What Central Harlem needs the most is expanded dining options for lunch and dinner. More of the culinary same does not mean a lot in my book. That's right, not another Manna's. Example, a real basic Chinatown credible Noodle Shop. Simple, cheap, easy. There is no Indian food in Central Harlem, why? I go to a placed called "Curry In A Hurry" in little India, never spent more than $8 for some great authentic Indian credile eats, cheap eats.

Gentrification gone wrong = Emperor's Roe, even this new Cigar Shop, I think Pier 2110 is a mistake and won't last. Gentrification gone right is when Harlem has dining options that are not about an "air of status" but simple and plain but CREDIBLE on a Manhattan standard. A Noodle shop where nothing on the menu is more than $8, (as opposed to Emperor's Roe and their $3,200/Oz Belgua Caviar or whatever). Even something like a Zen Palate or the like. I've been going to that new Sushi spot not even half a block up from 125th on Madison and spending $30/week just to say "thank you for being here, taking a risk, I appreciate you, here's my money".

The basic, the fundamental, the place I might visit twice or thrice a week, etc. That's not more of the same and has legit Manhattan cred but cheap!

Amen, Anonymous 6:51pm! I also go to many of the new businesses that open up just to send a message to other entreprenuers/restauranteurs that there is a customer base up here. I think that what our community needs the most is variety in the food offerings - that's right, not another fried-anything place or another soul food place. I like both of those type places, but an Indian place, an Irish pub (everyone's Irish on St. Patty's day, right?), a Mexican place (Baja Fresh?), a cheap Italian place, a noodle shop, a Cosi, a basic diner or a Chipotle would be great for variety.

How about a Copeland's? http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2007/07/copelands.html
or another authentic harlem soul-food eatery? oh, nevermind, i'm sure you'd rather a chipotle.

What we need are some more restaurants between 116th and 125th on Lenox and actually a Starbucks on 116th and Lenox seeing that this is a stop on the 2 3 line, however this won't happen because 8 or 9 new buildings are not going to balance out the 126 PROJECT buildings. It wouldn't make sense for them to open up. so.... I guess I will have to hoof it on up to 125th to get my Starbucks as opposed to other neighborhoods where there is a Starbucks on every other block.

125th and Lenox already has a Starbucks , so they don't need 2. As the first person said, we need a restaurant that is chic and fashionable , but yet cheap enough so that more people will afford it, but not too cheap so that the whole place will be run into the ground.... when it is too cheap, people will come in and mess up the place and then go outside and throw the trash right in front of the restaurant instead of putting the trash in a trash can. I have seen this many times up here. IT IS DISGUSTING!!!

GET RID OF THE PROJECTS!!!!

Amen again to the OP. Great and cheap (a la East Village or Alphabet City) dining options would be welcome. However, nothing would make my life more complete than a Gourmet Garage on Madison, Fifth or even Lenox (I'm on Madison, and that Citarella on 125 and Amsterdam is too freakin' far away, although I suppose they'd deliver). There's an Italian place that's coming to Madison and 118th called "Giovanna's", and I'm hoping it won't be just another low-end pizza joint.

Attn. 6:51pm

Pier 2110 didn't make it. It is being renovated to become a Dallas BBQ in the Fall.

Jeremiah - yes, I'd rather have a Chipotle than another "authentic harlem soul-food eatery". How many do we freak'n need? Wimps, Mannas, MoBay, Silvia's and the Lenox Lounge all serve the same type of food. It's all good, but if you truly are what you eat, I'm gonna turn into a collard green or fried chicken!

Seriously, no affront to soul food, but variety is a good thing (and frankly it keeps the current soul food places in business because otherwise, yet another soul food place will just take business away from the others).

There's an authentic Mexican place on ACP btw 122nd & 123rd. I would go there every other day, but it's usually closed by the time I get home. (I work late.) I'm hoping that my once weekly visits will help keep it in business.

There's a nice little Italian place on 118th btw 5th and Madison, which I'm hoping stays around long enough for the completion of 5th on the Park.

I'm also hoping that Louise's on Lenox and 121st doesn't end up like Copeland's. It tastes just like my NC grandmother's cooking.

