In the 1920s, Central Harlem became one of the most remarkable square miles in American cultural history. The area held an extraordinary concentration of Black talent, ambition, aspiration, and institution-building. The jazz clubs and speakeasies of 133rd Street, the 135th Street Library, and the Harlem YMCA nurtured a vibrant community, as did literary salons and the Dark Tower, where A’lelia Walker threw her legendary parties. The elegant brownstones of Strivers’ Row were home to composers, athletes, entrepreneurs, and civil rights pioneers who lived side by side.

Join FRIENDS and Mark Satlof for a tour through these historic blocks, exploring the stories of the men and women—Madam C.J. Walker, James Weldon Johnson, Langston Hughes, John Nail, Charles Alston, Augusta Savage, Fletcher Henderson, W.C. Handy, and dozens more—whose work in this small neighborhood forever changed American music, literature, and art.

* Mark Satlof, a Licensed New York City Sightseeing Guide, is a fourth-generation New Yorker who has lived on Strivers Row in Central Harlem since 1999. A graduate of Columbia University with a degree in history, he is a board member of Save Harlem Now!, the neighborhood’s historic preservation nonprofit. He has spent decades walking these blocks, researching them, and working to protect them. Learn more about Mark’s specialized tours at Wildinthestreet.com.