As Spring continues to take its sweet time showing its face here in NYC, the Union Settlement’s Business Development team still has a ton of things for you to explore in East Harlem. Our goal with every event we put on for our community is to genuinely connect residents to merchants and to empower those merchants with the tools to set them up for success.

Our next installment in our lineup of events this spring and summer is the Trolley Tour. This tour will be specifically for purchasers from local institutions to meet and connect with smaller businesses that serve the community. Attendees will visit a number of business locations and have a chance to enjoy and experience the best of what that merchant has to offer. There will be food sampling, apparel samples and service presentations, depending on the merchant’s industry.

We’re also making sure not to leave out those who do not currently work out of a physical location and will be providing space at the Urban Garden Center for select vendors!

• Copy Cat Printing a high-quality printing company that serves other local businesses with fast, professional service.
• Sisters Cuisine, a cozy and affordable restaurant known best for its flavorful Caribbean and Southern-inspired dishes.
• Amor Cubano, a vibrant traditional Cuban restaurant with live music and a selection of classic and creative mojitos.

The Trolley Tour takes place on April 24th making this a pleasant afternoon of exploration and connection. Stops on the tour will not be long, but will be more than enough time for attendees to experience merchants’ offerings. The Trolley tour will return to the Urban Garden Center where additional vendors will be, along with live music and refreshments.

This event is private for local institutions only but we have a slew of other events to partake in!

Yesterday’s Cash Mob event where we gather residents to patron local smaller businesses was a major success, and you can check out our recap photos. We’d love for you to attend the next one! You can RSVP (http://bit.ly/CashMobJune)

We also have our 30 Second Pitch workshops coming up tonight, so if you know of a business owner or merchant in need of some crucial tips, point them in our direction!