The new awning and signage announcing the arrival of Harlem's Meat are up on the St. Nicholas Avenue side of the Harlem USA building on 124th Street. The interior is still in the process of renovations, but the new owners were quick to get the signage up so that folks know exactly what's happening to the space. It's refreshing to see that something local is coming in for once in these newer buildings and maybe the trend will continue in the developments further south on FDB. The closest subway to this new specialty shop is the A,B,C,D train on 125th Street. Photo by Ulysses
Friday, April 23, 2010
☞ INTRODUCING: South Harlem's Meat Shop
The new awning and signage announcing the arrival of Harlem's Meat are up on the St. Nicholas Avenue side of the Harlem USA building on 124th Street. The interior is still in the process of renovations, but the new owners were quick to get the signage up so that folks know exactly what's happening to the space. It's refreshing to see that something local is coming in for once in these newer buildings and maybe the trend will continue in the developments further south on FDB. The closest subway to this new specialty shop is the A,B,C,D train on 125th Street. Photo by Ulysses
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Another welcome addition to the area. I have noticed a couple of new Delis opening (which is ok), but this looks like it will be a high quality establishment. Slowly but surely, new stores are opening and this is certainly an exciting time to be in the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI think above 124 it's St. Nick, not Manhattan Ave.
ReplyDeleteYou are right Jay!
ReplyDeleteWe need stores like this near west 145th Street! When will they come? Our building has been begging for a Gourmet Garage in The Langston for years!!!
ReplyDeleteFunny how Harlem is only made-up of one road - FDB...LOL. There are other streets in Harlem you know....and some are more attractive than FDB, despite FDB's onslaught of new residential units. Businesses are popping-up across Harlem in strategic areas like FDB, Lenox, etc. and get this - some are actually above 125th Street - who would have thunk it!...so let's try to spread the love and increase Harlem's exposure and overall appeal since "change" is happening all around Harlem nowadays. FDB while exciting and vibrant, is just one narrow strip within Harlem...in and of itself it is not a neighborhood. Come to think of it, are there any real attractions along FDB like museums, cultural centers, etc. that aren't available elsewhere in Harlem?...Because condos, retail, and restaurants are everywhere in Harlem now and I always see the tour buses in other areas. I think Harlem's new epicenter will be concentrated elswhere, not sure where, but definitely not along the narrow strip of FDB...the lack of physical space just can't support the changes needed to take Harlem to the next level.
ReplyDeleteAnon, somebody made a comment on here recently about rezoning. Not sure if that is why FDB is open to so much redevelopment? We are seeing gradual development in other areas, there is the Olive Market place opening on 125th near Madison, but it is interesting to see so much of the development focusing on FDB.
ReplyDeleteI think 125th in general will continue to see a lot of development in the coming years, partly b/c of the massive amount of foot traffic and numerous transport options.
FDB was rezoned specifically to develop that part of Harlem which had previously been mostly burned out shells of buildings and abandoned lots. Harlem is a huge area and little by little it is changing but on FDB it is more noticeable because it is more of a clean slate and the new developments are intended to bring in residents with higher incomes. Many businesses have a hard time thriving in Harlem because it is still a predominantly poor community compared to other parts of Manhattan - that could be seen as both a blessing (it won't get overdeveloped in a generic way) and a curse (it will remain underdeveloped.)
ReplyDelete- FDB has the most retail because the condos have grought a population of middle and upper middle class professionals with cash to spend.
ReplyDelete- 125th street has lots of foot traffic but a smaller % of the people on 125th street can afford the type of retail you see downtown: nice restaurants, boutiques, etc.
- That said, I think 125th street retail will continue to improve (especially since it draws people from both "South Harlem" as well "Wast Harlem" more than FDB. However, I suspect 125th street will always be geared towards big-box/chain type retail. None of the major thoroughfares in Manhattan - Houston, 14th, 23rd, etc. - have a lot of quaint retail or non-chain restaurants. It's usually stuff like Foot Locker, PinkBerry, the GAP, etc. Name a really great restaurant right on 14th street, or 23rd street - a few, but not many.
