EThe editors · 3 Neighbourhood walks lists — switch
Harlem
The Apollo, soul food, jazz, Strivers’ Row and the churches and parks between.
10 placesA full dayRead the guide ↓
1. Apollo TheaterThe theatre where Amateur Night made careers.HarlemFrom outside10 min, or a showTickets vary
2. The Studio Museum in HarlemHarlem’s art museum, free.HarlemFree to visit1 hourFree
3. Red RoosterLunch or dinner on Lenox Avenue.HarlemFood & drink1.5 hoursAbout $40–60 a person
4. Sylvia’sSoul food since 1962; Sunday gospel brunch.HarlemFood & drink1–1.5 hoursAbout $30–40 a person
5. Marcus Garvey ParkClimb to the old fire watchtower.HarlemFree to visit30 minFree
6. Langston Hughes HouseThe poet’s brownstone on 127th Street.HarlemFrom outside10 minFree to look
7. National Jazz Museum in HarlemA small, friendly jazz museum.HarlemFree to visit45 minFree; suggested donation
8. Abyssinian Baptist ChurchOne of the oldest Black churches in the country.HarlemFrom outside15 min, or a serviceFree
9. Strivers’ RowTwo blocks of 1890s row houses.HarlemFrom outside20 minFree
10. Bill’s PlaceEnd with jazz in a brownstone, booked.HarlemFood & drink1.5 hoursCover charge; BYOB
The guide
How to do it: Harlem
Harlem has been the capital of Black America for a century: the Apollo, the churches, the jazz rooms and some of the finest row houses in the city.
Walk it slowly, eat well, and be a considerate visitor at the churches.
- The order to do it in
- 125th Street (the Apollo and the Studio Museum), lunch on Lenox, Marcus Garvey Park and the Langston Hughes house, then north to Abyssinian and Strivers’ Row; jazz at Bill’s Place to end.
- When to go
- Sunday for gospel brunch and services; Friday or Saturday for jazz.
- Getting there
- 125th St (2 3, A B C D).
- What it costs
- Free to walk; brunch about $30–40; jazz cover varies.
Worth knowing
- If you attend a church service, dress for it, arrive early and follow the ushers.
- Bill’s Place is BYOB and small; book ahead.
Started from the pins on Capture the Atlas’s Harlem map (the map). Places, notes and the guide checked and written by us; prices and opening times change, so check before you go.