It's time to get ready for the once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse taking place on Monday, April 8. New York City will see a partial (about 90%) eclipse, but it will still be quite memorable. The moon will start obscuring the sun after 2pm, with the peak of the eclipse happening at 3:25pm. To view the astrological phenomenon, you'll need a pair of special glasses (it is dangerous to look directly at the eclipse), which you can get for free at your local branch of the New York Public Library, while supplies last. If the library runs out, sidewalk vendors along 125th Street are already selli ..read more

Now that the Victoria Theater redevelopment project on Harlem's 125th Street is officially complete, here's a before and after for some context. The original venue, which opened in 1917 as the Loews Victoria, was a vaudeville theater that had two shows a day until 1930. It closed in 1977, reopening a decade later as a five-screen cineplex that lasted two years. After one last attempt to revive the theater in 1996/97, it closed for good after only one year. The first photo above was taken in May 2018 as work began on the new Victoria Theater redevelopment project, which would include two perf ..read more

Movies at the Palace 2024 kicks off next week with the first of nine free screenings under the theme "Season of Friendship." The series, taking place at the United Palace in Washington Heights, begins with the 1955 classic "Rebel Without a Cause" on Friday, March 15 at 8pm. Attendees are encouraged to wear 1950s attire in the spirit of the James Dean drama. Free tickets can be reserved on the United Palace website. The "Season of Friendship" theme, chosen earlier this year by the theater's fans, continues with "Duck Soup" on May 19. The rest of the movies, listed here, don't have da ..read more

The Met is celebrating the Harlem Renaissance with a new exhibition that's long overdue. "The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism," which opens on February 25, shines the spotlight on the paintings, photography and sculptures of Black artists who portrayed life in Harlem and other northern cities during the flourishing early years of the Great Migration (1920s-1940s). It comes 55 years after the museum’s controversial “Harlem on My Mind” exhibition, which didn't feature a single Black artist (only photos of the neighborhood). Curated by Denise Murrell (also behind the groundbreaki ..read more

"Harlem” is back in the neighborhood filming Season 3. The Prime Video comedy series, whose third installment was announced in December, stars Meagan Good, Grace Byers, Jerrie Johnson and Shonique Shandai as four girlfriends navigating careers and love while living in Harlem. Filming notices first went up late last week revealing the production would be taking over a stretch of Amsterdam Avenue between W 136th and W 140th Streets on Tuesday. Today film crews were spotted in and around Fumo, the popular Italian restaurant on the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and W 139th Street. In the meantime m ..read more

It's a great day in Harlem. The Apollo Theater's two new performance spaces kick off their inaugural season this weekend—and all tickets are capped at $20 through the spring. The Apollo Stages at the Victoria, the 199- and 99-seat venues located in the renovated Victoria Theater at 233 W 125th Street (just down the block from the Apollo), open this weekend with the first in a series of programs that continue this spring. It all starts wth Soul Science Lab’s The Renaissance Mixtape, a theatrical concert using elements of hip hop to uplift voices of the Harlem Renaissance, from February 8-11 (n ..read more

The James Beard Foundation just announced the semifinalists for its prestigious 2024 James Beard Awards, and three Harlem restaurants—and, surprise, one bakery—have made it on to the list. The uptown spots and chefs honored this year include: Make My Cake for Outstanding Bakery Melba's for Outstanding Hospitality Charles Gabriel, Charles Pan-Fried Chicken for Best Chef, New York State JJ Johnson, Fieldtrip for Best Chef, New York State A narrower list of finalists will be announced on April 3, with the winners crowned on June 10 at an awards ceremony in Chicago. For daily updates, follow The ..read more

No Three Kings Day celebration (coming up this Saturday, January 6) is complete without a rosca de reyes, the ring-shaped sweet bread decorated with candied fruit and hiding a tiny plastic baby or two. In East Harlem, many Mexican bakeries and groceries sell the dessert in the days leading up to the holiday. Not sure where to start? Swing by—or get your rosca delivered—at these three spots: Don Paco Lopez Panaderia 2129 Third Ave between E 116th and E 117th Sts With its branded rosca de reyes box, this bakery definitely runs a smooth operation. The shop sells three sizes: small ($32.66), medi ..read more

Just finished watching "Black Mecca" on Season 2 of Netflix's High on the Hog and wondering where to find all the spots mentioned in the show? The episode, which focuses on the people and businesses that grew from the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, is filled with places you'll definitely want to visit. Here's where to go: Charles Pan-Fried Chicken • East Harlem 1325 Fifth Avenue between E 111th and E 112th Sts • West Harlem 439 W 125th St between Morningside and Amsterdam Aves • Central Harlem 340 W 145th St and Edgecombe Ave Chef Charles Gabriel's legendary fried chicken, p ..read more

Can't make it to the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting tonight? Not to worry—there are plenty of free neighborhood tree lighting events taking place uptown over the next 10 days. Here are some of the biggest and best, listed in chronological order: 27th Annual Central Park Holiday Lighting Thursday, November 30 at 5:30pm FREE East Harlem Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, 110th St between Fifth and Lenox Aves​ Bring the kids to meet Santa, sing carols and drink hot cocoa while watching the lighting of the magical tree flotilla on the Harlem Meer. East Harlem Holiday Tree Friday, December 1 at 6 ..read more