New York Essentials
Escape from the jungle
Visit New York’s Central Park. Take a walk, a boat ride or just enjoy a picnic and discover for yourself why Central Park is so popular.
If it’s summer time don’t miss the free concerts and other activities the City Park Foundation offers to you. Check this website www.summerstage.org for information and schedules.
Heights and views
Go up to the observation deck at the top of the Empire State Building, one of New York’s tallest buildings. If you’d rather avoid ESB overcrowdings, you’ll enjoy Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center.
Regarding ESB you’d better get the tickets online otherwise you’ll have to stand two lines.
ESB: 350 5th Av
Top of The Rock: 30 Rockefeller Plaza
Meatpacking District
Head for a night out in the Meatpacking District, described by New York magazine as “New York’s most fashionable neighborhood”.
Don’t throw your money away
There is so much to do in New York for free! NYC is a vibrant cultural centre, and has plenty to offer the curious traveler. Look out for rock jam sessions in Greenwich Village, famous for its bohemian vibe, free walking tours of Manhattan, even free summertime Shakespeare performances in Central Park.
www.clubfreetime.com
Have a drink at Metropolitan Museum top deck
Apart from visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art itself, it’s worth to go up and take a break having a drink at the top deck with wonderful views to Central Park. Don’t forget to go over The Cloisters (same ticket is valid), the branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe.
Met Museum: 1000 5th Av at 82nd street
The Cloisters: 99 Margaret Corbin Drive – Fort Tryon Park; take A train and get off at “190th street” station
Suggested $20 admission (you can pay whatever you wish)
Closed on Monday
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
Visiting the Statue of Liberty National Monument and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum is a memorable experience for people from all over the world. StateCruises is the company that will lead you to the islands. The cruises leave from Battery Park (Take any of the following lines:
LOCAL 1 (7th Avenue Line) to the last stop – SOUTH FERRY.
EXPRESS (Lexington Avenue Line) 4 or 5 to BOWLING GREEN.
LOCAL from Brooklyn/Queens R/W (Broadway Line) to WHITEHALL STREET.)
Another way to visit the statue matching budget pockets is to take the Staten Island Ferry which is totally free. You can get good views of the Statue even though you don’t get as closer to the island as the StatueCruise does.The Staten Island Ferry departure station is next to the State Cruises so that the same directions are valid.
High Line
The High Line is located on Manhattan’s West Side. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues. Section 1 of the High Line, which opened to the public on June 9, 2009, runs from Gansevoort Street to West 20th Street.
Access to the High Line is possible via any of the access points listed below: Gansevoort Street, 14th Street (elevator access), 16th Street (elevator access), 18th Street and 20th Street.
Hudson River Park
It’s a waterside park on the Hudson River that extends from 59th Street south to Battery Park in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Bicycle and pedestrian paths, including the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, span the park north to south, opening up the waterfront for recreational use. The park includes tennis and soccer fields, batting cages, children’s playground, dog run, recreational piers, and many other features.
Chelsea Market
Chelsea Market has become a boutique and cool food market. It used to be the National Biscuit Company complex. The seafood market is the best in the city.
75 9th Av at 15th street
Chelsea Hotel
The hotel has always been a center of artistic and bohemian activity and it houses artwork created by many of the artists who have visited. The hotel was the first building to be listed by New York City as a cultural preservation site and historic building of note. The twelve-story red-brick building that now houses the Hotel Chelsea was built in 1883 as a private apartment cooperative that opened in 1884; it was the tallest building in New York until 1899. In 1905, the building was purchased and opened as a hotel. Famous visitors and residents of the Chelsea Hotel include Eugene O’Neil, Thomas Wolfe, and Arthur C. Clarke (who wrote 2001: A Space Oddyssey while in residence). Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and the Grateful Dead passed through the hotels doors in the 1960s.
West 23rd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues
Walking across Brooklyn Bridge
That is a really nice experience. We recommend you walk across the bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan to get the greatest views. Take A or C line and get off at High St / Brooklyn Bridge or take F line and get off at York St.
