Strange and Quirky Manhattanville with Optional Live Music on the Hudson River

About this event

RSVP's begin Thursday, August 13th at 1:00pm. Space is set aside for new members of our group, first and 2nd timers who land on the waiting list. Email me at [email protected] to request a spot once you have RSVPd. Guided tour and live music are free with a welcome contribution to your guide at the end via cash, venmo or zelle. Starting at 4:45pm: Optional networking and social time at Dear Mama Cafe, 611 West 129th Street (one block from our meeting place at 6pm): They also serve food and alcoholic beverages. https://www.dearmamacoffee.com/ 5:45pm: Our tour begins outside the Dear Mama Cafe at 611 West 129th Street located on Columbia University's Manhattanville Campus. Restrooms before the Tour: At Dear Mama Cafe, The Forum (125th and Broadway, Northwest corner), or at the Lenfest Center for the Arts. Schedule: Up until 5:45pm: Optional hang out for a bite or a drink at Dear Mama Cafe or visit the Wallach Art Gallery at the Lenfest Center (adjacent to Dear Mama Cafe). 5:45pm - 7:30pm: Walking tour of Manhattanville 7:30pm - 8:00pm: Stay for the music if you like and optional "afterparty" for a meal or drinka at a local establishment. About the art exhibit (free admission, restrooms) Children’s Art Carnival in Harlem: The Making of Contemporary Artists amplifies the Carnival’s central role in supporting the art of Black and diverse contemporary artists, establishing a home for emerging and established artists, and creating a dynamic teaching environment and pedagogical model for community-based arts education and meaningful artistic experiences. The Carnival was originally an outreach program established by MOMA back in 1969. This exhibition is the artwork of select artists with a historical or current affiliation with the Carnival, including educators, students, and staff. The works attest to the longstanding impact of the Carnival's emphasis on creative freedom, experimentation, and communal bonds that have, since its beginning, helped shape the artistic and personal development of its associates. Included are a wide spectrum of artistic practices such as painting, printmaking, and photography, legacy techniques such as quiltmaking and ceramics, and the incorporation of found objects, assemblage, and wearable art. More information here: (https://wallach.columbia.edu/content/childrens-art-carnival-harlem-making-contemporary-artists) Tour Overview: Note there will be some uphill walking and downhill (including a long series of stairs at one point). Manhattanville is an off-the grid West Harlem neighborhood with its own unique character and history as an industrial area and village that was established in the year 1806, and now where Columbia University has been establishing its new 17-acre campus. A remnant of this 19th century village exists in the form of St. Mary's Episcopal Church (pictured). We'll uncover the area's history of life-saving milk processing, brewing beer, stroll some of its streets like Old Broadway, check out the evolving Manhattanville Factory District, and visit West Harlem Piers Park, one of Manhattan’s newer riverfront green spaces that also features one of the city's more unique eateries - Baylander Steel Beach, a former aircraft carrier docked on the Hudson River. There's also the south campus of City College and the original Dinosaur Barbeque After an approximately 2 hour guided walk we’ll land at West Harlem Pier's Park which is not far from our starting point at 125th Street. We;ll check out the music and sunset until 8pm, followed by an optional afterparty for a meal or drink at a local restaurant. About the music which runs until 8pm. Ilana Morris is an R&B/Soul vocalist based in NYC known for her smooth vocals, emotional honesty, and soulful storytelling. Blending classic R&B influences with a modern edge, she creates music that explores heartbreak, vulnerability, and self-discovery. Cheers, Hank [email protected] 646-596-3005