The Secret to Museum Mile

This lovely city has plenty of free events, especially in the summer months. Free, of course, is awesome, but crowds (especially on a hot June day) are not. But, don't let the fear of long lines deter you from Museum Mile, that summer evening when nine museums along Fifth Ave open their doors free of charge. Here's the secret to a slightly less crowded experience: check out the museums uptown. The Museum of the City of New York and El Museo Del Barrio are often the less visited museums during the event.

There's lots going on this Tuesday, June 8th from 6-9pm for Museum Mile. At the Museum of the City of New York all of the current exhibits will be open for you to view including their collection of New York City photos and the New Yorker cartoonist Charles Addams' illustration exhibit.

At El Museo Del Barrio most exhibits will be open, including a permanent collection show. The Museo and street artist James De La Vega (who makes regular appearances on this blog) will host chalk coloring activities along Fifth Ave. Finish your Museum Mile experience with a trip to the the Museo's cafe. I was invited to dine at the cafe this Saturday, and I was impressed with their fare. Try the ceviche or the Chile Relleno con Vegetales ($7 and $5). Relax with a glass of tamarind juice, a beer or soda -- the museum has beverages from all over Latin America -- while listening to one of the performances scheduled for Tuesday evening.


Museum Mile
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
6:00-9:00PM
5th Avenue between 82nd & 105th

The Smurfs Are Coming to East Harlem

Spotted on 104th between 5th and Madison

Spring Awakening

James De La Vega seemed to hibernate for some of the winter, but he seems to be back in full force now that spring has arrived.

Spotted this morning....

A Toast(er) to You and Your Dreams



Things May Be Upside-Down But at Least You Have Your Dreams

Join the East Harlem Facebook Page

It's got a small following so far, but hopefully soon the East Harlem Facebook page will let East Harlemers connect and share info.

18th Annual Ethnic Festival of El Barrio

Celebrated the diversity of East Harlem this Saturday at the Annual Ethnic Festival of El Barrio at 104th St. between 2nd and 3rd Ave. Come out between 11am and 6pm and you'll enjoy music, art and food from a wide vary of cultures including Mexican, Puerto Rican, South American, West African, Caribbean, Arabic and African-American.

Find out more information at the Union Settlement Association Website.

More on the East Harlem Media, Entertainment and Cultural Center

According to a press release from the New York Economic Development Fund the development will include:

* 30,000 square feet of cultural space celebrating East Harlem’s unique and diverse cultural heritage;
* More than 800 total housing units, 600 of which will be affordable to individuals or families with moderate or middle incomes;
* A mid-block public plaza;
* A minimum of 24,000 square feet of landscaped open space;
* 50,000 square feet of retail space reserved for locally-owned businesses at below market rents;
* 250,000 square feet of class A office space;
* A 98,000-square-foot hotel; and,
* A $10 million local investment fund to assist small businesses and entrepreneurs that locate in the new development.

What do you think? Would you want to live in this complex?

East Harlem Media, Entertainment and Cultural Center

A massive $700 million project has broken ground on 125th St and 3rd Ave in East Harlem. GlobeSt and Curbed report that the East Harlem Media, Entertainment and Cultural Center has started construction. The multi-use building will have 800 housing units, a cultural center, office space, retail space for local business and more. The building is expected to be LEED certified.

At the start of construction, GlobeSt quoted Mayor Bloomberg saying, Today's groundbreaking, along with the other projects taking shape along 125th Street, are helping sustain the momentum of Harlem's ongoing renaissance. This major multi-use development –– a major investment and show of confidence in Harlem's future –– will serve the community in a variety of important ways: by creating needed affordable housing, valuable community and cultural space, and new office and retail space. Most importantly in today's economy, it will create thousands of permanent and construction jobs.”

Who Even Knew There Was a Catholic Museum in East Harlem?