Liberty Sightseeing Cruise
Hop onboard for a quick and inspirational harbor cruise. See and hear about the majestic Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the historic immigration center, and the World Financial Center. Stare up at the awesome skyscrapers that make our fabulous skyline come alive.
This cruise does not operate during the Winter season.
Pier 83, West 42nd Street (Hudson River)
Broadway savings
TKTS Discount Booths offer tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays at up to 50% off. Same day sales.
Three different TKTS locations:
- Times Square: 47th street at Broadway Av.
- Downtown Brooklyn: In 1 MetroTech Center at the corner of Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue Promenade.
- South Street Seaport: At the corner of Front and John Streets, near the rear of the Resnick/ Prudential Building at 199 Water Street.
New York Public Library
Often referred to as the “main branch,” the Beaux-Arts landmark building on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street houses outstanding research collections in the humanities and social sciences as well as a circulating children’s collection.
It houses some 15 million items, among them priceless medieval manuscripts, one Gutenberg Bible example, ancient Japanese scrolls, contemporary novels and poetry, as well as baseball cards, dime novels, and comic books.
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street
Free entrance
Bryant Park
Bryant park, a large green oasis at the intersection of 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue is one of the most pleasant parks in Manhattan. Even though the park is bordered by heavily trafficked streets, it is a very relaxing park with great views. It has a simple but effective design, with a large, central lawn surrounded by trees.
Enjoy the Bryant Park Summer Film Festival and other activities in summer time and the free admission ice skating in winter season.
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera, now in its 127th season, is a vibrant home for the most creative and talented artists, including singers, conductors, composers, orchestra musicians, stage directors, designers, visual artists, choreographers, and dancers from around the world. Known as the venue for the world’s greatest voices.
Rush tickets: For the fourth season in a row, thanks to a generous gift from Met Board member Agnes Varis and her husband, Karl Leichtman, 200 orchestra seats are available for each regular Monday through Thursday performance for only $20 and the weekends (Friday & Saturday) for $25. You can purchase Varis Rush Tickets at the Met box office beginning two hours before curtain, subject to availability. You better be there much earlier to stand on line otherwise you’ll get no tickets.
Located at Lincoln Center: on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, between West 62nd and 65th Streets and Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues.
Inwood Hill Park
There’s old New York, and then there’s old New York. Inwood Hill Park is a living piece of old New York. Evidence of its prehistoric roots exists as dramatic caves, valleys, and ridges left as the result of shifting glaciers. Evidence of its uninhabited state afterward remains as its forest and salt marsh (the last natural one in Manhattan), and evidence of its use by Native Americans in the 17th century continues to be discovered. Much has occurred on the land that now composes Inwood Hill Park since the arrival of European colonists in the 17th and 18th centuries, but luckily, most of the park was largely untouched by the wars and development that took place.
Dyckman Street, Hudson River, Harlem River Ship Canal
Take line A and get off at 207st-Inwood
Manhattan Museums & Galleries
Moma Museum
Take a look around the “MoMA” museum of modern art. Two centuries of mind-blowing contemporary art under one roof!
11 west 53rd street (bet. 5th and 6th Av)
Closed on Tuesday. Free entrance Friday evenings 4pm-8pm
Metropolitan Museum
Apart from visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art itself, it’s worth to go up and take a break having a drink at the top deck with wonderful views to Central Park. Don’t forget to go over The Cloisters (same ticket is valid), the branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe.
Met Museum: 1000 5th Av at 82nd street
The Cloisters: 99 Margaret Corbin Drive – Fort Tryon Park; take A train and get off at “190th street” station
Suggested $20 admission (you can pay whatever you wish)
Closed on Monday
The Cloisters
Five original cloisters form France and Catalonia were taken to New York in the early XX century by George Gray Bernard. John D. Rockefeller Jr. took over the collection by donating large sums of money for maintenance. The cloisters are the only medieval museum in USA. Closed on Monday
99 Margaret Corbin Drive – Fort Tryon Park;
By subway: take A train and get off at “190th street” station
Guggenheim Museum
Completed in 1959, the Guggenheim’s Frank Lloyd Wright–designed museum is among the 20th century’s most important architectural landmarks. The museum’s great rotunda has been the site of many celebrated special exhibitions, while its smaller galleries are devoted to the Guggenheim’s renowned collection, which ranges from Impressionism through contemporary art.
