Honestly, it wasn't that impressive. It's not really a Hall of Fame as the title describes…read more Most of the artwork was behind a chain link fence of a school which was locked. When here I expected to see more. Sure, some of the graffiti art is creative and well done, and these people have great talent. Yet, you can view just as much cool graffiti art walking around the streets of Harlem and El Barrio on buildings and side streets. Just look around and keep your eyes open.

Guess I'm the only one that's sort of unimpressed…read more I heard graffiti hall of fame and I sort of had a five points intrigue. Aight, I'll take it, is what it is.

East Harlem is so diverse in population. It's full of colorful art graffiti and crochet and more. I…read moream still giving East Harlem Five Stars because it is home to me. I live on the dividing line between East Harlem and Yorkville Upper East Side. The crime is getting fearful. Teen gangs shooting by the school nearby. People randomly stabbed when walking down the street and taking out their trash. I'm not sure how much I'll be out and about this Spring though Summer. I'll see how strong I feel and how my doctor reports come out next week! I'm keeping my faith in my community and the NYPD. Please let us return to somewhat more peaceful ways. It wasn't perfect before but it was better than in recent months.

What's not to love? Kind, genuine people, beautiful street art, great food and iced tea @Ginjan…read moreBrothers, good plant stores, etc., East Harlem does NEED and DESERVES more grocery stores- they only have 1 for a very large population! Bring fresh food back to East Harlem!

My hood. My place. My life for the past 25 years…read more It's come a long way since the rough and tumble area it once was. Back in the past we were warned to stay away from 1st Ave above 86th street at night, and it was justified as at times we saw fights in bodegas, gun shots, cops chasing thugs, and more. It has developed since then to be safe community offering many terrific restaurants, bars, shopping, museums, even speakeasies and some fun nightlife options. With the Q subway line now here on 2nd Ave, the best line in the city, it offers easy access to all parts of Manhattan down to Coney Island. There is a nice mix of old and new here, along with affordable apartments if you hunt a bit. It's really more of a residential area with plenty of parents with kids, schools, dogs, and a few minutes walk to Central Park, and the East River Esplanade. Its also a great place for younger single folks to live as its very walkable too with enough bars and spots to mingle.

Yorkville is my neighborhood on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City, United States. Its…read moresouthern boundary is East 79th Street, its northern East 96th Street, its western Third Avenue, and its eastern boundary is the East River. Yorkville is one of the most densely populated city subdivisions in the world, and the most dense of such in the U.S. Yorkville is part of Manhattan Community District 8, and its primary ZIP Codes are 10028, 10075, and 10128. It is patrolled by the 19th Precinct of the New York City Police Department. I'm adding my neighborhood to Yelp because it's my home and I'm trying to save my businesses. We are a close community of residents and businesses. Recently when Yorkville Bagel Cafe closed every business in the neighborhood was upset and talking about it. Our community of businesses survived the Second Avenue Subway Construction for years. Then we had a rough go with the COVID outbreak trying to survive by changing our behavior. Businesses spent a lot of money and followed regulations for outdoor dining. Anything to keep us safe. I'm glad I live in my Yorkville Zip Code. I'm so proud of my neighborhood I used to take visiting Yelp friends on what I called my "Yorkville Tour." I'm highly recommending this neighborhood for young and elderly alike. We take care of each other in Yorkville.

- Arrived for dinner around 6 PM on a Saturday, and there were already several parties dining…read moreinside; the take-out slice counter is located to the right of the main dining room, with an additional seating area off to the left - The interior has a very old-school, vintage charm; walls are lined with framed photos of past patrons, giving the space a classic neighborhood restaurant feel while still being comfortable and welcoming - Service was excellent throughout the meal--staff were friendly, attentive, and checked in consistently without being overbearing - The food was very good overall: house salad was generously portioned with fresh greens, sliced mushrooms, onions, and plenty of olives, all well coated in balsamic vinaigrette (a bit olive-heavy for my personal taste); calamari was lightly breaded and perfectly fried, served with a warm, tangy marinara sauce; the Patsy's Special pie was the standout--soft, thin crust with a flavorful sauce, gooey cheese, and tasty toppings that all balanced really well together - One thing to note: this is a cash-only establishment, so come prepared

