theater on the last Thursday of February. The series also traveled to other major metropolitan hubs like… [Read more…]

The Business Formerly known as: Uptown Grand changes its name to Panache

It first appeared on the uptown scene as a high-end seafood restaurant named Pier 2110.  It later found new life when Joe Holland resurrected it as Gospel Uptown. A few months later the name was changed to Uptown Grand. Now in yet another twist of fate, it is Panache Supper Club. What’s going on?  Well, Holland… [Read more…]

Pollen Nation is now Sade Skincare

No sooner had Pollen Nation cleared out of their spot on 125th Street, did Sade Skincare move in.  Sade used to be located at 2046 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard @122nd Street (shown in above photo). We noticed the other day that Sade had moved from their long time location in what is a virtual no… [Read more…]

Boutique shoe store closed and owner charged with assault

Rashidah Ali has closed the Harlem branch of her shoe store, Bourgeoisie Shoes, after being charged with felony assault back in January. Originally thought to have “clawed” the face of a bouncer in a SoHo club where she and friends were celebrating in the VIP section, the bouncer is now claiming that Ali used a razor… [Read more…]

National Black Theater in Harlem in danger of foreclosure

Today’s New York Times featured the troubled story about the National Black Theater and its financial woes. The building, with a fully functional theater with space to spare and retail space galore, takes up an entire block along 5th Avenue between 125th and 126th Street. As a cruel twist of irony, the area is finally… [Read more…]

Pollen Nation closes up shop

After bringing some class to the east end of 125th Street, Pollen Nation has decided to close the doors of its retail establishment. We gain a florist and lose a florist. Here is the official statement: Pollen Nation has officially closed the retail arm of our business and will concentrate on our existing customers and… [Read more…]

Support the Cupcake Suite

Passing by the future home of the Get ‘em Girls Cupcake Suite on Frederick Douglass Boulevard, we were disheartened to see that a notice was posted on the door. We were under the impression that things were moving right along and that they were working on the business on the back end while continuing their… [Read more…]

New Harlem businesses face old challenges

This morning’s New York Times had an article titled, In A Changing Harlem, Rift between Old and New Business Owners. This article is long overdue. Every time a conversation arises about why Harlem businesses can’t thrive, the conversation always turns to the “old guard” and the influence they’ve had over the neighborhood. The article points… [Read more…]

The UPS Store Offers Everything But Cheeseburgers

With my current passport reaching retirement age, I found myself in need of new photos so I can re-activate my jet-setting ways. So, I dropped by the UPS Store on 1-2-5 (30 East 125th) this afternoon to have the shots taken. While there, I learned a lot. Want to know what’s going on? Here you… [Read more…]

N Boutique Closed!

Good Morning readers. We awoke to a notice from N Boutique that they have closed the new Lenox Avenue location. This is  a huge shock to us!  Another intrepid blogger actually saw the move happening last night and reported it on Twitter, but the official word came from the owners themselves today. They will be… [Read more…]

The Scarf Lady is back!

One of my favorite local shops to buy gifts from was The Scarf Lady. I was sad to see her close a couple of years ago, but thrilled that she is returning! Swing by and check out her wonderful scarves, jewelry, and other accessories!

Shop N Mingle 2010

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Shop N Mingle is back for its 7th year. Enjoy live music, cocktails and hundreds of eager shoppers seeking unique and fashionable gifts and accessories.  Society HAE and metroPCS kick things up a notch this year by hosting Shop N Mingle at Harlem PoP a 12,000 square… [Read more…]

Bodega Barometer: In East Harlem, The Recession Isn’t Over – City Limits Magazine

Here in West Harlem there is a steady boom of new “gourmet” delis/bodegas, but in East Harlem, competition from chain stores seems to have taken a bite out of sales. Read more about it in City Limits. Bodega Barometer: In East Harlem, The Recession Isn’t Over – City Limits Magazine – CityLimits.org.

Small Business Saturday in Harlem

Today was Small Business Saturday, a business incentive promoted by American Express. Uptownflavor has long been a fan of Make My Cake’s moist, thick slices of Red Velvet Cake. It’s no wonder that American Express decided to featured Harlem’s Make My Cake on its Open Forum website in a video segment titled, “Small Business Rules”.  You… [Read more…]

Harlem Pop

Shop Harlem Pop every weekend through December 19 2037 Fifth Avenue Between 125th and 126th Street

From gas to grill: New Harlem eatery in former gas station

Crain’s reports on a unique new hang out spot opening in Harlem http://mobile.newyorkbusiness.com/device/article.php?id=&CALL_URL=http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100903/SMALLBIZ/100909948 Posted on location via my mobile.