1071 5th Avenue (at 89th Street)
Closed on Thursday
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney, one of only a few museums in New York City that focuses entirely on American art, has a distinctly contemporary look of sharply angled, polished gray stone and glass. However, it’s not the building that makes the Whitney unique, it’s the extensive collection of twentieth century American art housed inside.
945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street
Closed on Monday and Tuesday
International Center of Photography
Located in the heart of New York City, the Museum of the International Center of Photography is dedicated to exploring the possibilities of the photographic medium through dynamic exhibitions of historical and contemporary work.
1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street
Voluntary Contribution Fridays 5:00–8:00 pm
The Frick Collection
The Frick Collection includes some of the best-known paintings by the greatest European artists, major works of sculpture (among them one of the finest groups of small bronzes in the world), superb eighteenth-century French furniture and porcelains, Limoges enamels, Oriental rugs, and other works of remarkable quality.
1 East 70th Street (at 5th Avenue)
On Sundays, pay what you wish from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Closed on Monday
El Museo del Barrio
This museum devoted to Caribbean and Latin American art and culture has been reopen in fall’09 after a long renovation.
1230 5th Av (104th street)
Closed on Monday and Tuesday
Museum of the City of New York
Devoted to the history of NYC, this museum features a wonderful collection of artifacts and displays ranging from vintage dollhouses to antique fire-fighting equipment to a vast photo archive
1220 5th Av (103rd street)
Closed on Monday
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History, located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world. Located in park-like grounds across the street from Central Park, the Museum comprises 25 interconnected buildings that house 46 permanent exhibition halls, research laboratories, and its renowned library.
Interactive, modernized exhibits and an IMAX theater help bring this museum, dedicated to understanding the past, into the 21st century.
Central Park West at 79th Street
Suggested general admission: $16
Open daily
Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA)
Founded in 1980, the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history, heritage, culture and diverse experiences of people of Chinese descent in the United States. The greatly expanded MOCA at 215 Centre Street is a national home for the precious narratives of diverse Chinese American communities, and strives to be a model among interactive museums.
215 Centre Street (ChinaTown)
Closed on Tuesday & Wednesday
Free admission on Thursday
New Museum of Contemporary Art
Located in the Lower East Side, New York’s newest contemporary museum stands tall along the horizon, jutting out where Bowery and Prince meet. Its design, by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA, Tokyo, is a monumental undertaking—a seven-foot floor stack of silvery boxes each teetering slightly off center and housing three floors of exhibition space, levels for educational and administrative purposes, and its top floor, an intimate room offering spectacular views of downtown.
235 Bowery (@ Prince St)
Closed on Monday &Tuesday
Free Thursday Evenings (from 7 PM to 9 PM).
Neue Galerie – Museum for German and Austrian Art
Enjoy Old World splendor at the museum set in the landmark mansion on Fifth Avenue. The finest in German and Austrian art and design. Paintings by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, and Max Beckmann. Decorative arts by Josef Hoffmann and Adolf Loos. Of course, no visit is complete without dessert at the acclaimed Café Sabarsky. Superb paintings, magnificent furnishings, and Viennese pastries mit Schlag.
1048 Fifth Av at 86 street
Closed Tuesday & Wednesday
Walter De Maria – DIA Art Foundation
The Broken Kilometer – 393 West Broadway
The New York Earth Room – 141 Wooster Street
The Dyckman Farmhouse Museum
The Dutch Colonial style farmhouse was built on this site by William Dyckman c. 1784 and was originally part of several hundred acres of farmland owned by the family. Today, nestled in a small park, the farmhouse is an extraordinary reminder of early Manhattan and an important part of its diverse Inwood neighborhood.
