Harlem's New Hotel

February is Black History Month, and there's no better place to celebrate than Harlem, a no-stay zone for most visitors until the 124-room Aloft Hotel opened this month on Frederick Douglass Boulevard and 124th Street. While some may view this glossy new hotel as another step towards the gentrification of the Black Capital of America, others applaud the much-needed economic boost it represents. Yes, it's a design-conscious Starwood brand that doesn't quite sync with the local vernacular -- employees greet guests with "Aloha" -- yet the staff was hired through Harlem's Workforce Career Center (they "auditioned" at the Apollo Theater two blocks away) and there are hopes that a slew of new guests will help support local businesses in the area. 

The Aloft Hotel isn't the only newcomer to the neighborhood. Chef Marcus Samuelsson's new restaurant, Red Rooster, is serving up classic dishes from the American South like blackened catfish and braised oxtail, paired with sides like black-eyed peas, collard greens, and slow-cooked grits. Meanwhile, the Oprah-approved cookies at Levain Bakery opened their new outpost on Frederick Douglass Boulevard early this year.  

The Aloft may never replace the legendary Hotel Theresa, (closed since 1967), the Waldorf-Astoria of Harlem, where famous black athletes, performers, and artists would stay when other New York hotels refused to accommodate them, yet it positions you to explore the cultural institutions that are surviving. Our suggestions: Lindy Hop at the Cotton Club to a 13-piece swing band ($25); groove at the 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. weekend jazz sessions at the 1930s art deco Lenox Lounge, where Miles and Coltrane blew; eat at Sylvia's, the Queen of Soul Food (fried chicken and waffles, $12.95). Our favorite: join the raucous party at Wednesday's Amateur Night ($19-$29) at the Apollo Theater, where the Executioner still sweeps bad talent off the stage with a broom.

Tip: if you arrive at Aloft on Thursday through Saturday and stay for three nights, ask for the third night free. Use the promotion code Z3H when booking online or by phone. Offer valid until December 31, 2011. --Contributing Editor Charles Kulander

[Aloft Harlem]

Source: http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2011/02/harlem.html

travel packing checklist google travel guide travel list for europe my travel guide destination guide