TWELFTH NIGHT FIRST PREVIEW CANCELLED TONIGHT

Harlem Bespoke:  The first preview of the Classical Theatre of Harlem's production of Twelfth Night was scheduled to debut on Tuesday, July 5th but has now been cancelled.  With that said, the show will go on the next day on Wednesday, July 6th at the regular schedule throughout the month. 

HARLEM BESPOKE SUBSCRIPTION EMAIL UPDATE!

Harlem Bespoke:  Google will be cancelling the current email subscription format in September so we have switched to follow.it for the newsletter.  All current subscribers will be getting an updated feed confirmation link via email this week but if you want to switch right away to follow.it then just type in your email address below and press the subscribe button.  

ALERT: MOSQUITO SPRAYING IN THE CITY TONIGHT

Harlem Bespoke:  The city will be spraying pesticide in the air around central park tonight, September 27th from 8:30PM to 6:00AM the next day so everyone should stay indoors and keep those windows closed.  Trucks will be spraying the chemicals in the air to kill off adult mosquitos which have been known to spread West Nile Virus.  This pesticide is toxic for humans according to the NYC Health site so make sure to plan accordingly.  The full map of areas affected in Central Harlem and East Harlem can be found here: LINK  

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HARLEM BESPOKE SUBSCRIPTION EMAIL UPDATE!

Harlem Bespoke:  Google will be cancelling the current email subscription format in August so we have switched to follow.it for the newsletter.  All current subscribers will be getting an updated feed confirmation link via email this week but if you want to switch right away to follow.it then just type in your email address below and press the subscribe button.  

HARLEM BESPOKE SUBSCRIPTION EMAIL UPDATE!

Harlem Bespoke:  Google will be cancelling the current email subscription format in August so we have switched to follow.it for the newsletter.  All current subscribers will be getting an updated feed confirmation link via email this week but if you want to switch right away to follow.it then just type in your email address below and press the subscribe button.  

HARLEM BESPOKE SUBSCRIPTION EMAIL UPDATE!

Harlem Bespoke:  Google will be cancelling the current email subscription format in July so we have switched to follow.it for the newsletter.  All current subscribers will be getting an updated feed confirmation link via email this week but if you want to switch right away to follow.it then just type in your email address below and press the subscribe button.  

HARLEM BESPOKE SUBSCRIPTION EMAIL UPDATE!

Harlem Bespoke:  Google will be cancelling the current email subscription format in early July so we have switched to follow.it for the newsletter.  All current subscribers will be getting an updated feed confirmation link via email this week but if you want to switch right away to follow.it then just type in your email address below and press the subscribe button.  

UPDATE: FIFTY PERCENT SOLD AT ELEVEN HANCOCK

Harlem Bespoke: A press release announced recently that Eleven Hancock by St. Nicholas Avenue and 125th Street is now 50 percent sold. This cantilevered new development has some of the more dramatic architectural details to be found in the uptown condominium market and almost half the units include outdoor space.  New York City DOB has granted the development its Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) and closings are set to begin immediately with first move-ins set for this summer.  More on Eleven Hancock can be found in our past post: LINK

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HARLEM BESPOKE SUBSCRIPTION EMAIL UPDATE!

Harlem Bespoke:  Google will be cancelling the current email subscription format in early July so we have switched to follow.it for the newsletter.  All current subscribers will be getting an updated feed confirmation link via email this week but if you want to switch right away to follow.it then just type in your email address below and press the subscribe button.  

UPDATE: THE DORRANCE BROOKS HISTORIC DISTRICT

UPDATE:  There might still be an issue with the church since demolishing permits are still on site.

Harlem Bespoke: Some good news arrived this week for preservationist since the Dorrance Brooks Square Historic District by Strivers Row has now been approved by the city.  The Landmarks Preservation Commission did the final review and everything got the green light which means the endangered church at the corner of 140th and Edgecombe will not be demolished to make way for a residential tower.  This is also the first historic district named after an African-American in NYC and so the moniker is definitely befitting for Harlem.  Read more about the complete history in our past post: LINK

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UPDATE: NORTHEND FOOD HALL OPENING IN JUNE?

Harlem Bespoke: It has taken over 5 years but now Northend food hall on Broadway by 183rd Street apparently will be opening by the end of the month.  Harlem Public mentioned on their social media yesterday that they are looking to hire for the pub's food stall at Norhthend for a late June start date.  Everything was originally set to open for Summer 2019 but has been delayed for some reason for many years now.    More on Northend food hall and the assortment of restaurants on site can be found in our past post from a years ago: LINK

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UPDATE: ADOPT THIS LOST HARLEM PUP

Harlem Bespoke:  The lost or abandoned female husky with blue eyes found at Strivers Row this past weekend is now up for adoption since an owner has not shown up.  Unfortunately the pup was dropped off at the ACC on East 110th Street yesterday so those interested will have to contact the shelter and go through the requisite paperwork.  Everyone is telling us the phone line is hard to get through so sending an email or just showing up might be the best thing to do: LINK