That covers me for Mexican, Italian, and home cookin' (Soulfood). Now I would like an Indian place, a cheap noodle place (e.g., Sammy's or Ollie's), and a Thai place.

Only a major chain franchise can afford the rent at this very central location, that's the problem. In fact this property manager, and Harlemite himself who wrote let HarlemFur know that he has vacant storefront space around Lenox and 125th, is it not only fair that we're also told what the broker wants? Price per square foot, how much a month?

People in all sections of Manhattan are very upset and annoyed with long standing unique diners, coffee shops, etc. the fabric of the nabe being replaced by 1) Cell Phone Vendors, 2) Banks, 3)Chains Food places, etc.
The places folks would like to see are getting priced out.

Seems to me this property manager, and Harlemite should let Harlem Fur know what the rent is, fair question? What good is creating a wish list when in reality for all we know, the only business that can fit into the location is a major franchise chain (another Popeye's, Micky D., TacoBell/KFC, etc.).

I don't believe the property manager is sensitive to what the community wants to see in the location, I believe all they care about is a well heeled tenant with deep resources who can pay a lot of money. In fact in truth the place can be priced so ridiculously high the property manager is simply fishing for a major chain and not interested in entertaining interest from small mom & pops who might create a family diner, etc.

Well HarlemFur? What's the rent? Letting us know the size and rent per month will not expose the location or identity of the broker. For all we know this place is earmarked and designated for more of the same by the property manager and landlord, the rent level, will tell the story and let us know if it's even possible for something other than a major chain to rent the spot.

Speaking of available retail spaces, I have an 1,800 SF retail space for rent in east harlem on 2nd avenue and 110th street. Does anyone have any knowledge of retailers looking for space? We are ideally looking for a tenant which will truly benefit the neighborhood and fill a void that currently exists.

Speaking of available retail spaces, I have an 1,800 SF retail space for rent in east harlem on 2nd avenue and 110th street. Does anyone have any knowledge of retailers looking for space? We are ideally looking for a tenant which will truly benefit the neighborhood and fill a void that currently exists.

Speaking of available retail spaces, I have an 1,800 SF retail space for rent in east harlem on 2nd avenue and 110th street. Does anyone have any knowledge of retailers looking for space? We are ideally looking for a tenant which will truly benefit the neighborhood and fill a void that currently exists.

I'm not a fan of Chipotle at all. I'd prefer something like a Burritoville or my fave, Burrito Box on 9th Ave. More restaurants of any diversity would be great. I'll have to agree with the other comments about too many soul food restaurants. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE soul food but I don't need 10 restaurants to choose from. I've been trying to get some restaurant owners to get uptown. Tough going so far.

"I've been trying to get some restaurant owners to get uptown. Tough going so far."

Of course it has been tough going! 10 new buildings versus 125 project buildings? What kind of customer base is there going to be to support these wonderful restaurants?

Ok getridoftheprojects...how do you propose we do that?

well, there is a poll to figure out what kind of restaurant is needed here (restaurants that won't want to come until the place is cleaned up).... we need a poll to find out how many people would like NYC to follow some of the other major US cities which have demolished the failed public housing system. Then we need to organize ourselves and come together as a group to get this done!

You know... it wouldn't be as bad if there weren't sooooo many of them up here. I don't believe that there is any other neighborhood in Manhattan that has as many housing projects in one place! The mentality up here is so bad... I can see it when I am driving down the street. Until I moved up here, I have never seen so many people who have a disregard for their own lives. When I have the green light driving in the car, people will just saunter across the street not caring that a car is coming full speed at them. Then they want to get angry when I get too close to them. What kind of mentality is this?
We need to get rid of these buildings and place people amongst well thinking people to make them want to do better...

Once this happens, then the neighborhood will REALLY start to change, and then you can talk about Cosi, Chipotle or even Le Cirque! LOL!

These project in Harlem are not going anywhere. Yes they are failed, preserve, and foster generational poverty, etc. They consume a tremendous amount of NYPD resources too. Just think Getrideoftheprojects, not only do your tax dollars subsidize their housing, you also buy their food (welfare), the the NYPD resources they consume disproportionately.

