The Soul of Harlem Walking Tour in New York
Description
Our 10,000-step journey will begin with a bird' s-eye view of 125th Street, Harlem's most popular street. The main themes we will discuss are the Harlem Renaissance and gentrification. We walk by and discuss these famous places: - The world's famous Apollo Theater - Sylvia's Soul Food Restaurant - The home of Langston Hughes - Astor's Row - Several iconic murals This tour is based on a book I have written, "You Are Here: A Geographic History of Enslaved and Free Africans in Manhattan from 1613 to 1865." I will use my tour guide experience (I have given over 700 tours) to make this a fun-filled tour. Best of all, you will have a Harlem experience—see the friendly culture, people, and places of Harlem. If you are behind schedule, please get in touch with me ASAP. I will have a 5-minute grace period. Afterward, I will proceed to our first stop—the Metro-North Railroad (above-ground train station) directly across the street from the Ginjan Cafe on Park Ave.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Get a View of Harlem's Famous 125th Street at the Metro-North Train Station Platform. Also view art works describing Harlem's history.
Along with the listed attractions, We will see and discuss the history of the Metro-North train station, Astor's Row, The "White House" in Harlem, The YMCA, several famous murals in Harlem, Lenox Terrace, Harlem Hospital, Harlem State Office Building, and Blumsteins Department store - the place where MLK almost lost his life, walk the streets of Harlem to get a true sense of the culture and people in the neighborhoods.
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, one of The New York Public Library’s renowned research libraries, is a world-leading cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences.
Langston Hughes House is a historic home located in Harlem. Mr. Hughes is an iconic figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Langston Hughes will be a major topic during the tour.
The Museum is open only Thursday- Saturday. Review famous Jazz Musicians associated with the Harlem Renaissance, see current exhibits, vintage jazz photos, maps, books, etc.
The World Famous Apollo theater is a mainstay in Harlem. We will discuss the "Walk of Fame" in front of the theater, as well as the many stars that performed there.
The Theresa Hotel. We will walk by the hotel and discuss its rich Harlem history.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(224)
What an amazing experience! Our guide, Larry, was informative, funny, answered everyone's questions, and he set a good pace so that we could see everything, get our photos. Learning about the history of Harlem from someone who lives there and is so obviously in love with his neighborhood was such a treat. I cannot recommend this tour enough!
This was an amazing walking tour. We throughly enjoyed ourselves. Larry was very knowledgeable and engaging. We learned so much about the beautiful community of Harlem. We felt at home here and were pleasantly surprised with the guest appearance from Harlem artist, Paul Deo! Awesome experience!
This is a fun, interesting and well worth the time tour to take. The immigration, cultural and overall changes over time are fascinating. Larry knew so many cool things about architecture, writers, poets, owners of buildings; architecture and lifestyles!
The guide, Larry was knowledgeable, personable, and definitely known in the neighborhood. The size of our group was perfect. We were all pretty sad when it came time to say goodbye.
Lawrence was an excellent tour guide, very informative. I would definitely recommend him and the tour as well.
This is an AMAZING tour! Larry taught us the history as well as the present of Harlem’s culture. He was interesting and engaging; making sure to capture what we each were hoping to learn from this adventure. It was a perfect afternoon and the most captivating tour I’ve ever taken. Head to Harlem and take the tour. You won’t be disappointed! Tell him Special K sent you! ;)
Lary is the perfect guide to show Harlem. He was born Harlem and knows the place and its people. Visited the places that were not chosen and all in very pleasant, kind and knowledgeable manner. Wonderful emotional hours with a great story teller
Larry was fantastic and engaging! He was funny and gave a great overview of the Harlem culture and how it grows to be what we know today.
Larry was awesome! I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to learn about the history of Harlem!
Fascinating tour by a wonderful guide, Larry Henderson. Learned a great deal about a crucial neighborhood in Manhattan.
