Organizing a one-day event can be just as challenging as planning a multi-day conference. As a host, you want to make sure that attendees leave feeling inspired and fulfilled, but with limited time, it can be difficult to pack in all the necessary elements. However, with the right approach, a one-day event can be just…
Harlem Bespoke: Fresh oysters was a standard for any restaurant a century ago but has only recently become de rigeur in the current NYC dining scene. Apparently months with the letter R are peak time to eat the fresh delicacy since they are at their prime during the cooler months so make sure to stop by these local eateries for the gastronomic experience du jour.
Maison Harlem, 341 St. Nicholas Avenue at the corner of 127th Street. Harlem’s favorite French restaurant has a wildly popular Happy Hour so make sure to come early since the bar fills up quickly even at the beginning of the evening. Best bets are probably earlier in the week when things are less crowded. More on Maison Harlem in our past post: LINK
B2 Harlem, 271 West 119th Street, east of Frederick Douglass Boulevard. The former Billie’s Black still has the same owner but has been transformed into one of uptown’s most under the radar seafood restaurants. This eatery is probably one of the best spots for fresh oysters since there usually is not a wait for a spot at the bar. More details on B2 Harlem can be found in our past post: LINK
ROKC, 3452 Broadway by 141st Street. The boutique Japanese ramen and raw bar in Hamilton Heights is on the cozy side but is full of charm. Dropping by early is probably beneficial besides getting a deal on fresh oysters since lines for a table or spot at the tiny bar form by the time 8:00 rolls around. More on ROKC can be found in our past post: LINK
Perch, 1693 Lexington Avenue by East 107th Street. Uptown’s newest speakeasy on the east side might be the most glamorous one to be found in the city. The tiny 25 seater has great cocktails and small plates which are a divine combination with freshly shucked oysters: LINK
Harlem Bespoke: The Uptown Night Market returns for every second Thursday during the summer 2022 season after a successful first run in Manhattanville last fall.
Thursday, April 13th, 4:00PM-10:00PM, Uptown Night Market, 12th Avenue just north of 133rd Street. Several dozen food vendors will line the avenue just north of the viaduct and sell a variety of offerings late into the evening hours at this local food festival. Admission is all free to the public and seating sections are available to enjoy the culinary discoveries of the moment. Check out our past post for evening photos of the event from a previous night market in November: LINK
Harlem Bespoke: Everyone is waiting for the new wine bar to open at the storefront at 420 Lenox Avenue for years but now it appears that the entire building is up for sale since the historic location is now up on the market for $4.2 million$3.7 million. This mix-used address has 3 occupied apartments in various layouts and two commercial spaces which includes the popular Pompette wine shop around the corner on West 131st Street which is behind the aforementioned corner wine bar. If the building sells in the coming months, the wine bar opening will probably be not affected if all the leasing contracts have been secured. Check out the more current photo of the wine bar in our recent post: LINK
Harlem Bespoke: The renowned Amateur Night at the Apollo returns in 2023 after almost almost a two years absence and tickets are now on sale for November.
Wednesday, April 12th, 7:30PM, Amateur Night live at the Apollo Theater, 253 West 125th Street between 7th and 8th Avenue. Local events have been selling out way in advance recently so those who want to get a head start on good seats should do so sooner than later. More details and advance online tickets at the official Apollo site:LINK
Harlem Bespoke: The spring season will have more on the calendar for everyone and local live events are some of the things to watch our for in the coming month. Keep it all in the neighborhood and help support uptown’s small businesses!
Tuesday, April 11th, 7:00PM, Little Richard: I Am Everything in-theater screening at Maysles Cinema, 343 Lenox Avenue by West 127th Street.
One night only! See the newly released documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything and learn more about the black LGBTQ legendary icon. More details and purchase online tickets at the Maysles Cinema site: LINK
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies are accused of violating the civil rights of a skateboarder in 2020 and perpetrating a coverup, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
A grand jury handed down the indictment last month, and both ex-deputies surrendered to authorities Thursday when it was unsealed.
