Harlem street offers smorgasbord of soul

NEW YORK -- Once a blighted thoroughfare through a neighborhood down on its luck, Harlem's 125th Street has become a popular destination for tourists looking for a taste of soul.

The historic strip -- lined with jazz clubs, soul-food restaurants, shops, museums and art galleries -- is the epicenter of this bustling Manhattan neighborhood that attracts tourists from as far away as Europe and Japan.

Harlem now rivals Times Square and Wall Street as a top tourist destination in the city, ranking third behind those two areas, according to NYC & Company, the city's tourism bureau.

Nearly 37.4 million people visited the city last year, according to the tourism agency. And about 20 percent of out-of-town visitors who responded to a survey for the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation said they came to New York specifically to visit Harlem.

Hot spot for tourists

"The area's cultural heritage resonates for many visitors and they seek out jazz music and the ethnic food, along with museums and galleries, historical landmarks and the spiritual -- in the form of gospel services," said the survey of 2,586 visitors, which was conducted by the research firm Audience Research & Analysis.

Harlem has undergone several cycles of boom and bust. The community was a mecca of black culture in the 1920s, producing such literary greats as the poet Langston Hughes. But it hit hard times in the 1970s and '80s, typifying the term "urban decay" with its boarded and abandoned buildings, rampant crime and neglected economy.

But an infusion of cash from the public and private sector in the 1990s, dropping crime rates and a spike in economic development has turned Harlem into a thriving tourist attraction. The word has spread.

Mike Benniger of Freiberg, Germany, says he decided to visit the historic neighborhood after hearing about its economic upswing, safer streets and musical heritage.

Tourists such as Benniger can soak up many landmarks, cultural institutions and eateries along the busy thoroughfare.

Street merchants abound, offering items from incense, books and music to African and African-American art and crafts. And, of course, Harlem offers an assortment of jazz spots, night clubs and trendy bars for those looking for lively nightlife.