Things to Do in Englewood

Harlem’s illustrious past and multifaceted present open up to tourists courtesy of Welcome to Harlem’s knowledgeable guides, all of whom are residents of the neighborhood. Day and evening tours are organized by interest, showcasing culinary hot spots, historic jazz venues, stunning architecture, shopping destinations, or rollicking church services. Landmarks such as the legendary Apollo Theater, Columbia University, and the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine open up to guests, providing a casual, intimate view that can’t be attained on an unaccompanied stroll or while being chased by a clown car.

Collecting from the darkest depths of the ocean, beneath layered bedrock, or from the farthest reaches of space, the American Museum of Natural History catalogues, studies, and shares the latest knowledge about the natural world. The Museum's famed permanent halls explore an array of topics, from human ancestry throughout the ages to deep history of lands ruled by dinosaurs. The Museum’s far-reaching educational programs extend beyond the permanent exhibits and the confines of the building, reaching into middle and high schools to fund and conduct hands-on, student-driven experiments. The Museum also supports scientific expeditions around the world, providing archeologists and paleontologists with essential supplies and Indiana Jones Halloween masks.

BumbleBee Tennis's wide spectrum of tennis programs for juniors and adults nurture players at every step of game development. Skilled instructors helm a variety of lessons from Intro to Tennis classes to private one-on-one intensives. All teachers are trained professionals and most have played competitively at the collegiate level. While helping students focus on technique and making solid contact with the ball, instructors also attempt to ensure that everyone from youngsters to veterans enjoys the game and knows which racket string corresponds with which guitar chord. Adults interested more specifically in the cardiovascular aspect of the game can enroll in Cardio Tennis, a 60-minute class comprised of high-intensity drills and games that elevate heart rates into the aerobic zone and subsequently evaporate calories.

Sutton East Tennis Club brings the physics and feel of outdoor tennis indoors with a covered facility located directly under the Queensboro Bridge. While rain, snow, or large-scale ladybug migration may impede practice outdoors, Sutton East can weather all of nature’s storms without sacrificing the experience of playing on a classic tennis surface.

On eight red clay courts, students of all ages practice their racquet skills and follow through with guidance from experienced instructors. To ensure their lessons match the quality of their facility, each staff member dispenses pearls of tennis wisdom according to a curriculum overseen by Dr. Anthony Scolnick, a certified USPTR tennis professional and former All-American. Parents and friends can watch each lesson seated in lawn chairs on the club's wooden patio.

Recipients of TripAdvisor's certificate of excellence in 2012, NYC GoGreen Tours keep themselves carbon-neutral chiefly by sticking to the favored transportation of native New Yorkers: walking. Their catalog of New York walking tours gives patrons a detailed look of the city that's difficult to get from riding on a bus or the roof of a subway car. Each jaunt focuses on one neighborhood or attraction, whether it's Central Park, Harlem, or downtown. Guides toss an entertaining stream of history and trivia over their shoulders as they lead their groups, pointing out remarkable landmarks.

The company also hops onto eco-friendly wheels to lead bike tours and pedicab tours. Flocks of bikes ride through lower Manhattan, beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, and Central Park, or patrons can sit back in a pedicab carriage while their guide cycles through Chinatown and Gramercy Park.

It's hard to tell what's going on behind the metal grillwork covering the windows of the building that still bears the name Union Square Savings Bank carved into its stone. That's because of the blackout drapes—the vintage 1840 Greek Revival monolith with 40-foot ceilings has been a theater since 1996, when Daryl Roth took it over and got rid of all the dusty old money inside. The theater producer, who has staged seven Pulitzer-winning plays, has since opened up the unobstructed space to an array of other spectacles.