Maybe Harlem, too, is a victim of gentrification. Or maybe I was just in the “tourist” area. Either way, this iconic New York neighborhood wasn’t the big, bad wolf that I sometimes imagined. In reality, there are multiple Harlems (West, Central and East). Most people don’t realize that. Exploring Harlem, became a goal for us on this trip. In an afternoon, my husband and I explored with our beloved cousin (and local guide) many of the well-known buildings in central Harlem.
Online you’ll find many walking tours to choose from. In the end, we made our own that included the places we most wanted to see. We started with the Apollo and I snapped pictures of bricks out front engraved with names of the greatest performers in American history. The Temptations, Prince, Patti Labelle and more.
Strangely, the marquee out front proclaimed The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ upcoming concert. My husband and I scratched our heads. Really? That just didn’t feel right somehow. Between that and the huge Banana Republic store next door, it all seemed like the equivalent of putting ketchup on pancakes.
Exploring Harlem: A Street We All Envy
Just for fun, we researched prices on any brownstones that were for sale. Prices ranged between 2 million and 4 million. In some cases, the numbers were high even by New York standards. We paused for pictures on Strivers Row (138th & 139th streets). Here, the old gates still proudly proclaim, “Walk your horses.” This is an undeniable reference to the neighborhood’s age. Most of these brownstones were built between 1891-1893. Well-to-do African-Americans bought up the properties in the mid-1890’s. You’ll find oodles of interesting info. here. By the way, the featured image at the top of today’s article is also Strivers Row.
Farther down 138th Street we took photos outside Abyssinian Baptist Church. It was closed to the public, so we never got a peek inside. The outside, however, gives you an idea of just how stunning the interior must be. In 1808, free African-Americans and Ethiopian immigrants left the First Baptist Church in protest over segregated seating. They founded the Abyssinian.
Exploring Harlem: Cuisine That’s a Tastebud Party
We took a welcome break from walking to have lunch at the Caribbean Star restaurant. Believe it or not, the heatwave had followed us from Florida to California and now to New York. It was one big, cosmic joke. Sitting under a fan during lunch helped some. Eating some of the best Jamaican food I’ve ever had nearly made me forget about the heat. Shrimp, rice, cabbage, curry chicken and salmon. We mixed-n-matched and shared from each other’s plates and still took a lot home. For the record, the chili-lime salmon was otherworldly.
After pausing to allow Law & Order to film a scene on the sidewalk where we were walking (‘cause that’s a thing in NYC), we got dessert to-go at Lee Lee’s Baked Goods. In business since the 1960’s, the happy red/white checkerboard bakery specializes in rugelach. We, of course, tried other items too because we are professionals and research is important.
Founder, Alvin Lee Smalls, waited on us himself. Rugelach is a Jewish tradition and the stakes were high for us. Afterall, my cousin’s mother was famous for her rugelach. Lee Lee’s version was quite a bit larger than the bite-sized style we were used to. I had no complaints. It was all good. It wasn’t homemade, but it was good. Here’s a reminder of a dessert that hit the mark for me. Be aware that if you decide to try it, you’ll pay a premium for the famous Lee Lee’s name.
After all my many visits to New York City, it was nice to finally see the iconic neighborhood of Harlem (at least part of it). Be sure to read up on your history before you go because every beautiful building tells a story. Like the rest of America, it will be interesting to see where that story goes and how the next chapter reads.
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