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UPDATE: HARLEM PIZZA CO. STILL OPEN

Harlem Bespoke: The update to Harlem Pizza Co. is that the wood oven pizzeria is still is open for business and doing well with deliveries! We had seen the storefront shuttered in the afternoon this past week and read a comment on Instagram about a move to the Upper West Side but it was a message from from a follower pinned to the post last week.  Apologies to everyone for the miscommunication and please do support this fantastic local business. More on Harlem Pizza Co. can be found in our past post: LINK

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UPDATE: PHASE 2 REOPENING WILL START ON MONDAY

Harlem Bespoke:  Governor Cuomo made a surprise announcement this afternoon and confirmed that New York City well enter Phase 2 reopening on Monday July, 22nd.  This means in less than a week, office workers will return to the field, retail will be open and restaurants will have outdoor seating.  Social distancing precautions still have to put into action and wearing masks will still be paramount to keep infection rates at an all time low.  More details can be found on the local news: LINK

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UPDATE: ST. JOHN THE DIVINE FIELD HOSPITAL HALTED

Harlem Bespoke: So the plans for a emergency field hospital at St. John the Divine by 112th Street on Amsterdam has been halted.  Apparently the main group that specializes in this sort of thing happens to be anti-LGBT and muslim which thus went against the beliefs of the church.  The massive cathedral still is up for hospital use since it is only a block away from Mt. Sinai and another organization could come along to make that happen.  Other options include a temporary morgue or just used as a general medical facility location in the near future.  More details on ABC news: LINK

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CORONAVIRUS: HISPANIC AND BLACKS MOST AFFECTED

Harlem Bespoke: The percentage map of positive COVID-19 results in greater New York City was released last week and now the city has finally reported the demographic numbers for racial groups most affected.   Deaths by complications of the coronavirus are highest amongst hispanics at 34 percent even though they represent 29 percent of the population.  Blacks deaths are at 28 percent which is also higher than the 22 percent population share.  Whites were at 27 percent but make up a greater part of the population at 32 percent.  Asians appear to be the lowest on the list with 7 percent deaths with a 14 percent share of the population which refutes the bias that this us only an Asian disease.  More detail in the New York Post: LINK

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UPDATE: MEALS FOR ALL AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Harlem Bespoke: All of the city grade schools have been shut down but have still been providing meals for students and now will invite all in need to drop by for three grab-and-go meals a day.   From Monday through Friday, Meals Hubs will operate for children and families from 7:30 am to 11:30 am, and for adults from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. No one will be turned away at any time and registration, ID, or documentation required. All three meals a day may be picked up at the same time. It does not matter what school each child attends and the facilities will be open to all in need regardless of enrollment at a particular address: LINK

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UPDATE: POSITIVE TESTING MAP FOR MARCH 2020

Harlem Bespoke: A percentage map of positive COVID-19 results in greater New York City shows that Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn have the largest concentration but north of 125th Street appears to be escalating as far as Manhattan goes.  Some reports mention that people of color may be more vulnerable to the outbreak because underlying health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease or high blood pressure are more disproportionally found within the community.  Blue collar workers also can not perform jobs remotely from home and are outside for most of the day which may be another contributing factor. With all that said, social distancing does appear to be working and more information outreach to communities most highly affected might also be needed to flatten the curve: LINK

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UPDATE: SCHOOLS PROVIDING GRAB AND GO MEALS

Harlem Bespoke: The city has officially shut down everything this week to prevent the spread of Coronavirus but one of the big concerns is that public schools are the only way that some students in need get meals during the day.  With that in mind, the city started free grab and go breakfast and lunch to any child under 18 from Monday-Friday starting 7:30AM to 1:30PM from any public, private or charter school. It does not matter what school each child attends and the facilities will be open to all students in need regardless of enrollment at a particular address: LINK

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UPDATE: HARLEM AFRICAN BURIAL GROUNDS 2019

Harlem Bespoke:  It has now been a decade since the remains of the earliest black citizens of Harlem were found at a former African Burial Ground located under the East 126th Street Bus Depot by 1st Avenue but has anything really happened since?  When Harlem was mostly countryside villages in the 1600s, the Elemendorf Reformed church owned the land which would be the final resting spot for the colored community, free and enslaved.  Historians have known for years that the burial ground existed since it is clearly indicated on older maps and there are actually church records of who is buried on the grounds.


A task force was formed in 2011 that was headed up by the original church which still has a presence on the east side at a different location and is the oldest house of worship in Harlem.  Plans for a memorial site came together which also included affordable housing with 730 units and the city approved the zoning in 2017 but not much news has happened since.  We checked the DOB website today and no permits have been issued for well over a decade.  An initial planned groundbreaking set for 2020 is around the corner but only preliminary design renderings of the memorial have been released: LINK

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