Yesterday's New York Times has an article on the rise and fall of the National Museum of Catholic Art and History, which believe it or not was in East Harlem. You didn't know their was a Catholic Museum in East Harlem? Well, that could have lent to the museum's struggles. In case you weren't one of the museum's few visitors, when it was open from 2003 to 2007, the museum was located on 115th St and the building is now for sale. The museum was plagued by money issues as well as other problems, but the museum's director had friends in high places who helped keep it afloat.

Photo: Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times

Welcome the New Neighbors…the Artists

Architect’s Newspaper reported that East Harlem's Public School 109 -- on the far east side of 99th St -- will be the future home of 72 artist’s residences. Artspace, a non-profit that creates affordable housing for artists, is working with financial backing from the Ford Foundation on the the project, which is expected to break ground later this year.

Urban Legends in East Harlem

Have you heard the one about the alligator found in the sewer? Well, that really happened -- and in East Harlem!
Get the full scoop in the most recent episode of This American Life.

Friday 4 the Foodies: East Harlem Eats

There's a great post on the music blog Roll With It on places to eat in East Harlem.

"This week I thought I’d take everyone on a visual tour of what I feel is a neglected foodie area of New York City for some people – Lexington Avenue from 96th Street to 104th street in East Harlem."

They've covered some great spots...definitely worth a look.

East Harlem Rated 54th

East Harlem was ranked 54th out of 60 neighborhoods in New York Magazine's Best Places to Live listing. I've always thought of East Harlem as an "up-and-coming" place to live, so I was surprised it was so low. To me the neighborhood gets points for diversity, Mexican food, Central Park and the museums. Why do you love East Harlem? What makes it the area for you?

Virtual Tour: Demolition Depot

Last week when I posted the New York Times Local Stop article about places to check out in East Harlem, Levi made some suggestions of his own. One of those was Demolition Depot because "they have three floors of porcelain bathroom fixtures" he commented.

Even if your not in the market for some home fixin', it's a fun place to visit.








Demolition Depot
www.demolitiondepot.com
216 East 125th Street
New York, NY 10035-1738
(212) 860-1138

Charles Addams's New York

Smart, Very New York Humor


New Yorker magazine articles tend to be long. Sometimes, perhaps, your mind needs a break. You take your relief in the form of a glance at the cartoons. Refreshed you're ready to tackle that article again. Now imagine rooms filled with these moments of relief, those smart quick laughs, the very New York humor that is a New Yorker cartoon. You want to go to there, don't you? Well, you should.

An exhibit of Charles Addams's cartoons is up at the Museum of the City of New York until May 16th. He is the most well-know New Yorker cartoonists -- starting his work for the magazine in the 1930s. He is also famous for creating the Addams Family, and it is very interesting to see the Addams Family become the iconic ghouls they are today throughout his drawings.

The exhibit is curated with thoughtfulness and humor. When the stories that Addams told in his cartoons are placed side by side on the museum walls they lead to even more laughs and smiles. The cutouts of Addams's characters frolicking on the walls add to the whimsy and fun.

Seeing so many of the illustrations together you realize what a great commentary these cartoons were, and in many cases still are, on society, specifically New York City's society. My favorite is the one with the barricades around a banana peel on a city street. Smart, fun humor. Go see for yourself.

Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd St.
New York, NY 10029
Remember East Harlem residents get in for free.

All images © Charles Addams
Permission of Tee and Charles Addams Foundatio

Local Stop: East Harlem

Earlier this week the New York Times covered East Harlem in their Local Stop section. They visited El Paso Restaurant, the Graffiti Hall of Fame, Metropolis Studios and the Raíces Latin Music Museum, among other stops. I think I would have chosen the Museum of the City of New York and a more off-the-beaten-path restaurant, but nonetheless it's great to see the hood getting some coverage.

What East Harlem stops would you have covered?


Take a look at their slide show of East Harlem haunts.

Photo: Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times

Hat Tip: Levi