- I do agree that FDB is not especially charming and lacks the aesthetic appeal of other parts of Harlem. I am not sure it is "too small" - look at Rivington Street on the LES or Bleecker in the West Village- but it's not really interesting. Lenox is much wider and has more beautiful buildings, but less foot traffic (since most of the condos are on FDB and the brownstones are lower density) and more boarded up buildings. Long-term potential of Lenox is great I think ... sidewalk cafes, etc. It will just take time.
- While I continue to think properties South of West 125th street will demand a premium to those North - I think the proximity to Central Park makes people feel like they are living in Manhattan and the density of condo development has resulted in the most retail in Harlem - I think all of Harlem will continue to improve. Certainly I would not take credit from West Harlem - I would argue that Hamilton Heights and Strivers Row have as nice if not nicer housing stock than Mt. Morris - but I think this is a realistic assesment.
- I make an effort to frequent ALL Harlem establishments both North and South of 125th because I think it's good for the neighborhood in general and it's ALL Close!!! And it's all pretty close. Going to eat at Yatanga from my home near 122nd is like going to eat in SoHo from the West Village- a short walk!
I think it's safe to say that Lenox Ave is one of the main Harlem arteries to look out for...and for the most part it's growing without the addition of high density residential housing stock. There is a good stretch of new businesses from approx. 116th to 129th.
ReplyDeleteSo does it bother anyone else that this butcher shop proudly advertises the fact that it's going to sell Boar's Head? Not sure if this bodes particularly well for the quality of their meat.
ReplyDeleteGreen Girl,
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with your assessment. Stating that properties south of 125th will commmand higher prices than those north of 125th won't always be the case. I believe when 125th gets developed as the planners envision, properties near 125th will command higher prices than those closer to 110th street. Therefore, properties from 126-130th will be in higher demand whether they are east/cetral/west Harlem.
At the end of the day, it's all about retail and transportation. All the trains on 125th are express (10 minutes to midtown). Metro North station on 125th and Park Avenue will certainly play a big role in developing the east side of 125th. FDB is getting most of the attention at the moment, but the rest of Harlem will get its turn ( Lenox, 5th Ave, Madison Ave, etc).
4:11 - I agree with your take on things...good points and well said. You're right in that the intersection of Lenox and 125th will probably become Harlem's hot spot in the near future...although for some it may already be the location of choice since there is always a lot going on there (just an FYI - when Obama won I saw 4 cast members of the Houswives of New York partying at Sylvia's on Lenox btwn 126th & 127th). The narrow strip that is FDB has already grown all that it can and we've only just begun harlem's transformation.
ReplyDeleteAnon - Agree it's not a hard and fast rule. I think places close to 125th (esp. clustered around the beautiful blocks near 5th and Madison) just north of 125th. I just think there is a critical mass of amenities between Lenox and FDB that has already begun to transform the neighborhood. I do think there is value to proximity to Central Park. But I don't disagree that a place on, say, 112th, may be worth less than a place on 127th and 5th (especially since the latter blocks are beautiful).
ReplyDeleteLenox has some great stuff above 125th .. and ACP is actually nicer above 125th than below. I route for all of it as long as its not a mall!
ACP is indeed beautiful but it has a long, long way to go to regain its former glory.
ReplyDeleteregarding boar's head - i agree - gross. i like best yet market but they have a huge boar's head deli that i don't think adds a lot of value to the store. why would someone open a specialty meat market and promote a mediocre commercial brand?
ReplyDeleteWhat would be a good brand?
ReplyDeleteit's not all about retail and transportation and you GreenGirl sound like a typical NYC poster that's single with no kids. for some of us at the end of the day it's all about SCHOOLS, which there are few decent ones in harlem, and this fact will forever suppress significant home demand, rental or purchase in harlem. furthermore the LAST place many of us want to dwell is on Lenox or immediately on 125th plus or minus a few blocks. why? the filth, the underclass, the riff raff, the dirt, the grime, the noise, etc. most folks i know would prefer to live within immediate proximity of mt morris park, morningside park...5 or 6 blocks from the subway and the harlem foolywag you see standing, sitting, clowning on 125th and lenox yet 1-2 blocks from the park. lastly Lenox is plagued with too many churches and schools and this institutions prevent commercial development in many ways and for many reasons. Lenox has major problems and there is next to no Greenspace where you claim is viable, 130th and Lenox.
