Harlem Draws a Restaurant Crowd
For many years, even as Harlem gained new residential developments, its restaurant scene—with the exception of a few reknowned soul-food places—had lagged. That’s no longer the case, as Frederick Douglass Boulevard has become a veritable restaurant row and celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster has become one of the hottest places in the city, from a location just north of 125th Street.
In fact, over the past three years, at least a dozen new restaurants, cafes and bars have opened in Central Harlem, between 110th and 125th streets. Notable newcomers include Cédric, a French bistro; 5 & Diamond, a nouveau American spot; Bier International, a popular beer garden; Lido, an Italian restaurant; Harlem Tavern, which transformed a former auto body shop into a massive outdoor dining area; wine bar Nectar; and cocktail lounge 67 Orange Street.
And more are in the works, including wine bar Auberge Laurent, Honecomb Burgers and Harlem Food Bar.
“I resented the fact that my amenities had to be less because I lived above 96th Street,” said Mr. Samuelsson, who moved to Harlem seven years ago with the intention of opening a restaurant there. “American companies are looking at India, China and Brazil as emerging markets. For me, Harlem is an emerging market.”
When Red Rooster opened a year ago, with its menu of reinvented American food, packed bar and diverse clientele, it put an imprimatur on a neighborhood in transition.
“Many areas that used to be considered ‘fringe’ have become hot and hospitable for retail and restaurants,” said restaurant consultant Michael Whiteman. “This is continuing despite the country’s economic problems because New York never really went into collapse and there’s still lots of money being spent here.”
Harlem, of course, is one of the city’s most history-laden neighborhoods, the center of African-American life in a neighborhood filled with churches, jazz clubs and the famous Apollo Theater. After a severe decline, development began again in Harlem in the 1990s, spurred by the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone. Harlem got a new supermarket, a movie theater, and a Starbucks.
And as residential real estate boomed, developers built upscale apartment complexes, including the Livmor and Soha 118. The growth in new eateries followed, albeit after a lag.
There are economic incentives for being uptown. Rents are a lot cheaper and spaces smaller, lower the risk of new ventures.
Rents go from $50 a square foot for basic spots to $120 a square foot for prime locations on 125th Street, according to Alex Hill, a broker at Winick Realty Group, who has done deals in the neighborhood. “The market is pretty variable right now,” Mr. Hill said. “Most of the inquiries are for restaurants.”
By comparison, rents along Broadway on the Upper West Side averaged $326 a square foot in the third quarter, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s retail report.
There are still risks for Harlem’s restaurant renaissance. While Frederick Douglass has become a restaurant magnet, much of Lenox, which is a far-grander European-style avenue, remains largely empty.
Leah Abraham and Nino Settepani, the couple behind Ristorante Settepani that opened on Lenox a decade ago, recently nixed plans for a pizza restaurant across the street due to the economic climate and financing difficulties.
Despite the uncertainties, the area restaurant scene is gaining momentum.
“There’s not so much room in Manhattan anymore,” said Cédric Lecendre, co-owner of Cédric and former general manager of Le Bilboquet on the Upper East Side, which is owned by his uncle. “You want to open in the 80s or 90s? It’s packed. In the Meatpacking District? It’s impossible,” Mr. Lecendre said. “Manhattan is an island, and there’s only so much room left.”