☞ EAT: 200 Lenox Preps for Pink Teacup

The corner shop at 200 Lenox Avenue has had brown paper up and One Bar signage in the window for the past year and finally something new is happening. As everyone knows by now, One Bar never quite took off and the space made news back in May when the owner of downtown's famous Pink Teacup decided to open up a restaurant at the Mount Morris Park Historic District location that would eventually be the uptown branch of the eatery.

An original concept to call the southern joint The Pink Heifer would set off some controversy and proprietor Lawrence Page decided to just have the same name for both restaurants.  Current permits just approved last week confirms that a new kitchen and bar will be installed in the coming weeks so folks should finally expect a little action to happen at this intersection of West 120th Street. Read more about the restaurants arrival in our past post: LINK

☞ CELEBRATE: Sylvia's 49th Anniversary

Monday, August 1st, 8:00 AM-10:00 AM, Sylvia's 49th Anniversary & Annual Community Free Breakfast Sidewalk Party, 328 Lenox and 126th Street. Sylvia's celebrates an amazing 49 years with their annual free event for the community which also features live music along with a southern-style breakfast: LINK

☞ READ: Last Week's Most Viewed Posts

Here is the list of last week's most popular post and comments.

1. Bicycles at the Red Rooster (8)
2. Harlem Shambles Arriving at Livmor (1)
3. 319 Convent Avenue Sold Higher (2)
4. Some Activity Over at Louise's (13)
5. Checking Up on BLVD Condos (1)
6. The New HCZ Building (4)
7. What's Up with 2211 Third Avenue?
8. 246 West 139th Street Townhouse
9.  Outdoor Dining Debuts at Lido (2)
10. Average Studio Rents in Manhattan

☞ EAT: Outdoor Dining Debuts at Lido

Harlem's newest Italian restaurant on the lower FDB corridor appears to be expanding in many ways these days. Lido on FDB/8th  had started to place planters alongside decorative cast iron partitions out front at the corner of West 117th Street in the past week and now it appears that the tables have finally arrived.  The lower photo was uploaded on the restaurant's Facebook site yesterday and we have been informed that Lido will be open on Mondays.

Other notables for the better Harlem eatery include $14 prix fix lunch with free wifi and complimentary iced coffee or tea. There is also the Brunch Saturdays and Sundays with $10 bottomless mimosas along with Happy Hour from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM every day which all provide a few great incentives to visit often. LidoHarlem.com

☞ DRINK: Bastille Day Celebration at Bier

Tuesday-Thursday, July 12th-14th, starting 6:00 PM, Bastille Celebration at Bier International, 2099 FDB by 113th Street. Bier International is bringing their usual European flair with a 3-day Bastille Day Celebration this week offering up French beer, food and music. Tuesday: Live music playing classic French tunes. Wednesday: DJ spinning Afro-French beats. Thursday: Live French accordion music. More details can be found via Facebook: LINK

☞ SHOP: H&M 125th Street Grand Opening

Friday, July 30th, 10:00 AM, H&M at 125 West 125th Street. Just in case folks missed the link on Monday's H&M new building renovations story, there's going to be some grand opening giveaways this Friday. H&M Harlem will offer the first 200 shoppers in line an Access to Fashion Pass, valued from $10 to $300 and one will get an expert style consultation. The closest trains to this location are the 2,3 express at 125th Street. If you missed the story, see the before-and-after shots in our past post: LINK. Photo by Ulysses

☞ EAT: Chez Lucienne for Thanksgiving

For those who are not dining in a large group and want something more intimate for the Holiday, Chez Lucienne could be the romantic choice of the season. The bistro has a traditional Thanksgiving prix fix dinner with a French twist for the reasonable $29.95. Not bad for a three course meal at an elegant French restaurant. The outdoor seating will probably not be available, but fear not for the interior is just as charming. Chez Lucienne is located at 308 Malcolm X/Lenox Avenue, between 125th and 126th street. Tel.(212) 289-5555. Take the 2,3 train to 125th Street and walk a half block north. www.chezlucienne.com

☞ SEE: Bragging Rights: Stickball Stories

Thursday, October 15th, 6:00 PM at the East Harlem Cafe. Sonia Gonzalez's 2007 documentary on the street baseball scene that was founded in New York City during the 1920's. The film explores the positive, bonding aspect of a sport that was born from urban adversity, but unified many ethnic communities of the city even in modern times. Plus, it's a free event. The East Harlem Cafe is located at 1651 Lexington Avenue, between 104th Street and 105th Street. Nearest subway is the 6 train at 103rd.
www.eastharlem-cafe.com

☞ DWELL: 111 Central Park North Condos

The most expensive apartment building in Harlem (an $8 million penthouse was one of the record sales) is a good example on how condo living can get complicated for buyers if the developers do not have vision over their desire to make a large profit. Case in point is the retail space on the the ground floor of 111 Central Park North, which has been empty for quite some time and has finally opened up a Subway chain sandwich shop. Its next door neighbor is a deli that is new and modern but far from any luxury aesthetic.

