Spring Saturday, East Harlem

Last Saturday Sam and I took advantage of the perfect weather and spent time outside having a fun-filled East Harlem day. We started the day with the One Harlem Community Service Day volunteer program I wrote about earlier on the blog. We were assigned work at the Modesto "Tin" Flores Garden on Lexington between 104th and 105th St. We planted flowers and did general clean up in the garden. I'm definitely going to go back and see how our flowers are doing in the next few weeks.
Afterwards we had brunch at Orbit and walked around the neighborhood listening to the ice cream truck music and watching spontaneous sidewalk parties erupt.





Hard at work in the garden



Sam and I celebrated a morning of hard work over Blue Moons at Orbit


NYC Green Cart on 110th and 3rd Ave.


Dusk in East Harlem

-Gloria

A Proposal to Separate Fast Food and Schools

East Harlem has been in the news this week, although not for the best reasons. A recent study has shown that fast-food restaurants near schools increase the chances of students becoming obese. Not exactly breaking news, I know. Queens councilman Eric N. Gioia studied East Harlem's schools and found that 18 schools were within one block of a fast-food restaurant. He has proposed a ban on new fast food restaurants going up near schools. You can read more about it in an article I wrote for The Daily Green.

-Gloria

Aurum

NOW CLOSED

East Harlem Mediterranean



A fan of the blog (yes a fan!) suggested we check out Aurum, a Mediterranean restaurant on First Ave. We were excited to try it out, there aren't many Mediterranean restaurants in the area. We went late – around 10pm – on Saturday night for dinner. The restaurant is painted deep burgundy with exposed brick walls and is decorated with photos from local artists with lots of shots from around the neighborhood.

The food was fantastic: classic Mediterranean dishes and great wine. After being seated we were served rosemary seasoned bread, pickled hot peppers in olive oil and feta cheese. After wolfing that down we ordered a Mediterranean Salad with mixed greens – it was perfect and fresh. I ordered the Linguini Seafood which was subtle and seasoned perfectly. But the ribs, I would be amiss if I did not mention the ribs. Sam ordered the Braised Short Ribs, he waxed on poetically about them until I had to try them myself. These ribs were perfect – falling apart in all the right ways and totally worthy of Sam's praise.

They are hoping to have their back patio ready for seating this summer.

Location:
2252 First Avenue
(btwn 115th and 116th St.)

Phone: (646) 719-1157

Recommended Dishes/Drinks: Mediterranean Salad, Braised Short Ribs. Linguini Seafood Pasta

Average Dish Price: $14-$25

Aurum

-Gloria

One Harlem Community Service Day

City Year is sponsoring a community service day in East Harlem on April 25th. Sam and I will be among the 300 volunteers painting murals and landscaping in community gardens and parks. The day goes from 9am-3pm; the first half of the day devoted to service and the last to Harlem fun with a block party, great food, entertainment and booths with local vendors.. To find out more about the event or to volunteer yourself contact Sonya Spann at (646) 662-1447 or sspann09@cityyear.org.

Hope to see all East Harlemers there!

Walkerswood Caribbean Restaurant

Ate at Walkerswood Caribbean Restaurant for lunch today, on 2nd Ave between 109/110. They have a daily lunch special with a couple of options from the menu for only $6. I tried several items from the lunch special - the BBQ chicken and the curry goat, as well as a chicken patty.

The chicken patty was great, the pastry was light and fresh and the filling delicious (and only a buck seventy five). The BBQ chicken was good, I got it with rice and beans and veggies. It was sweet, which i don't normally care for, but this was really good and tender and juicy - real chicken although with lots of little bones. The curry goat was good as well, although a little dry. I would have preferred it with more sauce, but it was quite spicy and great with a beer.

The restaurant itself is incredibly plain, half white walls, half sky blue with just a couple of tables. You order from a really nice guy in a little booth/kitchen in the back of the restaurant. I would definitely suggest checking out Walkerswood, grab it to go, pick up a couple of beers and try something you wouldn't normally order. -Sam

Location:
2135 2nd Ave (btwn 109/110th)
New York, NY 10029

Phone:
(212) 996-2310

Recommended Dishes/Drinks: BBQ Chicken w/ Rice & Beans

Average Dish Price: $9, Lunch Special $6

Savoy Bakery

When I stepped off the train the first time I'd come to East Harlem last summer, I admittedly had no idea what to expect. But not long after walking eastward on 110th I was quickly surprised to see a great little bakery called Savoy. Savoy is a bit of an anomaly on 110th, with its all-glass front, slate floors, brick walls, wood-crate bar stools and warm ambient lighting, you can't help staring in as you walk by. Once inside you'll find fun, colorful art on the walls, a long glass counter full of delicious baked goods, and cheerful hired hands that are happy to chat about Law & Order filming nearby or the walls in the Library next door falling in.

