Archival photo courtesy NYPL
This past week saw the opening of
Tsion Ethiopian cafe at 763 St. Nicholas Avenue by 148th Street but readers new to this site might not remember that the commercial townhouse space on Sugar Hill was once famous as a notable jazz spot. Jimmy's Chicken Shack was one of seven famous clubs on top of the hill and a young Malcolm X often frequented the eatery that was one of the first to feature live Bebop music since he lived upstairs. The top photo shows a rather iconic looking neon sign that once stood out front in the 1940s of which we are surprised to see that chicken spots in the city have not referenced since yardbird is so hot these days. We have not been able to drop by Tsion yet but will reminisce fondly about the history of the space when we do so this weekend. More on the lost clubs of Sugar Hill in our past post:
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LOVE this old photo ! This is my area and every time I walk around I wonder what it looked like back in the day ! Hopefully these new businesses will keep the facade of these wonderful buildings !! I can't wait to get back in March !
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