ReplyDeleteLastly, the elephant in the room is CU expansion. CU expansion will SUCK all the dollars from being invested in other places of harlem. Harlem hospital expansion is not enough to save Lenox ave.
why? CU expansion is the only entity planned for harlem that will congregate a significant density of people with disposable income (be it CU Employees or students with well heeled parents). harlem's main problem preventing development is the density of the underclass, the sec 8, the megahousing projects, etc. poverty is firmly entrenched in harlem in high numbers and those people are not going anywhere., hence harlem development will always be in pockets, spotty at best. harlem was never designed or developed to function like lower manhattan and trying to vision it doing so is like forcing a square peg in a round hole.
At one point society designed Harlem to be a bedroom community of vast green space, larger homes, different that midtown and downtown. Then later, Government decided to ghetto-ize the Blacks and stick'em in central pools and zones, the mega public housing complexes and villages you see in harlem. Harlem was a depository, a place to put the Blacks. Well guess what, it worked, they're here, poor uneducated Blacks with no options, nothing but secured housing in one of the most expensive cities in America. Isn't that grand? The median household income on 129th and Lenox is $36K/year. Average age of a dweller is 32, babies are having babies, let's face it, there is no way to uproot the welfare class that's entrenched in some pockets of Harlem.
Do the math. Tell me how this development is going to happen when the numbers say otherwise? You see The Lenox went BANKRUPT as after years of effort, they could not convince, dupe, fool, or get warm bodies to invest in a condo on 129th and Lenox at prices that for NYC were dirt cheap.
It's as plain as day, the place to invest, develop, and latch on to going forward is on the coattails of CU Expansion.
Well there must be a bunch of people doing deli meats in the NY area that are not terrible, right? I remember recently reading about one in particular but can't recall what it is at the moment.
ReplyDeletedefinitely agree about Best Yet, haven't gone to their deli even once and Ive shop there weekly since it opened.
@ anon 12:06. Obviously Harlem is not your cup of tea so don't fret your little head about it. See ya 'round campus.
ReplyDeleteCampus, hilarious.
ReplyDeleteHarlem IS my cup of tea, otherwise I wouldn't be living here. I'm just wondering if this butcher shop is going to be any sort of positive addition to the neighborhood and the fact that they're serving the same kind of deli meat as a bodega leads me to believe it might not be. Would you prefer it if I was just automatically happy about every new business in the neighborhood? I'm super excited about a real deal butcher shop but also hopeful that the quality of the meat served there is high enough to justify shopping there.
But by all means, keep up the snarky comments, they're productive! :)
Re: Deli meat
ReplyDeleteBest Yet does have the Applegate Farms brand in their deli; it's good quality, but expensive. I hope the new store is a real butcher shop - that would be a nice addition to shopping up here. I agree that there is no need to cheerlead for just any business at all that opens. FDB needs quality amenities to bring in more people.
Re: The anon12:02 poster
This sounds like a rant but the one good point made is that Harlem is overall a poor community and this definitely hinders development. The poor population has secure housing - which is of paramount importance - so they will not be relocating. (One of the reasons FDB could be developed is that it was largely abandoned; no one was/is being displaced by development.) Also because Harlem is poor, the schools have suffered. There are valiant attempts being made by charter schools to turn the tide but affluent whites and blacks still won't send their children to school in Harlem - so the ranter person is probably correct in stating that the edges of Harlem will gentrify the most.
One footnote regarding housing: The NYC Housing Authority now has a "working family" preference which reserves 1 out of every 2 vacancies of public housing for working families. Also the rules and regulations regarding public housing have become much stricter. These are factors which might help bring parts of Harlem into a working class or middle class bracket.
ReplyDeleteI thought Harlem was no longer majority black, remember? This means the poor that we are talking about will in the near future be made up of mostly of immigrants, especially from Latin America. The East Village and Lower East Side had a similar situation with Harlem since urban decay, poverty, bad safety perceptions, not so great schools and large public housing were prevalent but those areas did not stop from developing. Harlem will do better in the long run since it has better architecture and public green spaces than those now trendy downtown neighborhoods.