Closed on Monday and Tuesday
4881 Broadway at 204th Street
By subway: take A train to 207th Street station and then walk south on Broadway to 204th Street
Restaurants in Manhattan
Katz’s Delicatessen (Lower East Side)
The oldest delicatessen in New York City (established 1888), Katz’s is also the only place in town that still carves all its pastrami and corned beef by hand—and it makes a huge difference. It doesn’t hurt that these products are the best available, as are the frankfurters, knockwurst, knishes and other Jewish deli staples. The ritual of interacting with the countermen is one of the great New York experiences. One table in the middle of the dining room bears an inconspicuous paper sign taped to its surface: “You are sitting at the table where Harry met Sally.”
205 East Houston St (@ Ludlow St)
Inoteca (Lower East Side)
This casual, generally mobbed restaurant on Rivington Street is the Lower East Side capital of small-plate dining, Italian style.
Average cost of plates $7-$17
98 Rivington st at Ludlow st
Otto Enoteca Pizzeria (Greenwich Village)
Mario Batali’s most casual Italian restaurant is part buzzing wine bar, part glorified pizzeria, with an always appealing selection of fresh salads and smartly seasoned vegetable antipasti that arrive in small ceramic bowls on a snappy tray.
Average cost of plates $7-$14
1 Fifth Ave at 8th st
Spice Market (Meat Packing District)
Inspired by the street food Mr.Vongerichten enjoyed while traveling in Southeast Asia, Spice Market’s menu authentically uplifts its inspirations while offering guests the additional delight of family-style dining – food comes continuously throughout the meal and is placed at the center of table for all to share. With each new dish, patrons are transported to the idealization of a Vietnamese street market or a Thai food stall.
Average cost $15-$36
403 W. 13th St.,at Ninth Ave.
Spotted Pig (West Village)
Mario Batali and first-time restaurateur Ken Friedman give us New York’s first gastro-pub. The Pig, despite an Italian-accented menu crafted by English expat April Bloomfield, belongs to that British subgenre called the “gastro-pub,” a bar serving simple, straightforward food.
Average cost $18-$32
314 W. 11th St., at Greenwich St.
The Coffee Shop NYC (Union Suare)
When it comes to the Union Square area, this loungey pseudo-diner’s varied, inexpensive menu and sidewalk seating make it one of the best casual options in the neighborhood. There’s hardly ever a seat at the bar, which serves up surprisingly good drinks (including milkshakes and mojitos); and there’s usually a wait for a table at peak times, so plan to hang out on the corner of 16th and Union Square for a bit if you go.
Average cost $18-$32
29 Union Sq. West, at 16th St.
The Grey Dog Coffee (West Village)
It’s rustic, with bare brick walls, weathered, hand-painted signs, ceiling fans, and colorful wood tables. The staff is young, idealistic and fresh-scrubbed, albeit with piercings and facial hair. There’s a cooperative spirit in the air. Service is partially self, partially table. The house-blend coffee is strong; the muffins are substantial and homemade. The kitchen puts out the sort of honest food one would expect: sandwiches ranging from roasted turkey and brie to tuna melt to the grilled tofu burger, Cobb salad, burgers—beef and pulled pork—plus quiche served with a small salad.
Average cost $7-$12
33 Carmine St., nr. Bleecker St.
Dean & Deluca Gourmet Store (several stores)
Dean & DeLuca is a chain of upscale grocery stores. The first one was established in New York City’s SoHo district by Joel Dean, Giorgio DeLuca and Jack Ceglic in September 1977.
560 Broadway at Prince st (Soho)
11 West 48th Street at 5th Av (Midtown)
620 8th Avenue at 40th st (Midtown)
235 West 46th Street bet 8th & 7th Av (Midtown)
10 Columbus Circle (Columbus Circle)
1150 Madison Avenue bet 85th & 86th st (Upper East Side)
Pastis (Meat Packing District)
Pastis is a French bistro located in Manhattan’s meatpacking district opened by Keith McNally. Executive Chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson and Chef de Cuisine Pascal Le Seac’h prepare a menu that combines hearty Provençal dishes with moderately- priced bistro fare.
Average cost $25-$45
9 Ninth Ave., at Little W. 12th St.
L’École at the French Culinary Institute (Soho)
L’Ecole at The French Culinary Institute could be Manhattan’s most instructive dining out experience; the food at this neat Soho spot is carefully prepared by FCI students. If the kitchen is their classroom, then your plate is their homework. Instructors supervise cooks as they craft French standards–items like bouillabaise, sweet breads, and house pates–as well as more contemporary fare, like seared bluefin tuna with ginger and coriander in a pepper crust.
