Harlem is where the Renaissance happened. Where Langston Hughes wrote, where Duke Ellington played, where James Baldwin came of age, where the Apollo launched a thousand careers. It is the spiritual center of Black American culture — and it is very much alive.
Where to Eat
Sylvia's Restaurant
PickThe Queen of Soul Food. Sylvia Woods opened this restaurant in 1962 and it became the most famous soul food restaurant in the world. Presidents, musicians, and community members have all broken bread here.
Must try: Fried chicken and candied yams
Red Rooster Harlem
PickMarcus Samuelsson's love letter to Harlem. The menu draws from the African diaspora — Ethiopian, Southern, Caribbean — and the Sunday gospel brunch is a full spiritual experience.
Must try: Helga's meatballs and the Sunday gospel brunch
Melba's Restaurant
Melba Wilson's neighborhood institution serves the kind of Southern comfort food that makes you feel like you're at your grandmother's table. The chicken and waffles are the standard.
Must try: Chicken and waffles with hot sauce
Harlem is still Harlem. Yes, it has changed. Yes, gentrification is real. But the culture, the food, the music, and the people who built this neighborhood are still here. Come with respect.