Aramazt and I, with Nugget the cat
There are some neighborhoods that I feel give me credibility as the NYC Nomad. Neighborhoods like Tompkinsville and Midland Beach in Staten Island, Washington Heights and Hamilton Heights in Manhattan, Bensonhurst in Brooklyn, and kind of the South Bronx are often the most interesting because a lot of people I spend time with in New York City have never been to these places. Add to this list East Harlem in Manhattan. I spent a week on 132nd and Madison with Ani and Aramazt, who I know through connections from volunteering in Armenia. I traded the Aerobed for their comfortable couch. They were both busy, but Ani provided me with a great list of places to see in the neighborhood. And we went out for a great dinner at Moustache, where they bake their own pita bread. We ended up speaking with the owners, as Aramazt can talk to most everyone in a variety of different languages. They gave us some delicious middle eastern desserts on the house.
There is a lot to see and do in East Harlem. You have places like Langton Hughes home, beautiful architecture, the Schomburg Center, Marcus Garvey Park. People are hanging out on the streets and its a much different feel than the rest of Manhattan. The neighborhood is very convenient and is on express subway lines that go down the East Side (4,5) and over to the West (2,3). You’re in Union Square before you know it. Real Estate is cheap, but before you pack up and cut your rent in half (or buy a place) the neighborhood is still a bit rough. I overheard someone say, “what are all these crackers doing up here?” 1 in 3 people live in public housing in East Harlem, the largest concentration of public housing in the United States. There is a lot of arguing on the street between people. I heard “its war on the streets!” in the middle of the afternoon on a Wednesday. Still, I would not say I felt unsafe. I just felt a need to be more aware of my surroundings.
I visited an old Harlem culinary institution in Syvlia’s and had my first experience with Chicken and Waffles. The service was terrible, but the food was quite good and I’ll give the service a pass since its celebrating its 49th year in business. I had heard mixed reviews about Red Rooster, the trendy restaurant opened my Marcus Samuelson, but I really enjoyed it. They have a Happy Hour with half off cocktails and a great circular bar. I sat next to a girl who lived in Red Hook who was looking to move to Staten Island (what?) and a guy who lives in Canarsie. A Swedish convoy came in for dinner because they were in town for the UN. The place has energy and diversity that felt unique. Even the bartender offered up her place upstate. 20 minutes later, she casually mentioned her husband was a bare knuckle boxer. I took a pass.
I also did some Bikram Yoga at East Harlem Yoga on 116th street. I may not only have the record for most neighborhoods lived in this city, but also for the most yoga studios visited.
I’d like to spend another week in East Harlem, or Spanish Harlem. I missed out on Bill’s Jazz, which is only open on Friday nights. There is also an old cigar bar that I need to check out.
If you want to hear more about the neighborhood, listen to this SoundCloud clip from George Sarkissian, the district manager of the East Harlem Community Board:
The Most Interesting (and knowledgeable) person in East Harlem by thenycnomad
Related articles
- Here We Go Again, Another Shooting In East Harlem (harlemworldblog.wordpress.com)
- Harlem RBI Celebrates 20 Years In East Harlem (video) (harlemworldblog.wordpress.com)
- Target Takes Manhattan With East Harlem Store (abcnews.go.com)
- Bike Lanes Coming to El Barrio/East Harlem! (mmviverito.com)
- Harlem Featured on The Travel Channel’s Man Vs Food Show (harlemcondolife.com)
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