• NPR's book critic picks three "revelatory" Harlem Renaissance novels to review–half of the six books by African-American writers that Penguin Classics is reprinting for Black History Month. The groundbreaking The Blacker the Berry by Wallace Thurman (not to be confused with the Kendrick Lamar song) tackles color prejudice in the African-American community through the life of a dark-skinned character named Emma Lou who moves from L.A. to Harlem.
• Did you know Rihanna's performance of "Wild Thoughts" at the Grammys last Sunday was a nod to the Harlem Renaissance? (Or was it more Crazy Horse?)
• Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator and star of In the Heights, gathered with other members of the cast at BroadwayCon to mark the 10th anniversary of the Tony-winning musical about a bodega owner and his fellow Latino neighbors living in Washington Heights. Still no news regarding the film adaptation.
• Not sure what this says about Harlem's fried chicken game, but according to New York Magazine, only two out of the city's 18 best fried chicken spots are uptown–and both were only honorable mentions!
• One of Make My Cake's two Harlem locations is closing–and moving to the Upper West Side. Apparently it's due to rising rents–yikes!
• A renovated limestone mansion in Hamilton Heights is in contract for $5.25 million–a record for the neighborhood if the deal goes through.
• A city-owned lot in East Harlem is one of three New York spots being considered for a new science center called the "Applied Life Sciences Hub."
• There's still time to buy tickets for "Oprah's Super Soul Conversations" at the Apollo this coming Wednesday. Guests include Salma Hayek, Stephen Colbert, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jordan Peele, among others.