Prix-Fixe: Three-course lunch, 12:30 p.m.—2 p.m., $28; four-course dinner, 5:30 p.m.—7 p.m., $42; five-course dinner, 8 p.m.—9 p.m., $42
462 Broadway, at Grand St.
Fonda Nolita (Nolita)
In Nolita, tasty tacos from a Volkswagen parked inside a garage.
Average cost: antojito $4
267 Elizabeth St., nr. Houston St.
Harlem Essentials
Sugar Hill Area
Bounded by 145th and 155th Sts. and Edgecombe and St. Nicholas Aves. Historical district named to identify the “sweet life” in Harlem. It was a popular residential area of row houses for wealthy African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance, including W.E.B. DuBois, Thurgood Marshall, Adam Clayton Powell, and Duke Ellington.
Strivers Row Area
W. 138th and W. 139th Sts. between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Frederick Douglass Blvds.
Some of the few remaining private service alleys that once ran behind the city’s town houses (where deliveries would arrive via horse and cart) lie behind these elegant 1890s Georgian and neo-Italian homes, visible through iron gates. These blocks attracted African-American doctors, lawyers, and other professionals, earning its enduring nickname in the 1920s from less affluent Harlemites who felt its residents were “striving” to become well-to-do.
Mount Morris Historical District
The Mount Morris Historic district is one of the most architecturally attractive parts of Harlem. Bordering on Marcus Garvey Park, most of the buildings were constructed in the late 19th Century as one-family residences for wealthy merchants. Currently there is extensive renovation and construction as the area undergoes an economic revival, as evidenced by scores of newly rehabbed homes.
Roughly bounded by Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. and Mt. Morris Park W. from W. 118th to W. 124th Sts
Morris-Jumel Mansion
65 Jumel Terrace (162nd street)
Morris-Jumel Mansion, Manhattan’s oldest house, was headquarters to General Washington in September and October of 1776. It’s true! Washington made his headquarters here at the Mansion during the fall of 1776. It was during this period that the General’s troops forced a British retreat at the Battle of Harlem Heights. Do not miss the astonishing and unique new York architecture on 160th St, just next to Jumel Mansion, those houses use to be occupied for soldiers during American-English war.
Closed on Monday and Tuesday
By subway: take C train and get off at 163rd street- Amsterdam Av station
The Cloisters
Five original cloisters form France and Catalonia were taken to New York in the early XX century by George Gray Bernard. John D. Rockefeller Jr. took over the collection by donating large sums of money for maintenance. The cloisters are the only medieval museum in USA. Closed on Monday
99 Margaret Corbin Drive – Fort Tryon Park;
By subway: take A train and get off at “190th street” station
The Hispanic Society of America
The Hispanic Society of America, located on Audubon Terrace, Broadway, New York,
provides a free museum and reference library for the study of the arts and cultures of Spain, Portugal and Latin America
Closed on Monday. Free entrance
Audubon Terrace, Broadway between 155th and 156th Streets
By subway: take 1 train and get off at 157th street station
Apollo Theater
253 west 125th street (bet. 7th Av and 8th Av)
An important landmark in the heart of Harlem. It has served as a showcase for countless show biz greats, from Ella Fitzgerald to James Brown to Stevie Wonder, some of whom got their big break by appearing in its storied Amateur Night competitions (still held every Wednesdays).
Columbia University
116th street (Broadway Av)
This is not only New York’s oldest bastion of higher learning but also one of the world’s top academic and research institutions.
John’s The Divine Cathedral
Though many may know that this striking religious landmark is the largest cathedral in the world, few realize it is still not finished. Complete or not, the granite and limestone structure is a gorgeous patchwork of Romanesque and French Gothic styles.
Next to Columbia University: 1047 Amsterdam Ave. At 112th st
City College of New York
160 Convent Av (138th street)
This senior member of the City University of New York system boasts an architecturally distinctive campus, occupying some 36 acres in upper Manhattan and featuring a collection of early-1900s neo-Gothic-style building designed by George B. Post.