Miguel Vega and Christopher Hernandez are accused of throwing the skateboarder — identified as “J.A.” in court papers — in the back of their cruiser and detaining him without cause in Compton in April 2020. He was still in the patrol vehicle when they engaged in a pursuit and crashed the car, injuring the skateboarder. Prosecutors say the duo then conspired to coverup the 23-year-old man’s unlawful detention.
Vega, 32, and Hernandez, 37, are charged with conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, witness tampering and falsification of records. Vega is charged with another falsification of records count. Their attorneys did not respond to an emailed request for comment Thursday.
The Sheriff’s Department said it helped federal agencies with a criminal investigation that led indicting the men, who “are no longer members of the department.”
“The Sheriff’s Department is committed to holding employees accountable for their actions and expects them to exhibit the highest moral and ethical standards when serving our communities,” a statement said.
The federal indictment was first reported Thursday by the Los Angeles Times. Vega and Hernandez were scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon.
The deputies remained on active duty until December 2020, the LA Times reported.
“The indictment alleges that these two deputies violated a young person’s constitutional rights by willfully and illegally detaining him without just cause,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a news release. “Officers who abuse their power must be held accountable, and my Office is committed to prosecuting violations of civil rights by those who violate their oaths and victimize those who they were sworn to protect.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately have a comment after the indictment was unsealed.
On April 13, 2020, Vega and Hernandez approached two young Black men outside a Compton skatepark. J.A., who was inside the enclosed park, yelled at the deputies to leave the men alone. The deputies pulled J.A. through an opening in the fence and threw him into the back of the cruiser, prosecutors said.
“Vega and Hernandez did not handcuff J.A., did not secure J.A.’s seatbelt, did not tell J.A. that J.A. was under arrest, and did not inform J.A. of J.A.’s rights at any time,” according to the indictment.
Vega, the driver, told J.A. that they would drop him off in gang territory as Hernandez, from the passenger seat, told the skateboarder he would be beaten. Then Vega, with J.A. still in the backseat, began pursuing a bicyclist down an alley, where the deputy crashed the vehicle, prosecutors said.
J.A. suffered a cut above his right eye in the collision. Vega pulled him out of the cruiser and told him to leave, but the deputy later reported a suspect with a gun, describing J.A.’s clothes, had fled the area. Neither deputy said the skateboarder had been inside the patrol vehicle during the crash, according to the indictment.
Vega then told a sergeant that J.A. was suspected of being under the influence of a controlled substance. Prosecutors said Hernandez later directed another deputy to write him a citation for being under the influence of methamphetamine after J.A. was taken to the hospital for his cut.
Prosecutors also allege Vega and Hernandez falsified incident reports later in the month, inaccurately claiming, among other things, J.A. had threatened to harm people in the skatepark.
Harlem Bespoke: The National Urban League building on 125th Street by Lenox Avenue has all the glassed windows in place so many might be wondering when Trader Joe’s will be open as an anchor commercial tenant. This $242 million uptown development will also have a Civil Rights museum and affordable housing on the 126th Street side of the 17-story building but many are anxious to have the super popular affordable grocery store to open. The only information we really have is that the original poster on the plywood back in 2021 mentioned that the completion date for the site will be in July 2023 and an optimistic estimation might be sometimes in the fall of this year for Trader Joe’s. More details on what is happening at 121 West 125th Street can be found in our past post: LINK
Harlem Bespoke also has a Twitter account with over 6,730 followers for those who want daily updates about stuff that is happening in the neighborhood. If you Twitter, check out our Harlem tweets and join here: LINK
Harlem Bespoke: The house with the bold turret tower in the charming landmarked historic district of Hamilton Heights had an asking price set at $3.4 million back in 2019 returned with a slightly lower price at $3.35 million in 2021 and was recently pulled from the market this January. Now the distinct abode has returned with the same asking but with a different broker. As previously mentioned, this address is centrally located on the corner of 144th Street with the express trains just a block away.
We especially love the architecture here since the building is one of the most unique in the neighborhood but the lower price is probably based on the fact that 7-unit building has been chopped up to many apartments and the interior has little original details within. With that said, a neighboring home did add back more classic details with spectacular results in the past so thing could always turn around if the right developer comes along: LINK
