Fifth day in New York, heading to the north of Manhattan. In the morning we explore Harlem, its streets and its history, then spend the afternoon at the American Museum of Natural History, one of the largest museums in the world. A quieter day, but a fascinating one.
Heading to Harlem
After a big breakfast at the hotel (with New York prices, you might as well), we take the subway from 34 St-Penn Station to 125 St. It’s the easiest way to reach Harlem, the historic heart of African-American culture, known for its jazz clubs, churches, gospel services and murals.
The Apollo Theater and the brownstones
First stop, the Apollo Theater, opened in 1914. Jazz, swing, soul, R&B and even hip-hop all found a stage here, and Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin and the Jackson 5 all performed on it. We arrive too early to visit, but the facade and its sign are worth a photo.
Harlem’s real charm lies in its streets lined with brownstones, 19th-century brick houses with raised front steps, the “stoops”. They were originally designed to keep the entrance above a street that wasn’t always clean. Today it’s where neighbours meet for a chat, but not that day, it was far too cold.
Harlem’s history in the street
Walking around, we spot plaques honouring jazz legends such as Billie Holiday and Dizzy Gillespie, set on old coal hole covers, and the bronze statue of the Spiritual African Drummer, a seated drummer paying tribute to the neighbourhood’s musical roots. On 12 November, the houses still have their Halloween decorations up.
Right next door, in Hamilton Heights, we pass the City College of New York and its superb neo-Gothic Shepard Hall. The campus is nicknamed the “Harvard of the proletariat” for its excellence and its open access.
The American Museum of Natural History
We take the subway back down to the Upper West Side, passing the famous yellow school buses on the way. At the American Museum of Natural History we start with the dinosaurs: the T-Rex, dozens of fossils and above all the Titanosaur, 37 metres long, so big it spills from one room into the next.
Then the African savannah dioramas, amazingly realistic, the hall of African art, and the new gem and mineral galleries. Don’t miss the amethyst geode weighing about 5 tonnes, one of the largest in the world, or the interactive screen where you combine chemical elements to “build” minerals. I really recommend it, allow at least half a day.
Pizza and a night walk
In the evening, pizza at Parla, then a short night walk: the Christmas decorations are already up all over Manhattan.
Also on Instagram that day
Practical info
- Harlem: subway from 34 St-Penn Station to 125 St, about 20 minutes.
- Apollo Theater: 253 W 125th St. Guided tours by reservation, check before you go.
- City College of New York: Shepard Hall can be seen from Convent Avenue, in Hamilton Heights.
- American Museum of Natural History: Central Park West at 79th Street. Allow at least half a day.