READ: HARLEM COFFEE SHOP EXPANDS TO THE BRONX

Anyone living in upper Manhattan over the past 5 years can tell you that setting up a coffee shop will  pretty much be a success if all is done right.  Now it appears the Bronx has caught on to the trend and the New York Times just wrote about all of the new java joints opening up in the next-door borough which apparently portends gentrification. The owners of Double Dutch and Filtered are mentioned since they started out in Harlem and now a Filtered coffee shop has opened in Mott Haven as of April.  Quite a few Harlem startups have expanded over the years so it is especially nice to see these local small businesses really making it happen as opposed to the bigger corporate businesses. More on the story can be found in the Times: LINK

☞ EAT: Harlem Tavern Expanding to the Heights

A sign up at the Harlem Tavern over on 116th Street has now announced that the popular beer garden in South Harlem will expand to Washington Heights at 3910 Broadway by 164th Street.  This new venture will be called the Heights Tavern and will not be located at an old gas station site which made the FDB location so unique.  Washington Heights has very limited better dining options and now it appears that this Harlem establishment will test the market out further uptown as it did a few years back in Harlem.

☞ READ: Last Week's Most Viewed Posts

Below is the list of last week's most viewed posts and comments.

1. Gap Outlet Arriving on 125th Street (30)
2. 2130 ACP Condos Convert to Rentals (7)
3. Wafels and Dinges on FDB (2)
4. Second Restaurant for Doug E. Fresh (2)
5. Doug E.'s Chicken and Waffles (7)
6. Harlem Hebrew on St. Nicholas (4)
7. Wafels and Dinges Returns (4)
8. What's Up With Cedric? (1)
9. More Missing Details for Lenox Lounge (6)
10. Mailboxes for Brownstones? (9)

☞ INTRODUCING: Signage Up at Vinateria

Vinateria at FDB/8th Avenue and 119th Street is seeing more action these days since a great painted sign has now been placed at the  corner shop's facade.  News of this new eatery arrived about a year ago but work did not start at the South Harlem space until this past September.  We noticed a few interesting light fixtures installed within the interior and expect a January opening if this rate of progress continues.  The signage of an establishment really set the tone of the new business  and this one looks very promising from what we can see so far.

☞ DWELL: 357 West 121st Sets Record for 2012

Number 357 West 121st Street went on the market this past spring and closed in August at the highest record sale of 2012 for Harlem. The 16-foot-wide, 2-family home has a solid South Harlem location that is right around the corner from Morningside Park, close to the FDB retail corridor and a short walk distance to the express trains at 125th Street. Renovated interiors that update the infrastructure but keep the character of the original home probably helped find the right buyer also. According to public records, the house sold over the asking price of $2.85 million and finally closed for a cool $3 million. Unless another brownstone sale closes in the next couple of weeks, number 357 West 121st Street will keep the title as the highest selling townhouse for the year.

☞ DRINK: Harlem's Social Bar Culture

The one thing we have been noticing about Harlem at night time is that folks are quite friendly when hanging out at one of the new drinking establishments.  At recent trip to the Red Rooster at 310 Lenox,  a young woman next to us offered to move over so we could have two seats and started up a conversation.  Usual points of topics include where one lives, how long have folks been in the neighborhood and were does one frequent as far as restaurants.  On a past visit to Lenox Lounge, we had extra room in our booth and let another couple share the table with us when they inquired.  Over in West Harlem, all the locals go to Harlem Public so there never appears to be a shortage of people introducing themselves and talking about how the neighborhood has been changing as of late.  The best part of it all is when it is time to go after a long night, most uptowners are finding themselves getting  home much quicker since these local favorite watering holes are now within their own neighborhood.

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