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Spring walks
Photographs: Lauren Otis
The gist: Hip-hop heads join old-school royalty (like our superfly guide, Grandmaster Caz of the Cold Crush Brothers) on a two-hour, 2.5-mile fantastic voyage through Harlem. Learn about the birth of graffiti, historic beefs and the contributions of each borough while you gawk at landmarks like the Apollo and the Graffiti Wall of Fame.
Who goes: B-boys and wanna-bes.
High: Caz’s blaring of James Brown and hip-hop classics on a boombox really brought his anecdotes to life.
Low: We spaced out during “Timescapes,” the 25-minute video presentation preceding the tour.
Before you go: Have the Al Sharpton for breakfast—the popular dish comes with your choice of fried or smothered chicken and waffles ($9.50) at Amy Ruth’s (113 W 116th St between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd [Seventh Ave] and Malcolm X Blvd [Lenox Ave], 212-280-8779). Or dribble down at the legendary Rucker Park basketball courts (155th St at Frederick Douglass Blvd [Eighth Ave]), the alma mater of numerous NBA greats, including Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Check out a pickup game, or instigate one of your own. (But, y’know, prepare to get schooled.)
After the tour: Head to the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem USA theater (2309 Frederick Douglass Blvd [Eighth Ave] at 124th St, 212-665-6923), where audience feedback during the films is celebrated. Or grab some grub at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (646 W 131st St at Twelfth Ave; 212-694-1777, dinosaurbarbque.com) and cap off your Harlem excursion properly with a Pit Plate ($12.95–$27.95), which comes with Honey Hush corn bread and homemade sides like mac and cheese or gingered applesauce. Drown it all in Devil’s Duel sauce—if you dare!
Book it! Tue–Thu at noon; $25, students 17 and under $17. Call 212-209-3370 or visit hushhiphoptours.com to register.
If you like that, try this: Rock out with your you-know-what out on Rock Junket’s East Village Rock n Roll Walking Tour (rockjunket.com). Stops include Joey Ramone’s former apartment and the site of Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable—Lauren Otis
Time Out New York / Issue 705 : Apr 2–8, 2009
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Hands down, the http://east-village.com crew is the most authentic tour experience in NYC right now. All of the guides are native new yorkers and active in their community -- they are also licensed by the city of NY and run their tours from the East Village Visitors Center at 308 Bowery. They are involved in neighborhood preservation efforts and run exclusive tours for local museums, universities and institutions. You want second-hand stories? Go elsewhere! :)
Hush Tours bus tours, walking tours and workshops are the BEST experiences in NYC right now. The actual celebrity talent from the day takes you through the REAL story, people and places of the day. A MUST-DO for anyone interested in understanding the REAL DEAL from the day. Take a friend, family member and/or your parents. A REAL SHOW STOPPER EXPERIENCE!