Take a Walk Through NYC Black History

A walking tour allows you an up-close look at buildings and sites that were important to the history of a town. Nowhere is this truer than in New York City (NYC). Places like Harlem and Queens, especially are important to African American all over the U.S. See how a walking tour can bring you a greater understanding of the place where this legacy began.

Big Onion Tours

Priding themselves on exploring "the many layers of history" that NYC has to offer, Big Onion Tours is named after the city's original moniker the big onion. The tours cover several boroughs of NYC and are guided by people who live in the area or visitors well versed in the area's history. The two African American walking tours, "Historic Fort Greene" and "Historic Harlem" both offer a glimpses at the birth of the African American experience in the city.

The Historic Fort Greene Tour meets at the southeast corner of Flatbush Avenue and Lafayette Avenue. They wind through Brooklyn, taking in the homes of famous African Americans like writer/activist Richard Wright, director Spike Lee and poet Marianne Moore. The tour also highlights pivotal points in the Underground Railroad that wove through the neighborhood.

The Historic Harlem Tour guides walkers from starting point at 135^th Street and Lenox Avenue D through the famous birthplace of African American creative culture and the important locations of the Harlem Renaissance. These include sites where famous African Americans like Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X and W.E.B. DuBois frequented or were a part of history. Both tours take in churches, homes and other locations that you could not explore from a bus window. Tours start at $15 per person for adults, with discounts for seniors and those affiliated with the New York Historical Society. They all last an estimated two hours.

Big Onion Walking Tours

476 13^th Street

Brooklyn, NY 11215

212-439-1090

www.bigonion.com

Harlem Heritage Tours

Harlem Heritage Tours prides themselves on giving tours led by guides who were "born and raised in Harlem." They offer themed tours that take place at various times of day. The Jazz Nights in Harlem Multimedia Bus/Walking Tour takes place at dusk. Tourists are taken to jazz clubs, bars and showcases affiliated with the greats of the jazz era like Duke Ellington and Lena Horne. The Apollo Theater Walking Tour that tours sites affiliated with great singers who graced the Apollo stage in its heyday. After learning about Ella Fitzgerald and Sandman Sims, among others, the tour ends at the legendary Apollo Theater and a tour of the building's interior. There's also the taste of Harlem tour of famous Harlem eateries. The Harlem Heritage Tours have several tours that are bound to fit anyone's curiosity. Tour prices range from $25 to $125 for the Jazz Nights tour. They last from two to more than six hours (the Jazz Night tour is the longest).

Harlem Heritage Tourism & Cultural Center

104 Malcolm X Boulevard

New York, NY 10026

212-280-7888

www.harlemheritage.com

I'll Take Manhattan Walking Tours

The Harlem Renaissance and Beyond walking tour is a more comprehensive tour of the Harlem neighborhood history. It highlights the Apollo Theater, Abyssinian Baptist Church (the first black Baptist church in New York and a major landmark in African American history), and the Arturo Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The tour guides walkers through location affiliated with great musicians, activist and writers, as well as other great African American leaders. I'll Take Manhattan Walking Tours also offers private tours. License tour guide Anthony Grifa gives all tours, so call ahead to schedule. Tours cost $15 per person and commence at 1:00 pm CST.

I'll Take Manhattan Walking Tours

732-270-5559

www.newyorkcitywalks.com