MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS
(between 110th and 125th Street)
The area’s main attraction is Columbia University – between 114th/120th Street and Morningside Dr/Broadway. The Riverside Church is nearby (corner of 120th Street and Riverside Dr.) and is a very imposing building. The Cathedral of St. John Divine is also in the neighbourhood (on Amsterdam Avenue between 110th and 113th Street) and it will be the world’s largest cathedral if it ever gets finished. The construction started in 1892 and there are no signs of the end. When finished, it supposed be 200 metres long and 100 metres wide, It’s a catch 22 – the construction is slow and styles change with time and since it’s design keeps being updated, the works slow down. If all goes well, it will be finished in 2050. The complex houses not only a church but also a free kitchen, school, theatre, gym, design studio and who knows what else. It’s also pretty eclectic inside. There are the usual religious sculptures but also a statue of George Washington or a memorial to twelve firefighters who died in 1966. The huge crystal vase mixes with the 100 million years old fossil or a shrine dedicated to the victims of AIDS. The programme is no less varied: masses, concerts, dance recitals, theatre performances, exhibitions, etc. Next to the church, in the Children’s Sculpture Garden, there are cute sculptures well worth a visit with the kids.
A statue for those who like to discover memorials related to Hungary during their travels: the statue of Lajos Kossuth is at the crossing of Riverside Drive and W113th Street.
Another Hungary related place for those with a sweet tooth: the Hungarian bakery is on Amsterdam Avenue between 110th and 111th Street.
HARLEM
Actually there are two Harlems: on the east side above 96th Street is the Spanish Harlem and west of Central Park above 125th Street is the “real” Harlem. We can give a miss to the first, there is not much to see. However the real Harlem is a must. Not necessarily at 3 am on a weekday but for example on a sunny Sunday.
Let’s start Sunday with worship. There are numerous Baptist congregations in Harlem where the gospel is preached with singing and dancing. Travel agencies organize costly trips to these churches but it’s a waste of money, you can do it on your own easily. The most famous one is the Abyssinian Baptist Church (132 W. 138th Street) but it’s now so popular that you have to queue to get in. My favourite is the Canaan (132 W.116th Street between Lenox Ave and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd). The worship here starts at 10:45 but it’s better to get there earlier. Tourists are generally sent up to the first floor. I guarantee that a Sunday morning here is an experience remembered for life. During the preaching, the participants loudly join in, clap and shout and the singing is not solemn like what we are used to but very jubilant, happy and people are clapping and dancing. Kind of like in Blues Brothers. Ok, not quite but close. Everyone is dressed in their finest and the women’s dresses are spectacular. They arrive in some exquisite hat designs. We should also be respectful and not go in jeans and t-shirt but in something more appropriate.
Visitors are welcomed. At the end of the sermon there is generally a song when everyone holds the hand of someone next to them and then they usually ask where we came from who we are. I brought lots of people here and even my atheist friends were touched by a worship like this. The congregations differ from ours not only by the atmosphere of the sermons but also that they serve as community hubs. For example in a little brochure I was given at the Abyssinian, I read the program for the next 2-3 weeks: school visits for students deciding on further studies, information sessions about scholarships, medical lecture about cholesterol and prostate cancer, organizing a day for the elderly, author-reader meetings, advice on taxes, etc. On Sundays the preacher lists the whole program including the meeting times of the various church groups. Unfortunately, the churches financially rely mainly on tourists – while visitor numbers continuously grow, the number of church members in Harlem keeps dropping.
When the gospel time is over, let’s look around. Let’s walk north to 125th Street which is the main thoroughfare. Here is the legendary Apollo Theater where on Wednesdays there are amateur competitions for musicians and singers since 1935 – Ella Fitzgerald and James Brown were discovered here. I strongly suggest a visit, it has a great atmosphere.
Harlem’s gastronomic attraction is “soul food”. The most well-known (therefore the most busy and expensive) is Sylvia’s near the crossing of Malcolm X Blvd and 125th Street. The creole dishes – using for example pork, millet, sweet potato – were prepared by slaves for centuries in the southern states. The Sunday brunch is accompanied by live gospel music.
Next to it stands teh Red Rooster, with great live music on Sundays at lunchtime.
One of New York’s many famous pizzerias is in Harlem: Patsy’s Pizzeria has been around since 1933 (2287 1st Ave near 117th Street).
Those who want to see the houses of the rich in Harlem need to go up to 138th Street. Striver’s Row (between Powell and Douglass Blvd) was built in 1891 and considered by many to be the most beautiful block of the city. The houses are owned by rich blacks and whites, Bob Dylan also has a house here.
UPPER MANHATTAN
Manhattan’s upper most corner also has some sights but so few people come all the way that I won’t go into details here. I’ll only mention the most important one, The Cloisters , which is an excellent museum in Fort Tyron Park showing a medieval collection.