Welcome To Harlem

I visited New York with my three teenagers, and this was our outing on our first day. What a way to start our trip! Our guide was caught in traffic that morning, so one of the other women generously gave us our tour, and Carolyn did another tour of the highlights after the jazz. She was a delightful and knowledgeable tour guide and I am so thankful that she was able to give us the time. The jazz – knocked our socks off! We heard David Murray in a comfortable little church in the neighborhood, very welcoming, comfortable and he and his team (including his son on guitar) rocked!!!

I was fortunate enough to attend a retired teacher afternoon of jazz at the Rendall Memorial Presbyterian Church on 137^th St and Malcolm X Blvd. All I can say is WOW! The music-​Tulivu on vocals, rod Williams on piano, Rachiim Ausar-​Sahu on bass and Mark Johnson on drums was out of this some of the best music I have ever heard. In addition, the price is better than right, $ 10, seats are comfortable and the people who run the concert and the church members are so welcoming. The area is beautiful to stroll in after or before. Go see it on Tuesday afternoons.

Authentic Harlem jazz in a concert setting. The musicianship is outstanding, and the price can’t be beat. I don’t understand why there isn’t a line down the block for each performance. It’s one of the best kept secrets.

When a dear friend was in town, I arranged this tour with Carolyn (and we live in Harlem). It was money well spent. Carolyn’s knowledge of Harlem and it’s history (so many fun facts!) and her love for the community was evident – and increased our own affection, pride and gratitude for our neighborhood. We walked 125^th (from Freddy Douglas east then north at Malcolm X Blvd). Man! There is so much richness in that very short distance! Then we headed to Astor Row, the Schomburg Museum, and Strivers’ Row. We peppered Carolyn with questions about the past, present and future of Harlem. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting or living in NYC who wants to become more familiar with Harlem, is interested in history and who want’s a glimpse of the community (and it’s such a lively, bustling one)
—before HARLEM completely disappears as gentrification and corporate chains seen in EVERYWHERE, U.S.A. overrun the whole place! (We did the tour in April on a beautiful spring day and my husband and I plan on doing part 2 (south) in the future.

While I thoroughly enjoyed learning from our knowledgeable tour guide who took her time to walk us through the many landmarks and historical sights on or near 125^th St, this was not what was advertised on their web site. I purchased three tickets for the Harlem Renaissance Tour, which according to their website is said to go between 125^th and 139^th St and include information about people like Jacob Lawrence, Madam CJ Walker and Duke Ellington, etc. This did not happen. She did cover James Van Der Zee but the majority of the tour was just related to 125^th St. Also, their $ 15 lunch option is very, very vague. Tour taken on 8÷6÷15.

Took this tour with Carolyn today, and it was phenomenal. She combined a deep knowledge of Harlem’s history and development with an invaluable understanding of the neighborhood as it is today. Carolyn doesn’t just know the neighborhood; she lives it. She can give a rundown of the various beautiful old brownstones and churches in the neighborhood, their histories, and the people that presently live there. What you get is a rarity– a tour that combines a book knowledge of the area with a local’s understanding of what it is today.
Would definitely recommend!

Everything I hoped for and more! We did the Renaissance Tour with Cheryl. There were 5 people total, which made it a very personal tour. We used a Groupon certificate and I was a bit nervous that we would get an abbreviated tour, but that, thankfully, did NOT happen. We actually spent a solid 3 hours with Cheryl as opposed to 2, which is just a testament to her passion, knowledge & information about the history, buildings, a so many other facets of Harlem that we never knew. Can’t wait to do her Mount Morris Park tour!!!

If you want to feel good about life, go to Harlem in May, befriend Caroline, and go sing in Church on a Sunday. This tour was so fun. I learned a ton about the history of NYC and Harlem. It’s all there: Adam Clayton Powell, churches and mosques, Franco the artist, the Apollo theater, 125^th St, Lenox Ave, lovely people in church and on the streets, the parks, and the food. Don’t miss it. (Caroline Johnson is the best Ambassador that I have ever met)

Tour taken 3÷23÷13, used a living social voucher
I throughly enjoyed this walking tour courtesy of Welcome to Harlem.
Our guide Cheryl was informative about Harlem’s history from the days of the Harlem renaissance up until today. She was also up to date on community news as a Harlemite herself.
You could tell how much she loves the community and neighborhood and how active she is in it — taking advantage of cultural events offered. Both the historical facts and her own insight into modern day Harlem helped to contribute to a well-​rounded portrait of the neighborhood — a definite plus for this tour!
The tour highlights the landmarks of 125^th street and then travels into the Mount Morris Park neighborhood. This route shows the diversity of Harlem from the more residential sections to the more commercial areas.
This tour is a great introduction to Harlem and its history.
For more information (and some photos from the tour), check out my blog post:

My fiancé and I took the Welcome to Harlem tour this past Saturday with Carolyn and 2 other guests. I like that it was so few of us since it could be more intimate and personal. Carolyn was more than just a guide, she became more of a friend as the tour went on. Throughout the tour local residents greeted her and she them– very cool. We learned so much about Harlem and are excited to come back and explore it bit by bit. We couldn’t have asked for a better tour guide. This is by far one of our favorite tours we’ve ever done in NYC.