My Blue Manhattan...

Sooooooo ive decided im naming every post from now on with a song title or lyric... a challenge! 

To begin... My Blue Manhattan - Ryan Adams - Love is Hell

So today it was 0 degrees… and predicted snow… Headed uptown again and went all the way to harlem. Got off at Harlem for my walking tour. We stopped at the Apollo theatre which was quite exciting – this is standard music history… the Apollo is especially famous for its amateur night. Probablly most famous for discovering/nurturing… James Brown and Michael Jackson.

I then had to walk 12 blocks to the meeting point for my Harlem Rennaisance tour. I felt super out of place in Harlem… just kept thinking whats this little which chick doing in Harlem… was the only white person for a couple of miles for sure… just felt really unsafe - but I made it out alive! (dont tell my nana I went there)

Then I met Andy… so Andy was my guide for the walking tour. He was incredible… this guy was 85 (he told me) and basically took me and another family on a 2 hour walk around Harlem. He talked mainly about the architecture of the time and did a bit of a political whos who. I thought it would be more about the music and the people but it was still good.

The main highlights were we saw the original sites of the Savoy Ballroom and the Cotton Club… both weren’t very exciting but it was cool to breathe in the air and think it was consumed by the likes of Duke and Ella 80 years ago!

I then walked back to the bus stop which was even scarier as there were more people out and about I pretty much was saying a prayer a block… then I had to wait for the bus for about 30 mins. I was trying so hard to feel confident and not like I could get shot at every moment but I don’t know what it was I was just so scared!

I headed back to times square for a feed and then went to see Jersey Boys. 

See Jersey boys review…

Came back to the hostel and met some friends yay! Had a head pop round the corner and say is that a kiwi accent… met a couple of guys from Auckland. Who are legendary... shout out to Andrew and Paul! Talked theatre for about 3 hours...

The original site of the Cotton Club - is now the Mission Society!

Andy took us to his tribute Museum... about 90% was Obama Memorabilia...

Duke Ellington and his band...