Over the past few years, church seating options have significantly transformed. Apart from the functional abilities, most churches now focus on the aesthetics, comfort, designs, and sustainability of church seating chairs. These aesthetically pleasing and functional seats are designed to attract more churchgoers, as church attendance is currently very low. So, what’s new and exciting…
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. Extensive renovations at this townhouse located across the street from Whole Foods have finished up in the past few years and the initial asking price has been set at $4.495 $3.395 million. Above the famous storefront are 3 boutique apartments and everything is in pristine renovated condition. Investors who want an impeccable turnkey home with higher end details should definitely check out one of the open houses that have scheduled on the weekends. More on the Chaiwali brownstone listing can be found on the broker site: LINK
Park Slope’s Queer nightlife staple Ginger’s Bar is set to receive a sister bar dubbed Mary’s, according to an official press release.
The new bar won’t technically be new, rather it’s a rebranding of One Stop Beer Shop, which closed last week after being open for 12 years, reports Greenpointers.
“We want to thank our local community for your support and patronage through these ever changing times. It is because of you that we had so much success in the 12 long years of business,” they wrote on their since-deleted Instagram.
As the new sister restaurant to Ginger’s Bar, Brooklyn’s last remaining lesbian bar, Mary’s, described as a “warm queerIrish pub,” will offer beer, cider, cocktails, and mocktails in a relaxed, inclusive indoor and outdoor environment, predominantly catering to the LGBTQ+ community.
“With Mary’s, we hope to create a safe space for queer people to gather and have fun. Our aim is to share and spread the spirit of Ginger’s Bar,” saidco-owner Brendan Donohoe.
Mary’s comes as a collaboration between Donohoe and One Stop’s previous operator. Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Donohoe has longed for a queer pub that exists to develop connections between new and old friends–so he’s setting out to create one himself!
Mary’s is set to open in the East Williamsburg/Greenpoint area some time this month. You can stay up to date on whether or not that projected date will be pushed back on their Instagram.
Harlem Bespoke: Now open on Sundays!The Sugar Hill Children’s Museum at West 155th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue was only open for viewing on Saturdays recently but now has Sunday as another day to visit. Hours will be from 10:00AM to 3:00PM only on Saturdays and Sundays with art activities throughout the day. A new group show has recently debuted for Fall 2022 along with an exhibition of the works of Melvin Van Peebles. Note that the museum is just open for only two day during the week. More details and ticket sales on the current exhibit can be found at the Children’s Museum site: LINK
If there’s one thing New York City is going to do it’s going to be give us endless opportunities to stuff our faces with the absolute most delicious food–our city really doesn’t hold back in that department. The only downside: the options can definitely can be a bit overwhelming.
Thankfully, the New York Times–more specifically restaurant critic Pete Wells–put together a list of New York City’s top 100 restaurants based on his decade of reviewing. And he isn’t holding back either.
Wells is giving us everything from upscale, smooth leather seat dining to spots where you’ll use your hand as a table and eat while standing up on the sidewalk, but that’s the beauty of NYC!
As for the number one best restaurant in all of NYC, that title goes to…drumroll please…Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi in NYC’s Upper West Side.
We needed Tatiana. We needed a kitchen that puts Caribbean and African and Black American cooking, too often kept in the city’s margins, right at center stage. We needed to taste the way Kwame Onwuachi focuses and concentrates the flavors of oxtails, goat curry, chopped cheese and other items without losing sight of their roots. And after quarantines and masks and distancing and sundry social traumas, we needed a party. We needed a reason to get dressed up, to drink rum cocktails with spicy food, to stay out past 9 o’clock, to look around a dining room and see a new, heterogeneous vision of New York and to feel hope for its future.
As for the top restaurants in NYC’s other boroughs, Brooklyn’s best in Aska (Scandinavian in Williamsburg and 16th overall), Queens’ best is Zaab Zaab (Thai in Elmhurst and 14th overall), The Bronx’s best is La Piraña Lechonera (Puerto Rican in the South Bronx and 5th overall) and Staten Island’s best is Lakruwana (Sri Lankan in Stapleton Heights and 92nd overall).
The full list is as follows:
1. Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi (American, Caribbean, Creole – UWS)
2. Atomix (Korean – Rose Hill)
3. Le Bernardin (French, Seafood – Midtown)
4. Via Carota (Italian – West Village)
5. La Piraña Lechonera (Puerto Rican – South Bronx)
6. Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare (Seafood – Midtown West)
7. Yoshino (Japanese – NoHo)
8. CheLi (Chinese – East Village & other)
9. Queens Night Market (Various cuisines – Corona)
10. The Grill (Americana – Midtown East)
11. Gramercy Tavern (New American – Gramercy)
12. Semma (Indian – Greenwich Village)
13. Jean-Georges (French – UWS)
14. Zaab Zaab (Thai – Elmhurst)
15. Una Pizza Napoletana (Pizza – LES)
16. Aska (Scandinavian – Williamsburg)
17. Lilia (Italian – Williamsburg)
18. Birria-Landia (Mexican – Jackson Heights & others)
19. Empellón (New American, Mexican – Midtown)
20. Shukette (Middle Eastern – Chelsea)
21. Estela (New American – NoLita)
22. King (Italian – South Village)
23. Kono (Japanese – Chinatown)
24. Casa Mono and Bar Jamón (Spanish – Union Square)
25. Claud (New American, French – East Village)
26. Mam (Vietnamese – LES)
27. Shion 69 Leonard Street (Japanese – TriBeCa)
28. Daniel (French – UES)
29. Koloman (French, Viennese – NoMad)
30. Tacos El Borrego (Mexican – Corona)
31. Le Rock (French – Midtown)
32. Jeju Noodle Bar (Korean, West Village)
33. Torrisi (Italan – NoLita)
34. Kappo Sono (Japanese, LES)
35. Adda Indian Canteen (Indian – LIC)
36. The Four Horsemen (New American – Williamsburg)
37. Great N.Y. Noodletown (Chinese – Chinatown)
38. Gabriel Kreuther (French – Midtown)
39. Misi (Italian – Williamsburg)
40. Cho Dang Gol (Korean – Midtown)
41. Txikito (Spanish – Chelsea)
42. Ernesto’s (Spanish – LES)
43. Raku (Japanese – East Village & other)
44. Gage & Tollner (Seafood, Americana – Downtown Brooklyn)
45. Lodi (Italian – Midtown)
46. Chongqing Lao Zao (Chinese – Flushing)
47. Rezdôra (Italian – Flatiron)
48. Corona Plaza Vendors (Mexican, Ecuadorean – Corona)
49. ABCV (Vegetarian, New American – Union Square)
50. M. Wells (Québécois, French – LIC)
51. Village Cafe (Azerbaijani – Gravesend)
52. Rangoon (Burmese – Prospect Heights)
53. Silver Apricot (New American, Chinese – West Village)
Harlem Bespoke: The Brown Sugar Comedy show has been bringing back stand up to the neighborhood and featuring some laughs from local black comedians. 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 now has a regular in-person 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
Harlem Besppoke: Who can guess this Harlem vantage point taken in 1927? Two major landmarks are in view and for those who are really familiar with the area, a third should be apparent.
ANSWER: As many have guessed, the two major landmarks towards the west are Grant’s Tomb and International House. One major clue at the front is Faison Firehouse which still stands today at Hancock Place just around the corner from Manhattan Avenue. Most of the buildings on the block of the firehouse were demolished and replaced at some point and the street in the distance connecting to Broadway has been blocked by the construction of public housing in the mid century. Archival photo Courtesy NYPL