My Queens for a day visit to the Louis Armstrong House and the Langston Hughes Community Library was very enjoyable. After leaving the #7 I followed the bus route to the house in this very working class Corona neighborhood. It was not my first visit. I've been out there to a concert with grandfather granddaughter clients and took the house tour at least once before with some friends.
This time I learned that the Welcome Center is where Louis used to store his cadillac. I was not the only visitor doing the Black History month tour, there were couples from Germany and Belgium. It was a special treat to have the new curator David as my guide. Agelita's, the Dominican restaurant across the street, is still fun for a quick hot meal although there are other restaurants in the neighborhood.
Speaking of the neighborhood, this is what it looks like across the street. The house has a really find gift shop but it is not online yet. I picked up a book for my great nieces and nephews that I am reading first called Travels with Louis. It really gets to the soul of the man and of the neighborhood. The souvenir picture given to Black History Month visitors also has a story to tell about Louis's performance in New Orleans. Go visit any day but Monday.
The stroll through the neighborhood and along Northern Blvd to the Langston Hughes library was delightful and there were plenty of interesting looking food places along the way. The library was busy and there was an exhibition gallery on the second floor. I was too early for the evening program in the auditorium but you can get more information on upcoming events here.
The bus to the R train was fun. I really got a feel for the cultural diversity in this county when a group of school children got on to make their way home.
Alas, Woodlawn was not meant to be because of icy conditions in the cemetery. It is such an interesting place to explore. I went one summer when they were unveiling a monument to Illinois Jacquet and you could here the joint jumping from the music provided by Julliard and the other Jazzmen upstairs who were all buried nearby. Contact me privately if you want to make a trip some other day. We would make stops at Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Museum and maybe Harlem on the way back.
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