The folks who spent millions on their condos are now worried that the large corner retail space in the building will go to McDonald's since they are at the mercy of the building's owner on all decisions pertaining to the ground floor spaces. Worried that the big M's arrival might portend even further downward property values in the building, The Post reported in August that there have been talks among residents of the building to pool their money and to rent out the ground floor corner space of the building as storage. This scenario mirrors what happened to the star architect-designed Phillip Starck condos in Chelsea, which indeed got a McDonald's on their ground floor.

In our opinion, this wildly successful, height-of-market building could add to its value if the developers worked with local businesses on rent discounts to provide the right type of institution at this corner of the park. Instead of a super-luxe McDonald's, a local restaurant such as Sylvia's could be a great gateway for visitors coming into Harlem. Of course, there would have to be rent incentives and maybe lower rent than expected. At the end, it would increase the value of the building and dress up the surrounding area, but maybe that's too much to ask for if there is a profit loss. Photos by Ulysses

☞ EAT: Lolita's Mexican Restaurant

Bespoke reader Melissa reminded us to drop by Lolita's Mexican Restaurant on the northern borders of Central Park. This part of Lenox Avenue gets surprisingly desolate as one gets closer to what should be one of the most prime locations in Manhattan. Then again, there are some rather unattractive, city-planned buildings across the street, so even the best potential nabes are not immune to New York City's limited view of urban renewal. Okay, we digress a little and the focus should be a real gem of a Mexican restaurant steps away from Central Park. Prices are cheap, the decor modest but without lack of charm and the food is on spot. Nothing too crazy on this menu, but the cuisine is authentic enough for folks to keep coming back to this must-visit, South Harlem spot. Lolita's is located at 57 Lenox Avenue, between 112th Street and 113th Street. Tel. (212) 222-6969. Closest subways are the 2,3 and B,C at 110th Street. Photos by Ulysses

☞ EAT: SpaHa Cafe

Tucked away among the bustle of East Harlem's local Mexican eateries and dollar stores, one will find the SpaHa Cafe. It took us a second to figure out that SpaHa was short for Spanish Harlem since the area has changed from a predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood to a Mexican cultural enclave. It's such a major shift but it seems the one name fits all groups for most New Yorkers.

Anyways, let's get back to this great new cafe that just opened this year. First of all, the charming store front sticks out, in a good way, as one approaches the handsome shop. The interior combines retro aesthetics with a clever play on modern lines. One will find fresh sandwiches, pastries, quiches and great coffee at this must-see local eatery that opened earlier this year. If you live east of Park Avenue or just exploring East Harlem, this spot is highly recommended. Located at 1872 Lexington Avenue, between 116th Street and 117th Street. Tel.(212) 427-1767. Nearest subway is the 6 train at 116th Street. Photos by Ulysses and Faith B.

☞ DRINK: ONE BAR to Arrive on Lenox

The overly ambitious caviarteria closed about a year ago at the prime corner of Lenox and 120th Street and will soon be replace by One Bar. We were thrilled to see the signs plastered on the windows this weekend as we passed by the notable corner of this landmark building in the Mount Morris Park historic district. Stay tune for more updates. Closest subway is the 2,3 express train at 125th Street. Photos by Ulysses

☞ INTRODUCING: Oui, Oui Crepes and Pizza

We are not sure what the interior is going to look like but with a name like Oui, Oui, we will definitely check the place out, at least once, when it finally opens. While walking along ACP/7th Avenue, between 128th and 129th Street, we saw the work being done on this storefront and liked the unique combination of crepes and pizza (kinda like chicken and waffles but with French food). There are not many crepe places in the city and zero above 110th Street, so this should be interesting. Stay tuned. Nearest subways are the A,B,C,D or 2,3 on 125th Street. Photo by Ulysses

☞ EAT: The Hungarian Pastry Shop

This Morningside Height institution has been around for over thirty years and is one of those off-campus places that Columbia students remember the most. Situated across from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the views are spectacular if one can get an outdoor seat on a warm day. The interior still feels like a cafe from the 1970's, but in a warm, inviting, collegiate sort of way. The pastries are above average and the coffee is good enough to come back for more. The Hungarian Pastry Shop is located at 1030 Amsterdam Avenue, between 111th Street and 110th Street. Tel.(212) 866-4230. Take the 1 or B,C to 110th Street. Photo by Paolo Maestrangelo.

