Last Friday, I was far from excited about going on a tour around Harlem that did not involve food. Although the tour was certainly not delicious, it was filling in other ways. When I got off at the 135th street station for the 3 train, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Harlem was not such a “shady” neighborhood. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture that the tour began at looked to be in pretty good shape and so did the other buildings in the area.

Our extremely enthusiastic tour guide gave us an in-depth look at the history of Harlem. In particular, I remember the site of what used to be the Lafayette Theater. It opened in November 1912 and was one of Harlemn’s best known buildings. However, it is sadly soon to be the site of rental apartments.This reminded me of Spike Lee’s rant against gentrification in New York City. I generally like the idea of new and pristine buildings, but is it really worth it if these signs of wealth are knocking down our history?

The pricey townhouses with the roads in between them were definitely objects of envy. This tour helped me rediscover my appreciation for beautiful architecture. The previously dreary look of the Gothic architecture of City College actually looked quite beautiful in light of the history behind it (and the sun). The Manhattan schist that is seen on the streets of the city is the same schist that builds up our buildings.
Undoubtably, Harlem is a neighborhood that is filled with culture, but I also came across many pleasant sights that one can appreciate on a light stroll.