DWELL: CHAIWALI BROWNSTONE UP FOR SALE

Harlem Bespoke: The beloved Harlem Indian restaurant Chaiwali announced that they were permanently closing back in December and now the brownstone at 274 Lenox Avenue by West 124th Street in the Mount Morris Park Historic District is up for sale.

LGBTQ MEETUP AT THE CLIFFS HARLEM

Harlem Bespoke: CRUX empowers members of the LGBTQ community to participate in rock climbing and outdoor recreation in New York.  CRUX will host meetup nights at The Cliffs at Harlem on the second Tuesday of every month.

ART: VIRTUAL STUDIO MUSEUM ONLINE 2023

Harlem Bespoke:  The Studio Museum in Harlem’s permanent collection represents more than 700 artists, spans 200 years of history and includes over 2,500 works of art, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, watercolors, photographs, videos and mixed-media installations. The collection is a record of the growth of the institution and its activities, including its foundational Artist-in-Residence program.  A full breadth of the collection is available now to be viewed online: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2023

REMEMBER: HARLEM'S FIRST FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN

             From A Night Club Map of Harlem by E. Simms Campbell c. 1932

Harlem Bespoke: Tillie Fripp was a roadhouse cook in Philly via Florida back in 1926 who quit her job and ended up being a key figure that attracted folks uptown during the Jazz Age. With only $1.98 in her pocket, the young woman was invited to a sleepy block on West 133rd Street between Lenox and 7th Avenue which only had one notable club called The Nest.  Miss Fripp ended up getting a job as a cook for a lesser known speakeasy in exchange for free rent but soon became the main attraction.  With her personal approach with customers along with great platter combinations such as ham and eggs or chicken and waffles, customer soon flocked to 133rd Street in droves late at night.

DWELL: CHAIWALI BROWNSTONE UP FOR SALE

Harlem Bespoke: The beloved Harlem Indian restaurant Chaiwali announced that they were permanently closing back in December and now the brownstone at 274 Lenox Avenue by West 124th Street in the Mount Morris Park Historic District is up for sale.

DWELL: 205 WEST 139TH STREET TOWNHOUSE

Harlem Bespoke: A historically distinguished brownstone at Number 205 West 139th Street by Adam Clayton Powell within the Strivers Row Landmark District has recently arrived on the market for $2.75 million and is in the much coveted single-family layout.  

☞ JOIN: HARLEM BESPOKE ON FACEBOOK

Harlem Bespoke: It has been a decade of covering everything old and new in greater Harlem! Join our growing community of over 14,655 followers on the Harlem Bespoke Facebook site and receive daily to your account by liking our page: LINK

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LISTEN: JAZZ FEST 2022 AT ST. NICHOLAS PARK

Harlem Bespoke: It has been cold and rainy this week but the sun will come out over the weekend for the annual Jazz Fest at St. Nicholas Park.  Make sure to stop by and enjoy the last warm days of the season at one of Harlems beloved outdoor spaces.

NUMBER 11 MOUNT MORRIS PARK WEST REVISITED

Harlem Bespoke: One of our favorite uptown buildings is also one that is probably most in need of some restoration funding.  Number 11 Mount Morris Park West obviously has great bones but the landmark townhouse has deteriorating architectural details such as the tower turret at the corner of the roofline.  There has been a sidewalk shed up for some time now but it is unclear if any repairs will be forthcoming in the near future at this Mount Morris Park Historic District address.  Check out our past post for archival images of what everything looked like almost a century ago: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2022

SEE: FILMS BY LARRY GOTTHEIM AT MAYSLES CINEMA

Harlem Bespoke: Avant-garde filmmaker Larry Gottheim appears in person to present three films from his extraordinary body of work.  

SEE: MOVIES AT MARCUS GARVEY PARK TONIGHT

Harlem Bespoke: Join NYC Parks and Image Nation 20th Anniversary for a Soul Train Tribute to Freedom! Featuring DJ Stormin Norman and the live music experience known as Sample Sale! Enjoy the music, join the Soul Train Line, and then watch Judas and the Black Messiah. 

REMEMBER: GLADYS BENTLEY'S CLAM HOUSE

Harlem Bespoke: We are revisiting some of the great LGBT history post over the years on Bespoke and one of the larger than life icons of the Renaissance years was a cross-dressing lesbian that became an instant celebrity throughout the speakeasy society of New York City.

LAST CHANCE: STAN SQUIREWELL AT CLAIRE OLIVER

Harlem Bespoke: This is the last week to check out the sold-out exhibit of Stan Squirewell at the Claire Oliver Gallery in Central Harlem.  Each piece by the contemporary black artist is a mixed media collage with a depth of texture interwoven with history that must be seen in-person. Who That Is?, the debut exhibition of new works by artist Stan Squirewell at Claire Oliver Gallery will be extended through, Saturday June 11th.

VICTORIA THEATRE LOWER MARQUEE CONSTRUCTION

Harlem Bespoke:  We broke the news last week that the vertical signage on the marquee of the Victoria Theatre on 125th Street just east of Frederick Douglass was finally restored and now workers are quickly putting together the lower overhang section.  Bronze panels were being installed yesterday on the framework over the entrance and everything seems to be progressing very quickly.  Hopefully the sidewalk goes away in the next week or so since it looks like all of the facade details will have been finished by then.  More on Victoria restoration can be found in our past post: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2022

EAT: FIRST LOOK AT VEGAN HOOD IN HARLEM

Harlem Bespoke: Uptown's latest vegan soul food opening on Frederick Douglass by West 114th Street is easliy one of the city's best for all the serious vegetarians out there who want a little more with their meatless meals.  As a lifelong New Yorkers, we have tried everything and Vegan Hood really has the elements that make a comfort food menu great.  Quality, presentation and also nice size portions are all in the mix.

INTRODUCING: SUNDAY COMEDY LIVE AT SHRINE

Harlem Bespoke: Live comedy night has been added to the lineup at Shrine at 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard by West 134th Street on Sunday nights starting at 6:00PM.  Our favorite music venue in Harlem has been around for over 10 years and and is slowly going back to the regular live show schedule.  Check out the updated calendar on the official website and drop by for some great local music and entertainment on the weekends: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2022

EXERCISE: A NEW FITNESS STUDIO ON ADAM CLAYTON

Harlem Bespoke: We noticed that the historic storefront at 1844 Adam Clayton Powell at the corner of West 112th Street has a new athletic business established and took a closer look.  Self care is a booming industry these days and exercise really is a focus for many as summertime approaches.  So what is Re-Creation Fitness and how do you sign up?

SELF CHECKOUT DEBUTS AT HARLEM WHOLE FOODS

Harlem Bespoke: The checkout line at the Harlem Whole Foods on 125th and Lenox was notoriously congested for quite some time now on any visit but we noticed this week that there was an absence of a queue at the cashier area and wondered what was going on.

DRINK: MUSICAL MONDAYS AT MESS HALL

Harlem Bespoke: Musical theater fans uptown can now head over to Mess Hall on Frederick Douglass Boulevard by West 118th Street at the start of the week for Musical Mondays from 8:00PM-10:30PM at the local Harlem bar.

AFTERNOON JAZZ AT HARLEM SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

Saturday, April 30th, 3:00PM-4:30PM, Afternoon Jazz at the Harlem School of the Arts, 645 St. Nicholas Avenue and 142nd Street. Afternoon Jazz @ HSA is a series of master classes involving students across HSA’s interdisciplinary curriculum and the organization’s jazz program, and featuring some of the most respected and prolific jazz artists.