The Heart of Harlem: A Walk through 400 Years of History

Harlem’s unique culture has been shaped by its long and unusual history. On this walking tour through Central Harlem, you’ll hear stories about the artists, activists, and legends who made this neighborhood extraordinary.

The tour starts in Hamilton Heights at the corner of 145th Street and St Nicholas Avenue. You’ll walk the same streets where Alexander Hamilton spent his final years, Langston Hughes wrote his poetry, and jazz greats like Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong lived and performed. You’ll stroll down quiet streets, past the neo-Gothic campus of the City College of New York, and along bustling boulevards filled with shops, street art, and restaurants.

You’ll discover how Prohibition-era speakeasies sparked a musical revolution, how the Great Migration brought millions of African Americans north in search of freedom and opportunity, and how Harlem continues to evolve today. You’ll encounter everything from a mansion featured in Wes Anderson’s acclaimed 2001 film, The Royal Tenenbaums, to famous soul food restaurants that have fed Harlem for generations.

As you make your way to the legendary Apollo Theater, where the tour ends, you’ll have a chance to:

• Visit Hamilton Grange National Memorial, the final home of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton
• Walk down Strivers’ Row, two blocks of magnificent 1890s townhouses that became home to Harlem’s Black professional elite during the Harlem Renaissance
• Admire the stunning Abyssinian Baptist Church, the most prominent African-American church in New York City and the center of the Harlem gospel tradition
• Stop for soul food at local favorites, including Sylvia’s Restaurant and Red Rooster Harlem
• Follow the Harlem Walk of Fame along 135th Street, with its bronze plaques honoring Langston Hughes, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and other cultural titans who called this neighborhood home
• Take in the sights and sounds of 125th Street, Harlem’s commercial heart, and learn how the neighborhood weathered decline and emerged as a symbol of resilience and pride

This 90-minute Harlem tour introduces you to the neighborhood where jazz took flight, the Harlem Renaissance redefined American culture, and generations of African-American leaders shaped the course of history. You’ll be greeted with warmth, smiles, and great food.