This will be interesting because restauranteur Richard Notar has taken over the lease of the previous space with the intent of keeping the Art Deco aesthetic of the historic Harlem jazz club. Lenox Lounge will now only be blocks away with the exact same look so maybe the original business plan by Mr. Notar might not be such an ideal one. Another point to note is that the 127th Street location will probably have three floors all together and will cost less than $10,000 a month to lease while the previous location just two blocks south went up to $20,000 a month for rent. Read more about it in the Daily News: LINK
Ha, well, that explains the gutting of the original place then. I don't know, I feel like once it has been moved from the original spot, it will never be the same, but good luck on the new venture. This is a local rivalry that will go down in history and maybe they will inspire each other to deliver a better product.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful news. Not only is it keeping a legend in the neighborhood (historic bars/venues have moved before) but it's also allowing Notar to do whatever he wants to do which (lets be honest) he was going to do no matter what. At least now, we still have a Lenox Lounge and possibly some other new music venue bringing in high caliber talent? win/win if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to hear this!!
ReplyDeleteThe original business plan is likely the same as Lenox Social ugh sorry Corner Social. Notar has a great track record. Because the owner of Lenox stripped the facade bare and hopes to create some form of hostility toward new entreprenuers in the neighborhood is not a business plan.
ReplyDeleteI support Mr. Notar's efforts, as he wanted to keep Lenox Lounge just as it was. The previous owner did Harlem and NYC a huge disservice by gutting this treasure. In my opinion it was a selfish and greedy thing for him to do, as he did not create this look in the first place.
ReplyDeleteWhy should Mr. Reed give away the facade and name for free? People are remarkably inconsistent when they argue "free markets" .. I agree that the owner of the building had every right to go out and find somebody who could pay 2x in rent. But Mr. Reed has every right to take the facade and name with him. If Mr. Notar wanted to keep Lenox Lounge as is, he should have negotiated with the man who owned the name.
DeleteThe more jazz and drinking (and eating)establishments in Harlem, the better, says I.
ReplyDeleteAGREED!!!
DeleteTotally disagree - jazz is awful - it's dying for a good reason.
DeleteLet's hope Nobu changes his mind and scraps his plans to have jazz music at his new restaurant.
Jazz is a significant part of Harlem history and is NOT dying, as evidenced by the Jazz at Lincoln Center complex. To call it awful is just your opinion, as would be the case for those who claim all rap is bad and rappers have no real talent.
DeleteI certainly didn't see this coming.
ReplyDeleteI've criticized Mr. Reed in the past, but I wish him well on his new venture.
If he can pull it off its a win-win for that part of Lenox.
Competition will be fierce as now the New Lenox Lounge will be just a stone's throw from Corner Social, Cove and Les Ambassades on that side of the street alone.
This even works out for Notar, as really his past experience with Nobu is probably worth more to the crowd that I imagine he would be trying to attract that the Lenox Lounge name is.
So at least there should be no hard feelings now.
Notars competing with Marcus and Red Rooster.
This should be fun.
I agree Mr. Notar is playing to the Red Rooster crown, but the Red Rooster itself drew on old Harlem history with the name and the ambience it creates. The genius of Red Rooster is that it is a destination restaurant, but also one that locals go to. I wish them both luck, but Mr. Notar is starting from scratch now.
DeleteI am very happy to see this also. But I am confused. As I remember from a recent NYT article on liquor licenses and houses of worship, Cove Lounge was 210 feet from the nearest house of worship - just 10 feet over the minimum distance. Based on that it isn't clear to me how a liquor license would be approved for 333 Lenox. Will Lenox Lounge get some sort of exception? Or just serve beer and wine? Or is the 200 foot restriction being relaxed? I sure hope this works out but something still seems unresolved.
ReplyDeleteI have the same question! It's a little confusing.
DeleteI'm praying that the antiquated, unholy restriction is relaxed in this case and in all others.
ReplyDeleteOnce and for all this issue is over. Good luck Mr Reed. I hope that you please invest in your new venture and find the resources to keep it busy and inviting as other new establishments have been. Good decor, clean and without the teams of shady people constantly hanging around your old location.
ReplyDeleteLook at Corner Social! Always packed and didn't rely on any old tradition. Funny how good new ideas can work.
ReplyDeleteA better ending would have been the The Lenox intact in its original location, but I am happy the façade and interior will not sitting in a warehouse collecting mould but resurrecting itself in the new location, I really hope it works out in its new location and is successful.
ReplyDeleteThe new Lenox Lounge location is interesting in that is opposite Sylvia’s, two older establishments face to face, complementing one another. I hope it attracts some business from the many visiting Sylvia’s. Also, it will be starting with a clean slate and maybe can make a fresh start with improvements to attract more customers.
ReplyDeleteAs for the old space with Mr. Notar, this will no doubt be a success and significant in that below 125th will for the first time in recent history have a major destination spot. Also, Mr. Notar can start with a clean slate which I expect he prefers.
ReplyDeleteNow if we can just nudge the owner of St. Nick's Pub to sell to someone who would renovate and reopen it...
ReplyDelete