West 122 St, Morningside Heights

W 122nd st borders Union Theological Seminary and the Jewish Theological Seminary. Considering the area west of Morningside Park, it’s fairly quiet with not that much foot traffic as compared to streets a few blocks down. I think the architecture of the university buildings in the area looks nice and there are a few kind of decent restaurants near W 122nd st and Broadway, including Saga which has great lunch specials and Kitchenette which is a favorite for a lot of students in the area.

This is a great area, filled with stores, hair salons, brownstones, and real Harlem culture. A local described this area as “fun.” The people are fun and friendly and the block is home to one of many great soul food restaurants. This street is full of life. My favorite part of this street are the historic brownstones and the wonderful stories the architecture tells. On Sunday, there are women leaving the sermon with large colorful hats. This street defines Harlem in its heart: soul, fun, and warmth. This is a wonderful place to take a step back into a near-past of this neighborhood’s hey day.

(W 85th St, Clinton Powell Boulevard)