THE FOOD ----------------…read more+ House Salad - Fresh arugula/mixed greens and mushrooms. Balsamic vinaigrette was light, but spread evenly. There were LOTS and LOTS of olives - so you olive lovers will love this. + Calamari - Solid. Crispy, crunchy and exactly how calamari should be. Could have used a bit more marinara sauce though. + Patsy's Pizzeria Special - EXCELLENT pizza! Super thin and flavorful. The sauce was a little tangy, but not overly so. The pizza felt so light that I probably could have eaten the whole pie on my own! THE SERVICE ------------------- + Fantastic servers. The waiter and waitress were very friendly and courteous. The waitress came by to check on us multiple times to see if everything was OK, even though they were clearly busy. The waiter always said "Bon Appetite" every time he dropped off our food at the table. + Food came out very fast and we didn't have to wait long. THE SURROUNDINGS ------------------------------- + Two sides to the restaurant side by side. Relatively spacious. + VERY old school inside with lots of photos of celebrities on the walls. - As you would expect in the city, street parking only. + The slice shop is right next door to the sit-down restaurant. RANDOM OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------- + Came by on a Saturday evening at 6 PM and it wasn't crazy busy. There were only 5 tables occupied, but the entire other side of the restaurant was empty, so it was easy to snag a seat. + They sell merch inside (T-shirts, hats, beanies). CONCLUSION -------------------- = A NY institution that feels a bit diluted these days because of all of their locations in the city now, but THIS is the original, original location - and you can easily tell once you step inside. You feel like you've been brought back in time when you step in and everything about this spot is retro, including the mosaic tiled floors.

Since I live in the Yorkville area next door to Spanish Harlem I love walking up here on a nice…read moreday. Many are reluctant to walk through this neighborhood, or see no reason to but there are many hidden gems here from delicious food, to shopping, to art. We'll walk through El Barrio on our way to Costco and nosh on street food and flavored ice from the carts you'll find on the corners. View some amazing art and graffiti on sides of buildings and park areas. Plus, there are plenty of cheapo stores here to pick up things for the kitchen and bathroom. There's a lot of history and culture up here, so don't be fearful of exploring the area.

Spanish Harlem or El Barrio, is in Upper Manhattan. It's general boundaries are from East 96th…read moreStreet up to East 142 Street and from Fifth Avenue to the Harlem River. In 1960 Ben E. King sang a song 'Spanish Harlem'. The neighborhood is one of the largest predominantly Latin Communities in New York City, made up of Puerto Ricans, Dominican, Cuban, and Mexican Immigrants. The community is noted for its contributions to Latin and Salsa Music. East Harlem also includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, very few remnants of a once predominantly Italian Community remain. I have spent many a beautiful day walking miles through East Harlem. This community is full of beauty and culturally diverse activity. Schools and children were plentiful early in the morning. While they are in school the streets fill with shoppers and elderly attending community programs. This area has many Government Funded Housing Complexes. There are lots of city Parks and Community Centers. The schools are colorful and plentiful. You will see all ages in the streets busy with their daily life. I love finding new small businesses during my walks. Baked goods and fried chicken are two of my favorites. On the West Side of East Harlem along Fifth Avenue there are Museums. Museo Del Barrio being my favorite. There's Lots of Food in this neighborhood consisting of many cultures! You're hurting yourself if you can't find something to eat. Read the Yelp reviews. When the weather is nice you'll see me traveling through this community. The Graffiti is fantastic. I love to photograph the beautiful art work. If you're in Manhattan and want a steak at Ricardo's, Mexican Tacos, French Pastry, Soul Food, Chinese and don't let me forget Halal, you'll find it here. I'm not a food, culture or community expert. If I'm speaking out of turn about this community please let me know. Better yet add your own review. All I know is I have a heck of a good time every time I spend the day here!

The pizza is very mediocre. Super floppy pizza. I wouldn't get again. I feel like I have had frozen…read morepizzas that have been better than their margarita pizza the flavors were fine. Nothing to write home about their drinks however, are spot on. They have a great wine selection. Their espresso martini is amazing. Laze was our bartender and he makes amazing cocktails. Moving forward I think I will come here just for drinks and not food.

Pleasantly surprising restaurant! Came here for a work dinner and they easily accommodated our…read moregroup. They provide bread and breadsticks which were fresh and nice. Breadsticks were thin and crispy. Service was good despite being busy with a holiday party and very attentive. The drinks were good too, especially the spritzes! The spritz was very refreshing. I enjoyed the pizza and gnocchi as well. It was honestly better than regular cacio Pepe pasta. I would definitely come back here again!