The food is quite good, although virtually everything is very bready. They have sweet and savory items alike, from regular items like croissants, danishes and cookies to curry beef puffs and pigs-in-a-blanket. The cakes and pies in the front counter look like they deserve to be hung on the walls with the rest of the art. Gloria thinks the coffee is a little too strong, I think it's perfect. And the best part of it all is the prices are very reasonable.

We've walked past Savoy on several occasions when the lights were dimmed, candles lit and curtains semi-drawn. You can book the bakery for a private party, they have a full kitchen and will work with you on planning a complete dinner. They also do catering if you are in the need of such services.

It's lucky Savoy does not have couches, the place feels so warm and comfortable I would have been asleep within 5 minutes on this chilly drizzly day. There may be a million places similar to Savoy throughout the city, but in East Harlem they're few and far between. There are great bakeries for sure throughout the neighborhood, but if you are on 110th Savoy is definitely worth popping into. -Sam


Location:
170 East 110th Street (btwn Lex/3rd Ave, 6 train to 110th)
New York, NY 10029

Phone:
(212) 828-8896
contact@savoybakery.com

Recommended Dishes/Drinks: Red Bean Danish, Pig-in-a-Blanket, Chocolate Eclair, Coffee

Average Dish Price: $1.50

New York Restoration Project Gardeners Gathering

Sam and I volunteered at New York Restoration Project's Second Annual Gardeners Gathering last weekend. NYPR is a program started by Bette Midler to develop green spaces throughout New York City. This event was held at Thomas Jefferson Recreation Center on First Avenue at 112 St. The meeting gathered gardeners who work on NYRP community gardens to give out out seeds and plants, horticultural information, and generally encourage gardening in New York City. We helped serve lunch at the event. It was really interesting to hear various gardeners tell stories of the trials and tribulations that they had encountered on the way to establishing their gardens. We wanted to meet a gardener in our neighborhood, and we did. We connected with the lead gardener from an herb garden around the block from us that we are very excited to start work on. To find out about working on a garden in East Harlem check out NYPR's website.

-Gloria

Below are some photos from the event.









Naturally it was a very green event.

Festive Street Scene: 2nd Ave and 110th

Apartment View

Cleo, the East Harlem Kitty

Going Up in East Harlem

There are so many condos going up in East Harlem, and an increase in new construction combined with the poor economy has made for lots of uptown deals to be had. Is your new apartment below?


The Ivy
249 East 118th St.
Warburg Realty


Conrad Condominium
342 East 110th St.
Conrad Condominium


119th and Third
2181 3rd Ave.
119th and Third



160 and 178 East 117th St.
East Harlem Development LLC
Not Finding Purchasing info on these just yet.

The Duck

The Urban Cowboy's Paradise, in East Harlem

The Duck is a new bar from Tom McNeil, of the successful Patriot Saloon in Tribeca and the West Village's now shuttered Yogi's. As far as I can tell this bar is a test to see if cowboy culture, $6 pitchers and bartenders in low-cut tops work for bars all over New York City. Judging from the empty bar I'd say so far it's not working so well in East Harlem. Downtown there are so many bars that a cowboy bar could manage to survive solely on cowboys, and those in the mood for cheap beer and a little kitsch. But we seldom see the urban cowboy up in East Harlem and with the limited amount of bars in the area, I wish this bar had a broader appeal (and a working TV).

Would a few more songs on the country-music jukebox that are not, well, country, and a few less bottles of Wild Turkey make this bar just welcoming enough for East Harlem at large? McNeil apparently doesn't care about my suggestions and seems to have a "take it or leave it" attitude towards all of his bars. There is something so unexpected about this bar that you don't hate it, even if it's not your scene. But I really wanted to love this bar and sadly even Toby Keith can't make me. His song "I Love This Bar" played over and over again while I was there – it seemed to be set up to play every time you hesitated with a jukebox selection. If you choose to hit this bar, it's not a place for hesitations. Pick your song, order your pitcher and drink it – quickly. It's a place to be drunk. You'll start to dig the scene here after a pitcher or three.

Thursday is ladies' night, $9 martini's all night long.

