we'll be in NYC for 12 days - is it worth exploring The Bronx and Harlem?
i heard The Bronx has some interesting Italian delis and food places - anything else worth seeing?
and I also heard Harlem's 125th st is worth checking out
id love to visit an african american (not sure if this is the right term so sorry if it isnt) church in Harlem too...is it rude to just turn up? any good places to eat in Harlem?

Harlem is mainly a residential area of the city, so not sure just what you might want to see, although there are alot of things to see in upper Manhattan.

If you want a good church with music, you might try Riverside Church, which is on Riverside Dr and 122nd St. Another church I would suggest, would be Convent Baptist, great music and welcoming community.

There are several good restaurants and more are opening all the time, so you might try Sylvia's which is well known.

What you might try is the Upper Manhattan loop on one of the bus tours which will take you all over the area and you will quite honestly see more from the bus.

There are a few noteworthy historical buildings in the area dating back to Revolutionay times in Harlem and Washington Heights, and some of the older churches in the city as well like St John the Divine, which is on 110th and Amsterdam. Columbia University and Barnard are also close by on Broadway and 116 and cover a little more than 20 blocks.

Further north in Ft. Tryon Park is The Cloisters which is part of the Met Museum, and absolutely worth a trip, some of the most prized of the Met collections are housed there, like the Unicorn Tapestries.

You might try and find a book on New York and take a look at the Harlem and Upper Manhattan (Hamilton Heights, where I live, Washington Heights and Inwood).

Hope this helps.

The Bronx is a huge area, much of it residential and not really a tourist destination.

However, the area you describe, the "Belmont" neighborhood, is where the famous Italian section is located along Arthur Avenue between 184th St and Fordham Road. You could make a pleasant day by combining a visit to Arthur Avenue with a visit to the New York Botanical Garden which is located just north of the Belmont section. Take a MetroNorth train from Grand Central to the Botanical Garden stop. Walk across the street and enter the gardens. There are many acres of outdoor exhibits, but also a beautiful glass conservatory as well. Follow this link for details:

http://www.nybg.org/

From there, you can walk or take a bus or taxi to Arthur Avenue for a stroll around the shops and lunch or dinner.

I second what ellenem describes. Another idea is to go to the Bronx Zoo and then Arthur Ave. They're all in the same area. I do love the NYBG. You can look at the site posted above to see what is happening or in bloom when you're visiting. Exhibits change all the time.

thanks for all the great info and link - off to have a look!

There are several cos. that do tours of Harlem like Harlem Heritage and Harlem One Stop. The Morris Jummel Mansion is worth a visit. http://www.morrisjumel.org/ along with Strivers Row. Parlor Jazz on Sundays at Marjorie Elliot's is great if you like jazz. http://www.harlemonestop.com/organization.php?id=84

The Bronx is a separate borough (county) in NYC and is huge and primarily residential.

There are quite a few things to see there - but some re difficult (Van Cortlandt Park. Wave Hill Mansion) without a car. You can visit the zoo, botanial gardens and Arthru Ave with public transit - and some work (check out hopstop.com) - but not all in one day - just too much to see and do. Visit the web site of the zoo and botanical garden to info. Artheur Ave is a mix of traditinal ed sauce Italian restaurants and a bunch of specialized shops selling a variety of foods (traditional meats, cheeses, pastas, olives/oils and every type of Italian grocery you can think of).

If you have visited NY a few times I would consider Harlem and then the Bronx.

Harlem has great cultural significnce especially starting in the 1910's with the Harlem Renaissance. If you read about it I think any tour would come alive.

The attreactions in the Bronx are limited to the Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Arthur Avenue and if you a Yankee fan, the Stadium.

I recommend a visit to Wave Hill in Riverdale(the bronx) you can take either the subway or the train on the Harlem line out of Grand Central.There is a jitney that transports you back and forth to the estate.

This is a lovely estate with beautiful gardens right on the Hudson.

Google Wave Hill.

When we were in NY earlier this month we saw In the Heights...which is set in Washington Heights. Once we got back to the hotel, I had to look it up on the map. There is so much of NYC that most of us never see. There's a line in In the Heights about people never having been north of 96th street. For me it's more like 82nd street. It would be nice to have the luxury of time to explore more.

I believe that lots of tourists attend certain of the AA churches in Harlem.