By subway: take B or C trains and get off at 135th street station
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
515 Malcolm X Blvd or 6th Av (135th street)
This remarkable, “one of a kind” Harlem research facility (part of New York Public Library) provides access to a wealth of materials documenting the experiences of people of African descent throughout the world.
Closed on Sunday
Studio Museum in Harlem
144 west 125th street (Lenox Av or 6th Av)
Very interesting Harlem art museum showcasing works by artists of African descent
Restaurants in Harlem
Native (Eclectic food)
161 Lenox Av (118th street)
Eclectic menu that stretches across continents yet supplies serious soul food flair. Average cost per person $32
Mo-Bay (Caribbean / Soul food)
17 west 125th street (bet 5th and Lenox Av)
Cozy Harlem haunt merges Caribbean and Soul food into a tasty lineup. Average cost per person $32
Amy’s Ruth (Soul food)
113 west 116th street (bet 6th and 7th Av)
Famed for its fabulous fried chicken, waffles, and cornbread at real-deal prices: it may resemble a cafeteria but the vibe is more like “grandma’s kitchen in Alabama. Average cost per person $24
Settepani (Italian food)
196 Lenox Av (at 120th Street)
Italian restaurant. Average cost per person $30-$40
Gran Piatto D’Oro & Piatto D’Oro (Italian food)
1429 5th Av (bet 116th & 117th streets)
1 east 118th st at 5th Av)
Warm, earnest service and moderate prices make the Italian food that much more enjoyable. Average cost per person $30
Londel’s Restaurant (Southern food)
2620 Frederick Douglass Blvd (bet 139th & 140th st)
Harlem’s long standing fine dining establishment, Londel’s, has been featuring great food nightly and great jazz Fridays and Saturdays. Cover charge is usually $5. Special shows are more expensive and reservations are accepted. Average cost per person $35.
Closed on Monday
Chez Lucienne (French food)
308 Lenox Av (bet 125th &126th st)
Good french restaurant
Average cost per person $25-30
Red Rooster (American food)
It serves comfort food celebrating the roots of American cuisine and the diverse culinary traditions of the neighborhood.
310 Lenox Av (bet 125th & 126th st)
Miss Maude’s Spoonbread Two (Southern food)
The New York Post says “on its own or smothered in gravy, Spoonbread has the Best Fried Chicken in NYC!”
547 Lenox Avenue (bet. 137th and 138th St)
Yatenga (Bistro French)
The owners of the Shrine, the music venue next door, saw a need in the neighborhood for a pre- and post-show restaurant, and so Yatenga – named for a city in Burkina Faso – was born.
A four-course prix fixe ($22; $26 with a glass of wine or beer) runs from 4pm-8pm daily.
2269 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd (7th Av) bet 133th &134th st
Jazz & Nightlife in Harlem
Harlem has been the meca of jazz for decades in the United States. All around Harlem you can find interesting jazz clubs.
American Legion Post
248 west 132nd street (bet 7th and 8th Av)
The free Sunday evening jam session begins 7:00 P.M. until the hall closes at midnight. It becomes crowded so that you should better go at 6pm in order to get good seats.
Jazz music has been added on Wednesday (fish fry) and Thursday nights. The meal costs $10 and drinks are quite cheap. No cover requested, free entrance
Lenox Lounge
288 Lenox Av or 6th Av (125th street)
This circa-1939 art deco jazz club is a real back in time trip to the days when Billie Holiday and John Coltrane graced the stage of its back performance state.
Local jazz legends booked on weekends with a $20 cover charge and 1 drink minimum per set. The 3 Sets are 9:00, 10:30 and 12:00. $10 cover and 2 drink minimum for Monday night jam session with Patience Higgins and the Sugar Hill Jazz Quartet who start the first set at 9:30, with the jam following and heating up till 2:30 AM. Call ahead for Tuesday bookings. Wednesday features the remarkable Nathan and Max Lucas quartet (2 drink minimum/no cover) from 6:30-11:00. There is no cover for Thursday Blues and R & B sets, but there is a 2 drink minimum – music from 8:00-12:00. Sundays vocal jam session gets cooking at 7:00 PM and and goes till 11:00 PM, carrying a $10.00 cover charge and 2 drink minimum. Southern style cooking from Tuesday thru Sunday — restaurant serving from 5:00 PM.