Location: 2171 2nd Ave, between 111th St & 112th St

Recommended Dishes/Drinks: Pabst Blue Ribbon pitchers

Average Dish Price: $6-$11 for pitchers, $3 for pints






$6 Pitchers



A Good Philosophy




I was serendipitously wearing cowboy boots that fine day



-Gloria

Indecision East Harlem

I started seeing these walk/don't walk signs in East Harlem late last year. Now I see them all over the city. My theory is: these crosswalk signs usually short-circuit fairly often but are repaired quickly by the city. Now due to the economy they are being neglected. Does anyone know what the scoop really is with these signs ?

Orbit

The Bar You'll Root For


NOTE: Restaurant is closed indefinitely for renovations.

You're not sure what to expect when you walk into Orbit, a bar and restaurant on the corner of 116th St. and 1st Ave. It could be a dive bar - dark wood-paneled walls and mismatched tables and chairs are the decor - but this bar has bigger dreams of grilled salmon, skirt steak and seafood fra diablo.

Orbit will welcome you with a friendly staff who seem to be on a first name basis with half of the patrons. They are a surrogate family of sorts, but like every family it has its issues – a forgotten drink here, an ambitious dish that doesn't quite make it there. But they are your family, so you root for them in their ups and downs. And like the best family they are always there for you with a round on the house.

Orbit serves generally good American fare, with an interesting hit-or-miss list of specials for the day. The addition of a weekend brunch menu is definitely welcomed in an area with few other options.

The restaurant has lots of entertainment options like live jazz and themed parties.

Location: 2257 1st Ave., at the corner of 116th St.

Phone: (212) 348-7818

Recommended Dishes/Drinks: Grilled Skirt Steak Sandwich, Chicharron de Pollo, for brunch the Breakfast Pasta or Comida de Puta.

Average Dish Price: $12

Orbit

-Gloria

East Harlem 101

Technically East Harlem – also know as El Barrio or Spanish Harlem – starts at 96th St. and goes up to 125th St. from Central Park to the East River. But most people think it starts a bit further up – around 100th St. It's a culturally diverse neighborhood – settled either temporarily or permanently by immigrants since the late 1800s. The first to settle in the area were the Germans, then the Irish and Italians – whose mark is still felt by certain restaurants and shops mostly east of 1st Ave. Much of East Harlem's culture is currently defined by the recent immigrants from Puerto Rico and Mexico getting the nicknames Spanish Harlem and El Barrio (or "the neighborhood" in Spanish). Recently, as East Harlem's story continues to be written, the area has become more gentrified as new buildings go up and the area becomes the new destination for those priced out of lower areas of Manhattan.


Read Up on Your Hood, Some Great East Harlem Books:
In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio
by: Philippe Bourgois
A sociology view of East Harlem in the late 80's during the height of the crack-epidemic there. A sad and powerful look into the area. You'll see how far East Harlem has come.

The Tenants of East Harlem
by: Russell Leigh Sharman
The lives of seven East Harlem residents tell the story of the area's immigration and history. Included in this work is the life of the author, a recent East Harlem resident.

Flying Over 96th Street: Memoir of an East Harlem White Boy
by: Thomas L. Webber
A coming-of-age memoir from a man who's minister father moves the family to East Harlem in the 1950s.
-Gloria

Ricardo Steak House

The VIP Section of East Harlem



The party spills out onto 2nd Ave in front of East Harlem's Ricardo Steakhouse almost every night. If you see strings of lights hanging outside and hear pumping music coming from inside you know you've found the right pace. Walking into this restaurant is like being welcomed into the VIP section of a new East Harlem. You're greeted by excited hostesses and read the list of enticing specials by enthusiastic waiters. If you want a break from the music the outdoor patio in the back offers some quiet and privacy, and it's covered and heated in the cooler months.

The restaurant is large but manages to be homey with bright paintings along the walls and an open kitchen. There isn't a bad cut of steak here, but the oysters and the mixed grill are also worth a try. If you are eating with an East Harlem skeptic – someone who doesn't believe you can get a fantastic meal in the area – take them here. And don't forget this place when you're out with a large party, they sing a powerful "Happy Birthday."

The restaurant is currently expanding. There will be a second floor and a lounge area coming soon.

Location: 2145 2nd Avenue, between 110th and 111th Streets.

Phone: (212) 289-5895

Recommended Dishes/Drinks: Ricardo Mixed Grill, Ricardo Filet Mignon, New York Strip, Margaritas
Average Dish Price: $26

Ricado Steak House

-Gloria