New York Online - Morningside Heights and Harlem

Morningside Heights, one of the neighborhoods of the Borough of Manhattan, has a lot of distinctive landmarks which cannot be missed while touring this part of New York City. The sights are as follows:
- Columbia University, founded in 1754 as King's College, ranks among the oldest American universities. Of the whole university complex of note are Low Library, designed by McKim, and St. Paul's Chapel, famous for La Farge's stained glass windows;
- the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, started in 1892 and unfinished till the present day, is one of the largest Christian churches in the world (180 m long and 146 metre wide). The church, a fine example of Gothic Revival, has an imposing western facade with a Rose Window;
- the 21-story towered Riverside Church, a Neo-Gothic high-rise, was modelled on the Chartres Cathedral in France. The tower, from which one can enjoy a magnificent view of the Hudson River, houses the world's largest carillon;
- the General Grant National Memorial, also known as Grant's Tomb, is the final resting place for the 18th President of the United States and his wife. It is the country's largest mausoleum.

Apart from the historical places, Morningside Heights has got other draws: the lovely Morningside Park plus a wide array of cafes and eateries worth recommending.

From here one can take subway or walk westwards to Harlem, the best known enclave of Afro-Americans in the United States of America and the heart of black business and culture. To get the feel of the neighborhood, it is advisable to walk along its main avenue, 125th Street, which is commonly referred to Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. It is here that most businesses are situated. If interested in seeing top tourist attractions in the area, take a crosstown bus. What should be seen?

- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, which houses the largest collection of documents, photos and other works on the history of the African Americans in the USA. There are two art galleries and a theater in the complex, which regularly hold lectures and concerts.
If interested in the art of the African American artists, see the Studio Museum in Harlem, with painting, tattoo, sculpture and photography exhibitions.
Not far from here is the Abyssinian Baptist Church, founded by an Ethiopian businessman, which is famous for its architectural charm, a charismatic pastor and, first of all, for its rocking gospel choir attracting crowds at Sunday services.
If ready to check out the music scene of Harlem, visit the newly renovated ''Apollo Theater'' on 125th Street, the leading cultural venue since 1914. It is here that top-notch artists of the 1930s and 1940s, like Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington, performed. The Wednesday Amateur Nights and well-known musicians concerts still attract crowds.
For entertainment hungry tourists, there is the gigantic ''Harlem USA'', a complex comprising mainly a dance club, a 12-screen cinema and a skating rink. However, as lots of upscale stores, bars and cafes, owned by Harlem residents, have opened over the past few years, it might be much more exciting to walk along the streets of Harlem and stop anywhere you like. As it is said that one can find a bar on every single corner of Harlem, finding one should not be a problem!