☞ READ: Neil Patrick Harris' Harlem

Since Neil Patrick Harris mentioned he lived in Harlem recently, we decided to figure out what part of the neighborhood one could expect to have a run in with this year's Emmy Awards host. On the Adam Corolla Blog, the actor mentioned in 2006 that he moved into a run down apartment in Harlem (which is interesting since he did not go for one of the new condos). Last month's New York Magazine mentioned that Harris set up the interview at a Starbucks Coffee near his apartment in Harlem. So either we are talking about the Starbucks at FDB/8th Avenue and 118th Street (lower photo) or the one on Broadway at 110th Street. Finally, this past June, the NY Post ran an article on the actor's top city spots and Mr. Harris mentions that Mrs. Mamies Spoonbread Too (top photo) is his favorite restaurant in the nabe so it got us to think he might be closer to the 110th Street than 125th Street. Other top spots include, northern Central Park by the Harlem Meer and the Conservatory Garden. From that point on, Harris selects other parts of the city but we are sure he'll find more places to hang if he gets out more uptown. Read more on the NY Post article: LINK. Photos by Ulysses

☞ EAT: Pancho Gringo Gets Its New Signage

We didn't like that Talay, in West Harlem's Manhattanville, was changing its name to Pancho Gringo but reality has just set in now that the new sign has been put up on the roof this afternoon. This type of sign is actually quite cool and industrial looking but the choice of theme could have been handled better. Old signs like these remind us of the Pepsi Cola sign in Long Island City, the Domino Sugar sign in Brooklyn and the old clubs of Harlem. See our previous post on Talay to get the full story: LINK

☞ INTRODUCING: Muddy Waters Cafe

Fourth time is a charm for Muddy Waters since they just squeaked by their third opening date of September and will have their soft launch this weekend! We walked by and took a peek inside the coffee shop, and it looks better than basic. Actually, it's done rather well, and we are pleasantly surprised. The sign out front has the official opening for next Friday, on October 9th. Muddy Waters Cafe is at 2185 ACP/7th Avenue between 129th and 130th Street. Closest subway is the 2,3 or A,B,C,D station at 125th Street.

☞ EAT: Waiting For Cafe Largo

Another sign of the hardships of the recession is the trio of restaurants that had started to turn around the corner of West 137th Street and Broadway in West Harlem but have been closed since late spring. The downtown lounge-like restaurant, Cafe Largo, the smart looking bakery, Vinegar Hill and the reliable take out Mexican eatery, Tres Pasos, have shuttered in consecutive months for some sort of financial restructuring by the owner (who is the proprietor of all three establishments). We walked by last week, and there are signs up on each, informing customers that the spaces are "closed temporarily." That being said, we will keep a look-out to let folks know when to expect the doors to open again. Nearest subway is the 1 train at 137th Street, City College Station.

☞ EAT: Jimmy's Classic Diner

Steel-clad diners can be found in any town or weekend road trip, but they seem to be a dying breed in Manhattan. Interestingly enough, all of the old establishments have closed north of 110th Street, and Jimmy's Classic Diner is one of the newer spots in town. This 24 hour eatery is about a year old and provides the old diner stand-bys in familiar, Americana interior, along with providing take-out service for residents new and old in the ever-diversifying East Harlem neighborhood. The restaurant is located on 1634 Lexington Avenue between 103rd Street and 104th Street, by the 6 train station at 103rd. Tel. (212) 722-5422. Based on current information, the diner was temporarily shut down because of needed repairs. For updates, go to www.jimmysclassicdiner.com.

☞ EAT: Alfresco at Native

We have only been to dinner at Native in the past, but the outdoor dining on the boulevard really looked inviting to us while walking by this last Sunday. Located at 101 W. 118th Street at the corner of Malcolm X/ Lenox Avenue, Native is one of the first new restaurants on the block offering contemporary dining. For all of the folks that live in Harlem, we should make it a point to eat at our favorite restaurants during the recession to insure that they will be around in the future, so let's make a lunch date at Native in the next couple of weeks while it's still nice out. Take the 2, 3, B, C train to 116th Street and walk two blocks north on Lenox. Photo by Ulysses