Expan Experience: The Bronx and Harlem, must-sees in New York

New York is known as the capital of the world . It's a melting pot where cultures, languages, and lifestyles from every corner of the globe converge, creating a vibrant symphony of diversity. From the majesty of its buildings, like the iconic Empire State Building, to the unstoppable energy of Times Square , the city reflects the spirit of innovation, creativity, and dynamism that defines the 21st century.

We recently shared the first part of the Expan Experience with Denis Jamett , Head of Products and Systems at Expan Tours , an adventure that took him to New York City's top viewpoints. Now, he tells us about his tour of the Bronx, Harlem, and other attractions in the city that never sleeps .

You might also be interested in: Expan Experience: New York's viewpoints

As he explained earlier, his visit to New York was through an invitation from the New York Tourism and Convention Bureau , as well as Delta Air Lines , within the framework of the South America Business Expo 2024 , a workshop that aims to connect the main suppliers of the tourism industry in NYC.

If you go to New York, don't miss the Bronx

" I visited the Bronx and I really enjoyed the experience because it's not very well known . In fact, they're trying to shed the Bronx's image as a troubled, suburban city. They took us to the Bronx by subway and we visited Yankee Stadium , a visit that took up the whole morning where they showed us everything about baseball, from the basics like what baseball is, why it's so important to them, their main players, and we learned a lot about this sport that's so iconic in the United States, but very little known to Chileans ."

In the same stadium there is a Hard Rock Cafe with a baseball theme, related merchandise and even the menu is related to sports, for example you can try the hamburger created by Messi .

After that, they took us on a tour of the Italian neighborhood in the Bronx , home to many Italian immigrants. There, they've created a market selling Italian products, fruits, various pastas, breads, and numerous trattorias . This neighborhood is an excellent alternative, as Manhattan's classic Little Italy has diminished considerably and lost ground to the expansion of Chinatown in recent years .

They also took us to see the stairs where the Joker movie was filmed , which is already an icon for pop culture and film buffs, since many tourists come to take pictures, in fact, that's why they recently painted it with graffiti and it has more of a vibe to make it much more touristy ."

Advice for going to the Bronx

" One of the recommendations they gave us was that it was very important to explore the Bronx with a tour guide , because there are certain areas of the Bronx where it's very safe to walk around, which is where they took us, but if you get lost or want to go a little further, it starts to become a bit more dangerous and in that case they can't guarantee your safety. It's always better to go with a guide, because they know where to go and what places to take you and what times are safe ."

The vibrant gospel in Harlem

" I also got to visit Harlem , a neighborhood where many immigrants now live and where African Americans have historically settled . Harlem is the birthplace of gospel music in New York . There are many Baptist churches, the religion in which American religious music was established ."

We managed to get into a gospel service and it was an amazing experience . It was so entertaining, like something out of a movie. It's a service entirely sung by African Americans, who sing with incredible vocal ranges and glorify God through the songs .

It's not a spoken Mass like in Catholicism ; it's entirely sung to the rhythm of gospel music . And after this Mass, we were fortunate enough to have one of the people who organizes it or who is part of this parish give us a tour of Harlem .

This neighborhood is being completely remodeled . In fact, there are many houses for sale; people with more resources in the United States are buying them and completely remodeling them into studio apartments. So, where an entire family used to live in a three-story building, now those three floors are three independent apartments. They're turning out very nice, very modern .

We also went to the City College of New York , which is A public institution of higher education—in fact, it was the first tuition-free public institution of higher education in the US—and has been known as a 'Harvard for the poor' for its access to high-quality education, it's located in Harlem. Its alumni include Nobel Prize winners, world leaders, and influential figures in various fields. This university is like a college neighborhood, like the typical images shown of Harvard or Boston. This visit was also very enjoyable ."

Rise New York

Rise New York is an attraction with several rooms showcasing milestones in American history, such as the construction of the city's subway system and the first radio broadcast in the United States . Another room tells the same story, but about television and its early broadcasts . There's also a small museum of clothing worn in various films, displays of musical milestones, and many other references to American culture and history known worldwide. Each room offers a self-guided tour, and you're welcome to take as many photos as you like.

The biggest attraction is the last part of the ride, when you enter a kind of movie theater where they show you a projection of a typical 1950s New Year's Eve in New York . They put a seatbelt on you, and then you turn 180 degrees in front of a screen where they show a 3D video . They project images of New York from the sky, and you fly through all the city streets, dodging skyscrapers. It snows, you feel cold, and your whole seat vibrates and moves—it's a very energizing experience!

It reminded me a lot of the new attractions being built now in Orlando parks, which are no longer so much about building roller coasters, but are more about sensory experiences in a room .

It's an experience that lasts no more than 40 minutes and is very useful if you have some free time in New York before a flight, for example , or if you have some downtime between excursions. It's right in Times Square, very close to all the attractions and Broadway.

NH Collection in New York

" Another thing I really liked about this trip is that I stayed at the NH Collection hotel . I liked this hotel because it's relatively new and a four-star hotel. It's well located on Madison Avenue, just one block from Fifty Avenue and less than a 15-minute walk from Times Square. It's conveniently located, yet not too close to all the hustle and bustle of New York City ."

Other colleagues stayed in more central hotels, in Manhattan, on Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Avenues, which are more touristy blocks. So there are all sorts of people, lots of noise, lots of bright lights, all day and all night, something that didn't happen in Madison.

Madison is a very residential area, much quieter. New York has a lot of that, it has many very chaotic streets, but there are also many streets very close by that are very residential and don't have this hustle and bustle ."

Choose a hotel with breakfast in New York

" The trip needs to be organized in advance , and you also need to choose a good hotel. Most don't include breakfast, but on certain dates there are promotions where some hotels do ."

For example, the Riu Plaza New York has breakfast, and there are others that also include it from time to time. You have to look for those options, because you can save money . We're thinking that breakfast can easily cost you $20 ."

You might also be interested in: El Clásico: Real Madrid – Barcelona, the perfect reason to travel to Spain