Part 9: Art, Harlem + Stuff

Hello steemers, what a day to be in the steemit community (sitting around $7 usd for SBD as we speak!) I hope I can continue to provide insight to your lives through my blogs!

Let me use my magical hippopotamus head to foresee the future! (Cruetly free I swear!)

To continue my blog on New York City. I will start out with a tip you should use in all cities you visit as soon as you arrive. Google ‘free walking tour’ and insert your city name and there will be a long list of free and very good quality walking tours of a variety of different areas: Food, art, culture, architecture, neighbourhoods, history and general points of interest are just of the things on offer.

I’ve done these in Berlin, Vancouver and Amsterdam but nothing had over 30 tours like NYC, you’re literally spoiled for choice here! http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/new-york-tours/

Note it is a pay as you wish tour. Don’t tip if it’s shit, give them about $5-10 if it’s good for good karma.

I only had enough time to do one. My sister and I choose the Harlem walking tour. Once a neighbourhood you would generally avoid has progressed to a safer, vibrant neighbourhood of art, music and African American Culture. The tour included a display of many street murals and other art pieces, iconic streets that feature unique architecture that can’t be found anywhere else in Manhattan, the history tied to many old buildings and of course places to eat.

At the end of the tour we got recommended to try Silvia’s Restaurant, nick named Queen of Soul Food. Sorry guys I was way too hungry when the food came to take photos, but I can definitely recommend a few items on the menu. I got the ‘SYLVIA’S WORLD FAMOUS TALKED ABOUT BAR-B-QUE RIBS’ with a side of mac and cheese (o so cheesy) and collard greens. Having never tried soul food before this was a really delicious meal. I’ll leave their details here http://sylviasrestaurant.com/menus/

A bit touristy but a really good way to scope out the entire island is a ticket up the One World Tower, built right next to Ground Zero. You’ll get some really nice views out of this one.

One very important tip would be to book tickets online a few days ahead and avoid the 2 hour wait if you just rock up on foot and expect a ticket. Pretty simple and you’ll skip the ques.

Well I guess if you’re already doing touristy things you may as well continue down that road right? Here are a few more I suggest you check out.

The New York Public Library of 5th Avenue is both a place of both deep history and knowledge. Grab an audio tour headset from the start and just get lost in the giant marble masterpiece that has over 16 million books, masterwork paintings and rooms full of people just getting it down (you can define that that as you wish).

A room of people getting it done!

My personal favourite room, the ‘map room’. Surprisingly no maps of the library interior in here…. Hmmmm?

Old school telephone box anyone?

The last museum I would like to suggest would be the NYMOMA (Museum of Modern Art). While some pieces I just looked at, shrugged my shoulders, pondered and a facial expression that looked like I was trying to crack the Da Vinci Code I just didn’t see what others were seeing. I wish I took photos to illustrate what I meant, but my purist self only took photos of what I enjoyed (I love art, but sometimes I don’t know where the line is drawn between modern art and creative insanity).

Unfortunately I don’t know all the artists paintings here, but please enjoy a few eye pleasing ones through my perspective.

The Andy Warhol Campbell’s Soup Classic

Van Gough Stary Night

Salvador Dali The Persistence of Memory

Georges Braque Man With Guitar

The rest are a lucky dip of aritsts but I enjoyed!

Picaso

Steemit Worldmap: [//]:# (!steemitworldmap 40.808352 lat -73.944168 long Harlem, Art + Stuff d3scr)

What’s next on the blog? Who knows? Chicken buses of Guatemala or the crystal clear cenotes of Mexico, we’ll see!