A Day in Harlem and Morningside Heights
Morning
Begin
late Sunday morning and take the No. 2 or No. 3 subway uptown to 135th
Street and Lenox Avenue. Walk to Odell Clark Place and turn west to
hear the fabulous choir at the Abyssinian Baptist Church.
Continue west along the street to see the fine 1890s homes of the St. Nicholas Historic District and stop on 8th Avenue to enjoy a gospel brunch at
Londel’s Supper Club
.
Afternoon
Retrace your steps to Lenox Avenue and head downtown to 125th Street to peruse the shops. Turn west for the famous
Apollo Theater
and excellent displays of African-American art at the Studio Museum in Harlem. Afterwards, stop for coffee at the Starbucks on Lenox Avenue at 125th Street.
Take the M60 bus to West 120th Street and Broadway. Walk down to
Riverside Church
for fine views over the Hudson River from the bell tower. Across the
street is the monument honoring the 18th U.S. president, Ulysses S.
Grant. At 116th Street, head east two blocks to Broadway and the
entrance to
Columbia University
. One block east on Amsterdam Avenue is the
Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
with its immense interior. End the day with some good southern cooking at
Miss Mamie’s
and return to Broadway for the No. 1 or No. 9 subway back downtown.
Places for Music
Lenox Lounge
A
standby for 50 years, the lounge has a new retro look and features the
latest sounds in jazz as well as more traditional numbers.
Showman’s
Live jazz is the lure on Wednesday and Saturday nights at this club, where the vibes and people are as cool as the music.
Londel’s Supper Club
Part of the new Harlem, with upscale ambience, waiters in tuxedos, delicious Southern fare, and live jazz on weekends.
St. Nick’s Pub
Savion Glover and Ray Charles have been known to drop by at this popular venue. Live jazz can be heard six nights a week.
773 St. Nicholas Ave at West 149th St
Subway line A, B, C, or to 145th St
Sylvia’s
The place is jammed for Saturday and Sunday gospel brunches, and always fun despite the tour groups.
Gospel at Sylvia’s
Cotton Club
Duke
Ellington and Cab Calloway are long gone, and the location has changed,
but the famous club of the 1920s is currently making a comeback.
Apollo Theater
This theater is Harlem’s famous showcase, where Ella Fitzgerald and James Brown launched their careers.
Apollo Theater
Harlem Stage
Home to jazz series, as well as ballet, opera, and the Harlem Film Festival.
City College campus
Miller Theatre
Columbia’s main performance venue runs the musical gamut, with jazz an important part.
Columbia University
Smoke
Columbia students and jazz lovers of all ages congregate at this intimate club to hear top notch jazz groups every weekend.
