It's all about prioritizing

Today we've been on a guided tour in Harlem, the northern part of Manhattan, where we rode a black and kind of scary bus - it was even bulletproof! Harlem is known as the place, where a lot of African-American people live and is also known as a very poor neighborhood. 81 % of the population is black, which makes Harlem the largest African-American community by percentage in New York City.

The bulletproof bus

We saw Apollo, which is the place where the stars in the old days, such as Michael Jackson, used to play and sing. We also saw African square where Nelson Mandela held his first speech, the building where Bill Clinton after his presidency has his office, the famous mosque of Malcom X, etc. We also went through Spanish Harlem, Harlem Valley, and Sugar Hill.

                  

And we were all ready to leave after a small lunchbreak - except a few;-)

It was quite special to see so many Afro-American people at the same place compared to Denmark, where we don't see them as often. But one thing is sure: They are extremely religious! Many people in Denmark consider them as very religious, but it's nothing compared to this part of Manhattan. We've never seen that many churches so close to each other!

When driving through the streets in Harlem you can't stop wondering about all the prejudices about Afro-American people. Many people consider them as nothing more than trouble, and for what you've heard about Harlem that would seem to be true. But, after having experienced Harlem, it's actually quite hard to believe. It seemed very peaceful and quiet, but it would probably not be your first choice if moving to Manhattan, because you'll always have the prejudices and stories in your head.

After the guided tour we went for a walk in the city with a Danish journalist, who've lived in New York since 2008. She told us about the multicultural society and showed us how you could see and feel the different cultures in the city. She could actually point to a street and say: "At this street mostly Puerto Ricans live" and "at this street mostly chinese people live" - it really shows how New York is a melting pot with all the different ethnic backgrounds.

Our danish journalist guide 

After that we went home and then it was shopping time ;D We started out with M&M's world, which really shows that the Americans have a tendency of overdoing everything! It was a complete store only dedicated to M&M's - with three storages! It had stuffed animals, cups, and pipes filled with M&M's so you can make your own personal mixture, etc. It was definitely a very tempting store..
Then we went on with the real shopping, and we have bought waaay too much, but it is only because we have found two Zara stores at 5th Avenue and this great, recommendable store Forever 21, which is placed on 7th Avenue - we love it! Four storages with all kinds of clothes and low prices. It has everything!

Now we are just so tired you wouldn't believe it's possible, but who wouldn't be after the day we've had? Sightseeing for six hours and afterwards shopping for another six hours. We've a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so we're definitely looking forward to some sleep, but it's getting late like the other days. But as we only have so few days to see and experience New York City, which has a LOT to offer, it can't be any other way. It's all about prioritizing, which can be very difficult - that's not only when talking about things to do and see, but also about money for shopping and food. But it seems like we have come to an agreement about skipping the pricy restaurants and big meals for dinner so we can use a bit extra on shopping (;