EAT: SHAKSHUKA EGGS AT SILVANA

Harlem Bespoke: We had another day date at Silvana on 116th Street last week and tried out the Shakshuka eggs that were on the menu. This little cafe located just west of FDB/8th Avenue is the best bet for some of the better Middle Eastern offerings to be found uptown and the day's selection did not disappoint.  The baked eggs simmering in seasoned hot tomato sauce was served up on this cast iron pan which provided a great contrast to the rich colors within. There was overall a flavor not dissimilar to chili to the dish which had pops of saltiness thanks to the juicy olives and the welcoming chunks of feta cheese.  A side of pita was also provided to sop up the extra sauce of this specialty that spice lovers should definitely try out.

Need more reasons to check out this cool cafe?  In our past post, we also had the most amazing hummus at Silvanna which is also worth trying out: LINK

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DWELL: HARLEM FIREHOUSE PATROL NUMBER 5

Harlem Bespoke: Those who dream about living in a former Gilded Age firehouse in Manhattan might just be in luck these days.  Number 307 West 121st Street is located just west of prime Frederick Douglass Boulevard and was a firehouse from 1892 to 2006 but now is on the market for $6.5 $5.7 million.  So what's with the high asking?

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Harlem Bespoke: Join our growing community of over 14,100 followers on the Harlem Bespoke Facebook site and receive daily to your account by liking our page: LINK

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DWELL: 210 WEST 122ND STREET TOWNHOUSE

Harlem Bespoke: Number 210 West 122nd Street was up for sale earlier this year with the asking set at $3.7 million and now the listing has returned to the market in the fall season for an upgraded $4.35 $4.65 million.

RENT: TWO BEDROOM BY FREDERICK DOUGLASS BLVD

Harlem Bespoke:  So the average in Manhattan rent for a non-doorman studio went up a couple of hundred this past summer to a whopping $2,343 a month but those living uptown can save thousands each year since deals can still be found.  

SHOP: GORILLAS ON FREDERICK DOUGLASS BOULEVARD

Harlem Bespoke: It looks like Gorillas grocery delivery is basically taking over a lot of these newer commercial spaces around town that have had a harder time finding an anchor tenant.  We reported earlier this week that an East Harlem location is now live over on 125th Street but there is also a storefront at the 2280 FDB building by 122nd Street which is good news since that space has been vacant for years.  Deliver services have had quite a boom in the past year and there are definitely enough options around town for Gorillas to startup up at.  More details on Gorillas can be found in our past post: LINK

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DWELL: 296 MANHATTAN AVENUE SOLD IN JULY

Harlem Bespoke: The 7-family townhouse at 296 Manhattan Avenue arrived on the market last June for an eyebrow-raising $5.995 million but would eventually have a few price chops down to $3.995 million before a contract went out in May.

DWELL: 296 MANHATTAN AVENUE IN CONTRACT

Harlem Bespoke: The 7-family townhouse at 296 Manhattan Avenue arrived on the market last June for an eyebrow-raising $5.995 million, then had the asking reduced to $4.995 million one month later and then again later on to $3.995 million which finally hit the sweet spot.  All things considered, a contract out this past week is a definite sign of buyer confidence in the neighborhood. At the height of the market a couple of years back, $5 million was the maximum any brownstone was selling for north of 110th Street and those had really expensive restorations.  Also a lot of higher end house seekers are looking for single-family or more simpler layouts.  With all that said, this location facing Morningside Park has one of the most spectacular views to be found uptown and is also just a couple of blocks away from the bustling FDB commercial corridor.  More details, photos and contact information can be found on Streeteasy: LINK 

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RENT: STUDIO ON FREDERICK DOUGLASS BOULEVARD

Harlem Bespoke:  So the average in Manhattan rent for a non-doorman studio went down a couple of hundred since summer but still is a whopping $2,098 a month but those living uptown can save thousands each year since deals can still be found.  Just this week, a studio at 2115 Frederick Douglass Boulevard by by 115th Street has been listed for $1,450 a month.  This recently renovated no-fee rental in South Harlem just a block away from the subway station and is right in the middle of uptown's most notable restaurant corridor.  Central Park and Morningside Park are also within 5 blocks of this location.  With that said, this is probably a walk-up situation on an upper floor so it might not be for everyone but one month of free rent is included.  More details and contact information on Streeteasy: LINK

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DWELL: 105 WEST 122ND STREET REDUCED

Harlem Bespoke:  The 19 foot wide, single-family house at 105 West 122nd Street had one of the highest asking prices in the neighborhood with an initial asking set at $5.75 million back in September but has since been reduced to $5.55 million. This Mount Morris Park Historic District home had been gut renovated back in 2008 and does have a slight amount of original details although the majority of the renovations are brand new.  An opulent marble bath with a matching shower is one of the luxurious finishes to note at this landmark address.  There is also one of the greenest backyards that we have ever seen in the neighborhood everything is definitely in turnkey condition.  Express trains at 122nd Street are only a couple of blocks away and Whole Foods is also at that corner.  More details and contact information can be found on the broker site: LINK

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CONSTRUCTION: NEW HEIGHTS AT 300 WEST 122ND

Harlem Bespoke: The new construction at 300 West 122nd Street and St. Nicholas Avenue has been going up for the past couple of year now but should finish up in the coming months.  An international pandemic slowed things down quite a bit last year but now only the top levels need to be completed.  Grey brick appears to be a trend we have been noticing for some time and it actually is a decent neutral to compliment the neighborhood.  Once everything is complete on the outside, the finishes within usually take less time to install and the condo market should be in pretty good shape by then.  More on the development can be found in our past post: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2021