Project Enterprise Entrepreneurial Assistance Program

Sneak Peek: Petsmart opens in East River Plaza

This morning Uptownflavor took a sneak peek at the newest addition to the East River Plaza.  Keeping with the trend of breaking new ground, PetSmart has opened its first store in Manhattan on the lower level of the East Harlem shopping center. Prior to opening the new store customers had to travel to Yonkers or… [Read more…]

That Picnic Place

Sweltering summer temperatures make the thought of cooking in your already overheated apartment or sweating over a sizzling hot grill pure torture. But you must eat, right?  So why not have a picnic?  You might argue that picnics are too much work between having to go food shopping, then packing the basket, and finally lugging… [Read more…]

Atomic Wings closed – again

So it seems that Atomic Wings cleared up their tax issues and reopened briefly, (from what we heard.) When we walked past on Sunday, the struggling business was shuttered again. This time with a Marshal’s notice on the door. We wish the guys luck with getting their finances in order and reorganizing the business. Read… [Read more…]

Delivering free bike helmets

How many times have you watched a bicycle delivery person recklessly swerve in and out of traffic at break-neck speeds without a helmet or any other type of protection? Not only are they putting their life  at risk, but they also breaking the law. On Thursday, Aug. 5 from 1 to 4 pm commercial delivery… [Read more…]

Swing’s Gates

Painted gates are nothing new to Harlem. We have all seen the work of Franco the Great, yet the gate at Swing caught our eye the other day. Does anyone know the artist? We didn’t see a signature and the store was closed (hence the gate being down.)

The Harlem H&M reopens this week

H&M Harlem will unveil its new store to the public this Friday, July 30 at 10am. The newly rebuilt store features a brand new interior and fixtures, giving the store a modern and updated look.  It also boasts a brand new facade which will be sure to make H&M Harlem the main attraction on the… [Read more…]

Harlem Target Sneak Peek

The official grand opening of the first Target to open on the island of Manhattan isn’t until Sunday, but big name stars and local celebrities couldn’t wait to come see what the mega-chain had to offer on a balmy Tuesday night. Target hosted a red carpet affair unlike any Harlem has seen since its former… [Read more…]

East Harlem Target’s Red Carpet

Target rolled out the red carpet to invited guests for an exclusive “sneak peek” at the new East Harlem store set to open on July 25th.  Local celebrities from some of our favorite Harlem institutions, as well as models, actors, and singers made East Harlem their destination last night.  On the red carpet, it was… [Read more…]

Raphael Pitches New UPS Luggage

The UPS Store is using their 125th Street (30 East 125th) location as a launching ground for a new program for shipping luggage. Charmaine Raphael, The UPS Store Manager, will be making an appearance on FOX Cable at 9:30am on Saturday July 3rd to help announce the program. “Not having to carry a suitcase while… [Read more…]

Harlem’s Meat: Your neighborhood butcher

Fourth of July weekend usually means lots of grilling and chilling in Harlem. If you want a great selection of quality meats to throw on the grill without breaking the bank then you will want to swing by Harlem’s Meat. The modern version of a butcher shop, Harlem’s Meat opened a couple of months ago… [Read more…]

Star studded grand opening for Harlem Target

The Wall Street Journal reports that Target has been busy buttering up Harlem’s trendsetters in preparation for the grand opening celebration later this month in East Harlem. According to the WSJ: The 10-car No. 6 train that will deposit riders on a platform linking to the store by a pedestrian bridge will be wrapped through… [Read more…]

Free Financial Education Seminar at The Apollo Theatre

Self-made Millionaire and Author of New York Times Bestselling Autobiography The Pursuit of Happyness Provides Free Financial Seminar to New Yorkers with the help of MasterCard Chris Gardner, whose personal story of going from being homeless to a successful business owner, inspired the motion picture, “The Pursuit of Happyness” starring Will Smith. Gardner will be… [Read more…]

Target views new East Harlem store as “high investment”

Target is making its mark on uptown neighborhoods. First landing in The Bronx with two new stores, a Harlem location is close to opening before the end of summer. “We’re not bashful about building in high-density areas,” Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and CEO explained to investors. “We get the sales and profit associated with more guests… [Read more…]

Banks in Harlem schools allow teens to cash in on financial literacy

It’s a rainy Tuesday at Thurgoood Marshall Academy and inside, the hallways are flooding with students on their way to class and work.thegrio.com, Banks in schools allow teens to cash in on financial literacy, Jun 2010 You should read the whole article.