I kind of kicked myself for a long time. Many, and I mean many years ago, I was watching an auction…read morefor a table for four. It sold for something like $4,000 and that seemed like a high price at the time. High enough to hesitate and not get the bid in. Years later I see tables going for $16,000+. Yeah, I'm not playing that game. At that point it really doesn't matter, but it's true that doesn't include the food either. So, I never made it to Rao's. Doing a little more research on the place thanks to things like Grok now I saw the bar is open to the public and people sometimes game it enough to grab a table. You need to be in the right place, at the right time, and be pitied enough but I guess it has happened. I would bet on it and through the years it seems like this happens rarely. Fast forward to today and when someone asked, "Do you want to go to Rao's?" I was like, tell me the date so I can just clear my calendar from whatever is happening that day. Though I don't think I can say the experience is worth $16k it is still priceless. Part of that comes from being with the table owner, which isn't going to happen if you get it from an auction. The stories, Tommy the Maître d' slash waiter, the owner of the place itself, yeah, that's not going to be there in the same way for an auction. Still, it's a restaurant and it does come down to the food in the end. Could anything really live up to a reputation like this? Well, in the case of Rao's it does. Everything we touched for the night was amazing and I mean everything. Can you get the food experience at their Miami location, or Hollywood (I still miss the Vegas one)? The short answer is that it comes close enough to still go (espcially since one CAN get reservations there) but those places don't come close to the experience and quality of the original.

Food 4.0/5.0 Service 4.0/5.0…read moreValue 2.0/5.0 Decor 5.0/5.0 Overall 4.0/5.0 First of all, let's be clear... this is a bucket list kind of experience. So no matter what the reviews are, if you can get yourself here, you should do it -- no question. Now, I came with reasonable expectations and that was helpful. You come to Rao's for the experience, not necessarily the food. Don't get me wrong -- the food is good. But it's not the main event. The bar is popular but its just a normal bar. You get seated, and you get talked through the day's options. There is no paper menu, and you're largely guided fairly heavily through the ordering. The portions are very large. The dishes are generally good, but they it's not really a home run on every dish. Think of it as a typical-but-still-very-good traditional red sauce sort of place. Spicy fried calamari was very good. Seafood salad good. The meatballs were large but just kind of meh, and we really didn't need anywhere near one per person. The steak was decent but didn't leap out at me. Pastas were good, but very large... probably could have done with just one. Standard desserts at the end. Pricing is on the high side... and a bit of a surprise at the end. Very clear that the experience is pretty cool... but if just for the food, there are definitely other options around town that are just as good if not better. It's the kind of place where I'd give away my table most nights if I had one... but I'd be plenty happy to go once every couple of months.

Given how many cafes and restaurants are owned by corporations and hedge funds, it's especially…read morejoyous to spend time at Da Capo, an authentic Italian Cafe with wonderful salads, paninis and delicious coffees, lattes and an excellent selection of teas that's owned an operated by a family dedicated to making their customers feel valued. I met Aris and Alex who are brothers as well as their parents who take pride in their cafe and restaurant. I also was thrilled to find out that they have musicians performing in their dining area in the back of their shop.

Stopped in for a mid morning breakfast and ordered a sausage and goat omelette. Within a few…read moreminutes, I received my omelette with a side salad and toast. The salad included ripe tomato sliced and onions. I didn't ordered a drink, but the restaurant provided a self serve water dispenser (at room temperature). Several bar seats are available opposite the front counter, and several tables are available in back. Hope to return to try some of their other offerings.

Well maintained and manicured public space open 24 hours a day. Some bench seating around the…read moreoutside edges with green space and plants in the middle. It's a smoking free space which is a plus. Nice spot to sit and relax or have lunch during nice weather.

The Peter D. Joseph Plaza has been here for years. I frequently sit to rest or bring my lunch and…read morehave a seat to eat. The adjoining gardens are absolutely beautiful to stroll around. The space has been fenced off for a while and today I was thrilled to see its reopened. I'm recommending you sit down and take time to smell the flowers! If you're visiting my neighborhood this is a great place to rest before your next adventure. I'm definitely a fan!