ReplyDelete@ Ivan. Was speaking to Anon, not you.
ReplyDeleteI have no opinion on meat, deli or otherwise. I live on snark alone.
Anon 12:02,
ReplyDeleteSai Baba by any chance?
On the NY Times real estate section this week:
ReplyDelete"Here’s a look at some of the properties available to renters last week:
$1,000 and Up
Manhattan is still Manhattan, and there is still a limit as to how low rents will go. So the short answer to “What can I get for $1,000?” is: Go to Queens. Or even Brooklyn."
As far as I know, Harlem is in Manhattan. North, South, East, West; it's in the place we like to refer to as 'The City' or "Manhattan Island." So Anon 12:02 can put a lid in it.
Sanou's Mum,
ReplyDeleteNo worries, just got thrown off by the 12:06 thing.
"it's not all about retail and transportation and you GreenGirl sound like a typical NYC poster that's single with no kids."
ReplyDeleteActually not true - I am married with a young son. The point I did not finish making about South of 125th vs. North is about schools. South of 123rd is District 3 zoning - which on the whole is hugely better than District 5. Yes, not all of the zoned schools in District 3 are great - although Hugo Newman school is very good - but their are a number of G&T programs in District 3, and a lot of gen ed schools accept outside their zone. The school situation is improving. Their are also a number of charter school and affordable Catholic school options (ascencsion, corpus christi).
A number of neighborhoods in NYC have attracted families without great public schools - Brooklyn Heights for one still has relatively mediocre schools. I'm not saying schools are not important - they are - but it does not stop a neighborhood from improving. This is a classic chicken and egg thing - middle class people need to move in, THEN schools improve. This story is already happenning.
Lastly, when did I every say it's all about retail and transport? Somebody else said this, not me (although these things are important). That's why I talked about Park Access which is great in South Harlem.
Personally I think the Columbia expansion is not a huge story. City College has been in West Harlem for years. Morningside Heights was a scary neighborhood until the late 90s/early 2000s. West Philly was terrible for years despite having U Penn right there. Having a University somehere is not always a huge deal.
Transport, parks, retail, schools, proximity to places of work/culture, a feeling of authenticity and character and charm - all are important. The reality is that NO neighborhood has great schools and retail prior to becoming "desirable" in the eyes of most people. However, transport, parks, proximity, a feeling of authenticity and charm - these things have to be in place already. I believe they are in Harlem. It will come. Let's just hope we don't lose the authenticity in the meantime.
Also Anon - last time I check Lenox was close to Mt. Morris Park (and a 10 minute walk from Morningside). Did it move?
ReplyDeleteAnd you can say what you want about "underclass" - but these are the first people to help with a stroller!
@ Green Girl 10:30
ReplyDeleteAmen, Sister
There is little that is authentic about FDB...it's all new and pretty uninspiring. The excitement about Harlem will focus on Lenox Ave as things continue to improve.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably a good idea to wait for all of the census data to come in before we come to conclusions about Harlem demographics and socioeconomic status. Obviously, many things about Harlem have changed fairly recently. So, currently available census data seems outdated, precluding one from forming an accurate picture of Harlem's goings on.
Am I correct in thinking that nothing along FDB below 125th is close to the Columbia University expansion site? It seems to me that most of the desirable parts of Harlem, North and South of 125th Street, are more than just a couple of blocks from the expansion area. One would need to walk 10-15min. or bike to the new campus.
It's true that most of the blocks immediately around 125th street are not especially near Columbia's proposed expansion (although a 10-15 minute is not bad). However, people have to remember two things: 1) They are not abandoning their original campus, so especially the properties near Morningside Park are pretty near their current campus, 2) A university does not always make an area nice - tons of examples of urban schools in rough areas.
ReplyDeleteThe census data will be interesting!
Fordham Univ. would be a prime example.
ReplyDeleteA University, or anything that brings in wealthier residents to a poor area, can actually make the area much less safe if it's not properly integrated into the community. Remember that the highest crime occurs in areas of disparity, rather than just poverty.
ReplyDelete5:48 is spot-on with the example: the areas farther away from Fordham (Kingsbridge, etc.) feel way safer than the area immediately around the school.