DWELL: 296 MANHATTAN AVENUE REDUCED

Harlem Bespoke: The 7-family townhouse at 296 Manhattan Avenue arrived on the market last June for an eyebrow-raising $5.995 million, then had the asking reduced to $4.995 million one month later and just now had another big price chop to $3.995 million.  At the height of the market a couple of years back, $5 million was the maximum any brownstone was selling for north of 110th Street and those had really expensive restorations.  Also a lot of higher end house seekers are looking for single-family or more simpler layouts.  With all that said, this location facing Morningside Park has one of the most spectacular views to be found uptown and is also just a couple of blocks away from the bustling FDB commercial corridor.  More details,  photos and contact information can be found on Streeteasy: LINK 

HarlemBespoke.com 2020

CLOSING: BEST MARKET ON FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Harlem Bespoke: Best Market on Frederick Douglass Boulevard by 118th Street announced a closing date last month and that day arrived this week.  We saw that a huge dumpster was out front yesterday and workers were on site deconstructing the store.  This definitely is the end of an era for the neighborhood below 125th Street but something better might be coming along. Everything will be transformed to Lidl in the coming months since there was a buyout a few years back and this will be the first discount supermarket to arrive in the area.  Until Trader Joe's opens on 125th Street in at least a couple of years or longer, Lidl will be the affordable grocery destination for uptown. More details in our past post: LINK

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DWELL: 210 WEST 122ND STREET TOWNHOUSE

Harlem Bespoke: Number 210 West 122nd Street has been off-and-on the market for the past couple of years but has recently returned once again with an asking set at $3.85 million.  As previously mentioned, the location just west of 7th Avenue is ideal because of the proximity to the express trains on 125th Street but potential buyers might want to check out the Certificate of Occupancy since this townhouse was previously an SRO. Apparently everything now is currently set up as a Bed and Breakfast and the listing mentions as much.  Everything looks to be in good condition within but there are quite a few bathrooms located on each of the floors because of the hotel situation. More details on Streeteasy: LINK

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SHOP: HARLEM LIDL ARRIVING IN 2021

Harlem Bespoke: Best Market on Frederick Douglass Boulevard by 118th Street is officially in the process of closing as of this past weekend to make way for Lidl which is the notable mega discount supermarket.   We took the above photos this morning which reveal a lot of information but does not list actually dates.

BESPOKE DIARIES: HARLEM'S WINTER FARMERS MARKET

Harlem Bespoke:  Having a farmers market during the wintertime was a big decision a few years ago since it was unclear if uptowners would brave the cold to shop fresh produce and locally sourced goods.  Harlem is actually very ready to do such a thing as can be seen in the above photo taken this past Saturday around 11:00AM just an hour after opening.  The Morningside Park Farmers Market at 110th Street at the corner of Manhattan Avenue has even been more popular in the past year since open air shopping makes a lot of sense these days along with getting seasonal offerings from regional sources.  More on the Morningside Farmers Market can be found in our past post: LINK

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DWELL: 296 MANHATTAN AVENUE BROWNSTONE

Harlem Bespoke: The 7-family townhouse at 296 Manhattan Avenue arrived on the market in June for an eyebrow-raising $5.995 million but then had a priced reduction to $4.995 million one month later.  At the height of the market a couple of years back, $5 million was the maximum any brownstone was selling for north of 110th Street and those had really expensive restorations.  Also a lot of higher end house seekers are looking for single-family or more simpler layouts.  With all that said, this location facing Morningside Park has one of the most spectacular views to be found uptown and is also just a couple of blocks away from the bustling FDB commercial corridor.  More details,  photos and contact information can be found on Streeteasy: LINK 

HarlemBespoke.com 2020

SHOP: WHEN WILL LIDL ARRIVE ON FDB?

Harlem Bespoke:  When will Best Market on Frederick Douglass Boulevard by 118th Street be converted into a Lidl supermarket?  Everyone uptown has been waiting for Trader Joe's to finally arrive but a competitive affordable option will probably get to Central Harlem sooner.  Lidl bought out all Best market locations back in 2019 and announced that the greater New York City locations will be transformed in the next 2-3 years.  Long Island has already had 4 location converted over a year ago and it appears that nothing much happened in 2020 because of the pandemic.  With that said other supermarkets have opened recently in Harlem it really should not be a big deal at this point.  Hopefully some word will come about soon but things could take as long as 2022 to happen.  Read more about the Lidl conversion in our past post: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2021

DWELL: FAISON FIREHOUSE BACK ON MARKET

Harlem Bespoke:  The Faison Firehouse Theater and the adjacent lot was up for sale for $13 million earlier on in 2018 then reduced to just below $10 million months later, had a contract out at the end of June 2021 and now is back on the market with a noticeably upgraded $14 million asking.  As previously mentioned, we have been informed that the adjacent lot is not included with the new asking and just the building is up for sale.  The 29-feet-wide facade was originally a Beaux Arts firehouse which has been converted into a performance theater and living space over the years. This is one of the highest price points in the neighborhood so a developer might end up purchasing the unique property.  Express trains at 125th Street are only a block away and the FDB commercial corridor is also short walk from the location.  More details on Streeteasy: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2021

DWELL: 535 MANHATTAN AVENUE IN CONTRACT

Harlem Bespoke:  The vacant land at 535 Manhattan Avenue by 122nd Street sold back in 2018 for $1.1 million and the newly constructed brownstone recently finished on the lot now has a contract out based on a a $4.195 million asking.  We especially like that the 2-family townhouse is a contemporary architectural update but has also been designed to blend in with the surrounding historic homes.   This will also be one of the top Harlem brownstone sales of the year so developers looking at other empty lots in the neighborhood might want to take note.  More on 535 Manhattan Avenue can be found in our past post: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2020