Culture and history come alive in Harlem
Historic neighbourhood has museums, restaurants and galleries you have to see
NEW YORK— Decades of African-American history have made Harlem one of America’s most famous neighbourhoods.
It’s also an essential destination for visitors to New York City, offering art, architecture, restaurants, shopping and more.
Attendance at Harlem’s Studio Museum has nearly doubled from 63,298 in the 2009-10 fiscal year to 111,086 in 2013-14.
Restaurants such as celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Streetbird Rotisserie are giving out-of-towners and locals a reason to head uptown for a meal.
And Harlem is the second-most requested neighbourhood in Manhattan after midtown at Big Apple Greeter, which connects tourists with volunteers for free neighbourhood visits. Even the Museum of Modern Art, located in midtown, is encouraging trips to Harlem with an online selfguided walking tour inspired by a MOMA exhibition, Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series paintings. Lawrence painted scenes of African-Americans from the rural South moving to Northern cities in the early 20th century.
The free tour — Moma.org/harlem-walkingtour — highlights Harlem locations where Lawrence studied art, did research and found inspiration.
“Harlem is an iconic, beautiful, world-renowned New York City enclave that continues to reinvent itself, drawing visitors from far and wide,” said Fred Dixon, president of the city’s tourism agency, NYC & Company.
“New restaurants, shops, galleries, vibrant entertainment and nightlife have positioned Harlem as a mustsee neighbourhood on anyone’s New York City itinerary.”
Here are some of Harlem’s top attractions: Studio Museum The museum has five shows up through Oct. 25, but perhaps its most famous exhibit is a display of two words: “ME WE.”
Boxer Muhammad Ali recited the words in response to a request for a poem after giving a speech at Harvard.
144 W. 125th St., open Thursday-Friday, noon to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. Adults, $7. Sunday, free. studiomuseum.org Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture The Schomburg Center, part of the New York Public Library, is marking the 75th anniversary of the American Negro Theatre with an exhibition of photos, posters and clippings from the 1940s, when the theatre’s talents included Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier. The Schomburg is also home to murals from the 1930s Works Progress Administration program.
515 Malcolm X Blvd. near 136th Street. Open Friday, Saturday and Monday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Free. nypl.org/locations/schomburg
You’ll find more historic murals across the street inside Harlem Hospital, 506 Malcolm X Blvd. Striver’s Row The St. Nicholas Historic District, also known as Striver’s Row, consists of the lovely tree-lined blocks of 138th and 139th Sts., between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., and Frederick Douglass Blvd.
The landmarked, elegant stone-and-brick townhouses date to the 1890s and have been home to prominent African-Americans such as musician Eubie Blake and Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Apollo Theater and Hotel history You can attend the Apollo’s famous amateur night or take a tour to learn about its history hosting the likes of James Brown, B.B. King and Aretha Franklin.
Stand outside the marquee at 253 W. 125th St. and look east across the street for a tall, stately building bearing the words “Hotel Theresa.” It’s no longer a hotel, but for decades it hosted athletes, entertainers, business executives and other African-Americans turned away by hotels downtown. Fidel Castro stayed there in 1960.
Accommodations in Harlem these days include the stylish, upscale Aloft hotel, 2296 Frederick Douglass Blvd., and the Harlem YMCA, 180 W. 135th St. Restaurants Harlem’s eateries include soul food institution Sylvia’s, at 328 Malcolm X Blvd., and Marcus Samuelsson’s upscale Red Rooster at 310 Malcolm X Blvd.
Samuelsson’s newer, more casual Streetbird Rotisserie, located at 2149 Frederick Douglass Blvd., is part of Harlem’s restaurant row — you can find out more at harlemrestaurantrow.com — where you will find everything from sushi to pizza to a beer garden. Don’t forget to see:
Malcolm Shabazz African Market, featuring baskets, drums and clothing made from brightly patterned fabrics and other African-themed items, 52 W. 116th St. Daily, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.;
The 10-foot bronze Harriet Tubman statue that stands at St. Nicholas Ave. near 122nd St.;
City College’s picturesque neogothic architecture, at 138th St. and Convent Ave.;
Alexander Hamilton’s home, preserved at Hamilton Grange, a National Park Service site with tours, 414 W. 141st St.;
Marcus Garvey Park, 120th to 124th Sts., between Madison Ave. and Malcolm X Blvd.