Traffic cooperated with us, and other an essential stop at Dunkin Donuts in CT, we made it easily to Harlem. Unexpectedly, we pulled off in CT and ended up in the small town of Hamden, CT, where my mother was born! She hasn't been to Hamden in over 30 years, so Walter, Hank and I tracked down her house and shared a few pictures with her and my aunt. They enjoyed seeing their old house, built by my grandfather, and it seemed to be kismet that this is where we stopped!
We arrived in Harlem at about 3 and pretty quickly found our B&B. Lawrence welcomed us and got us acclimated. Georgia and Lawrence were both very helpful and gave us some good tips about traffic and things to do.
My first impressions of Harlem are that it is both strikingly similar to Boston and vastly different. It is definitely predominantly African American, but there is notable diversity here too. There are people of all races, ages and backgrounds. There does seem to be a community vibe, whether it is watching teenagers playing handball or basketball, or walking up the sidewalks and passing the tabled of people selling everything from oils to sneakers.
There are buildings that are collapsed and closed next to new buildings that are vibrant and well kept. In this way I find it different from Boston. In areas of Boston like Dorchester there are places that are run down and graffiti laden and other areas that are showing a great rebirth, but I don't seem those two aspects of the area as intertwined as I do in Harlem. It is only day 1, however, and I am sure to learn more tomorrow!
Tonight we met my good friend, Craig, for dinner at Red Rooster Harlem, which is run by Chopped judge Marcus Samuelsson. His restaurant is a tribute to Speak Easys and serves food with a southern charm. The meal was AMAZING and it was a wonderful way to kick off the trip!
My entree was fried yard bird with mashed potatoes and a delicious gravy!
We started off with fried green tomatoes and...
Deviled eggs with fried chicken skin.
I would show you all the sweet potato donuts but they disappeared too quickly!
Harlem is definitely filled with a vibrant community and I am eager to learn more about its past, present and future tomorrow on our Harlem Heritage tour!
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