Bill’s Place
148 west 133rd street (bet. 7th and 6th Av)
The most authentic Harlem jazz venue to open up on 133rd Street since a 17 year old Billie Holiday was discovered here 7 decades ago. If you really want to hear great, no nonsense straight ahead jazz by the masters, you’ll find your way to this finely decorated brownstone at 148 W133rd Street. Your host is Harlem legend and bad ass saxist, Bill Saxton, who performs every Friday. If the Big Apple Jazz stamp of approval means anything at all, it should eventually help make Bill’s Place the most worshipped weekend jazz scene in a city. Two sets per night at 10 and midnight for a $15 cash cover. Some refreshments (not alcohol) served and you can bring your own as well.
St Nick’s Pub
773 St. Nicholas Blvd. (Corner of 149th St.)
No cover charge. 7 nights a week from 10pm – 2am. Mondays jam with Melvin Vines – trumpet, Chip Crawford -keys, Mike Grey – trombone and Tuesdays join them again with featured vocalist, Kay Mori and the Kortet. Wednesdays has Rahn Burton on keys and Vicky Kelly’s old school vocals, and on Thursdays different bands rotate through. Friday night is the standing room only event of the week, as Donald Smith leads the best weekly session you’re likely to see. West African music every Saturday. And Sundays belongs to TC III’s singers’ workshop.
Showman’s
375 West 125th Street (Morningside Av)
Monday – Thurs. sets: 8:30, 10, 11:30. Friday and Saturday sets: 9:30PM, 11:30PM & 1:30AM A beautiful blending of the genteel and the earthy soul histories of Harlem can be found in this well-appointed jazz showcase, which has been home to the greats (e.g. Sara Vaughan, Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, Eartha Kitt, Pearl Bailey) since 1942. Tap dancers are added to the line up on Thursdays for the weekly tap jam featuring the vocals and two trumpet acrobatics of Joey Morant. Soul food appetizers are always available — free for the asking. Two drink minimum (E.G. $14 minimum) per set is strictly and politely enforced. $5 cover on weekends.
Londel’s Restaurant
2620 Frederick Douglass Blvd. (139th / 140th Streets)
Harlem’s long standing fine dining establishment, Londel’s, has been featuring great food nightly and great jazz Fridays and Saturdays. Cover charge is usually $5. Special shows are more expensive and reservations are accepted. Closed on Monday
Smoke
2751 Broadway (bet 105th and 106th street)
Located in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights, Smoke Jazz Club offers up a different variety of music throughout the week. On Monday nights, there’s a jam session, which typically begins around 10:30 after the headliners have played their sets. On Tuesday nights the club caters to fans of B-3 music with different organ and guitar combinations. The weekends at Smoke are usually filled with well-known musical acts that are typically based in and around New York City. Many times the prices at Smoke range from $15-$30 with a two drink minimum depending on the popularity of the band or musician that night.
Shrine
2271 Adam Clayton Powell Av or 7th Av (bet 133rd and 134th street)
If you’re looking for an ever-changing uptown musical scene where genres are busted wide open without losing focus of the beat, then you’ll love to hang out at The Shrine.
Shows are often free and the kitchen is often open and the vibe is always chill. When there’s not live music there’s a dj keeping up the groove. Good place to have dinner as well while you’re listening to the music.
67 Orange Street
2082 Frederick Douglass Boulevard or 8th Av (bet 112th and 113th street)
67 Orange Street may not be located on a sunnyside trail in Miami, but this Harlem venue is starting to outshine older establishments with their delightful dishes and drinks. Named after the final address of an African-American-owned bar from the 1800s, this Lower East Side-inspired restaurant is becoming famous for their notable cocktail list. Sure the $13 drink price may shock some, but one of these pre-Prohibition-meets-contemporary drinks reportedly contains aphrodisiac powers. The meals, such as honey-glazed short ribs and mini chicken drumsticks, are priced under $11.