This out to really make your day, "In New York City, the sheer quantity of property locked into service as public housing works as a significant drag on the city’s economy. In East Harlem, where no fewer than 13 huge housing projects stand (“the world’s greatest concentration of public housing,” city officials once boasted), almost no part of the neighborhood escapes their intimidating, prosperity-squelching presence. “We’re surrounded on all sides by them — they’re an eyesore, and there’s an awful lot of run-off, whether crime or drugs,” says one prominent property manager. “If we had even half the number of projects,” he laments, “we’d be the next East Village, with our proximity to midtown and the Number 6 subway train going right through the neighborhood.” But East Harlem isn’t the only place in New York with an excess of public housing. Gotham has vastly more public housing units than any other city in the nation — nearly 200,000 of the national total of 1 million or so. (Chicago is a distant second, with 38,000 units.) Public housing occupies an astounding 2,500 acres of real estate in New York, the equivalent of 156 World Trade Center sites: a city within the city.

http://daily.nysun.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:ArticleToMail&Type=text/html&Path=NYS/2003/01/07&ID=Ar00700&Locale=

In moving to Harlem you just should never buy into a micro nabe saturated with public housing, the amenities will never come. Lenox between 112th and 115th is dead, forever. Such a pitty, such prime real estate.

Those projects will be there while all of us are dead and buried, the sheer number and size of the problem is staggering and you can't compare it to Chicago or anywhere else.

Getridofthenewarrivalcondoowners!

well, if public housing won't go anywhere, the city should at least cut the number of them down. There is no reason why there should be 3 blocks and 5 or 6 avenues of projects in one area. There are more people in those projects than there are in some small US Cities!

What kind of restaurants are going to appear anywhere near this area when you have a small city that would rather Popeyes than even a low budget seafood chain restaurant Red Lobster???

Actually, I don't think there is going to be any problem getting people to frequent some new restaurants. In my neighborhood alone I can name about 8-10 brand new developments that are either complete or near completion. Getting a restaurant going is a ground floor opportunity for those who will do it (especially if it's a cuisine that is new since there will be zero competition).

are you near the massive projects or 157 churches?

Now THIS is what I'm talking about. Check out Caminito - http://nymag.com/restaurants/openings/35519/. Not a chain, reasonably priced and, most importantly, it's near me. All I need now is a nice French brasserie and a low-key, authentic Italian place like Perbacco or 'ino and I'm set. Oh yeah, and a good grocery store.

"Oh yeah, and a good grocery store"

you probably won't get one anywhere near that restaurant because of what is 3 blocks south.

"Oh yeah, and a good grocery store"

"you probably won't get one anywhere near that restaurant because of what is 3 blocks south."

While I'm with you regarding your disdain of the projects, I have it on good authority that our 'nabe is indeed getting an upmarket grocery store. Will tell more when appropriate.

DANIEL!!!!! dont tease us like that.

that's not right.

hey you said the other day you needed a low key authentic italian...have you been to Piatto D'Oro on 118th? it's suprisingly good. it doesnt have a downtown-y vibe, but it's low key and authentic for sure.

Piatto d'Oro is awesome!

"hey you said the other day you needed a low key authentic italian...have you been to Piatto D'Oro on 118th? it's suprisingly good. it doesnt have a downtown-y vibe, but it's low key and authentic for sure."

Yes, we have been there, and I love it because it's like one of those Little Italy type of places that I have a lot of affection for. Rolando (one of the owners?) was very nice to our daughter, and I'm a sucker for that too. I guess what I meant when I said "authentic Italian place" was a really "just off the boat" place like Perbacco (check out their online menu here - http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=0&restaurantid=4764&neighborhoodid=0&cuisineid=0). See what I mean? It's just different, that's all.

remeber there was all that talk about an upscale bistro kind of place that was supposed to open on Lenox and 129th or 130th? there was a blurb in NYMag about it? anyone know anything about that?

FYI, we hit both the new Caminito and the not so new Amy Ruth's over the weekend. Enjoyed both very much. Caminito's food and service is right up there with the best of them (mmmm, more short ribs and chimichurri please!), and Amy Ruth's was delicious, child friendly (they whipped out the high chair even before I asked - love it), and open bright and early on a Sunday morning.