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Photo: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The legendary Apollo Theater, "where stars are born and legends made", is a source of pride for Harlem, and a symbol of American artistic achievement. The Apollo is best known for its world-famous Amateur Night at the Apollo, which launched the careers of legendary artists like Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Michael Jackson, D'Angelo and Lauryn Hill. The Apollo remains the nation's most popular arena for emerging and established black and Latino performers.
The Apollo Theater is a multi-use theater at 253 West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is a popular venue for Black American performers and is the home of the TV show Showtime at the Apollo. The theater, which has approximately 1,500 seats across three levels, was designed by George Keister with elements of the neoclassical style. The facade and interior of the theater are New York City designated landmarks and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The nonprofit Apollo Theater Foundation (ATF) operates the theater and a recording studio at the Apollo Theater, as well as two smaller auditoriums at the Victoria Theater.
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This New York City landmark started accepting black guests in 1940, becoming one of the few hotels in the city to do so. This led it to become a mixing point for notable African Americans of the time, and through the 1940s and 50s it was the center of black Harlem social community. It also gained notoriety when Fidel Castro chose to stay here for the 1960 UN General Assembly. Its ornamentation makes it one of the most visually striking buildings in Northern Manhattan.
The first museum in the U.S. devoted to artists of African descent. Temporarily relocated from 144 W 125th St building for construction of new museum building.
Mount Morris Park
One of the oldest parks in Manhattan. The elegant brownstones on the western and southern sides of the park hint at the former grandeur of the neighborhood (many were built in the 1880s). The Acropolis, a lookout seventy feet above street level gives views of the Empire State Building, the George Washington Bridge, and Yankee Stadium. The Firetower, a landmark 1857 building (closed off for reconstruction as of 2019), is the only surviving example of 19th-century fire watchtowers. This park is very popular with locals and has a relaxed vibe. There is a dedicated Drum Circle area of the park and others come with sound systems to play old-school soul and funk, dance, ride bikes, etc. It also has a swimming pool.
A main research branch of the New York Public Library, this is a repository of priceless documents and also has various exhibitions on themes related to black history and culture.
St. Nicholas Historic District
Million-dollar homes in an unlikely neighborhood.
Built in 1802 (and physically shifted from its original location), this was the home of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers and the first Secretary of Treasury.