The Harlem Flophouse

About The Harlem Flophouse

The Harlem Flophouse suits travelers who want a calm base in Harlem and a straightforward place to sleep after a long day in Manhattan. Couples, small families and solo visitors who plan to spend their hours in Central Park, on Museum Mile or downtown will find the address practical for the subway. The street is residential, so evenings stay quiet. Guests who care more about a guesthouse feel than about the services of a large hotel tend to settle in well here.

The Harlem Flophouse is a two-star hotel, so expect simple, practical lodging rather than extensive services. The booking supplier's guest score is 4.7 out of 5 from 124 reviews, which suggests guests are generally content with what they find; the figure is the supplier's own summary of guest feedback, not a star rating. Rooms are booked through the IMPT app, where prices and availability appear. Read the room and rate details before confirming, since a two-star stay rewards clear expectations.

Rooms and listed facilities

The supplier lists air conditioning, free wifi, internet access, a garden, a cot and parking at The Harlem Flophouse. Couples may value the garden for a quiet hour, and families can ask about the cot for a small child. Business travelers get wifi and internet access for email and calls. Late arrivals should confirm arrival times and key collection with the property before traveling. Parking is listed, so check availability and terms directly. Confirm the room type, bed setup and total price with taxes and fees.

The setting

The Harlem Flophouse stands at 242 West 123rd Street in Harlem, upper Manhattan, on one of the neighborhood's residential blocks. The nearest corner of Central Park is about 1.9 miles (3.1 km) away in a straight line, while the park's Fifth Avenue and 59th Street corner is about 3.2 miles (5.2 km) off. Times Square lies about 3.9 miles (6.3 km) away, Grand Central Terminal about 4.0 miles (6.5 km) and Penn Station about 4.5 miles (7.3 km). Subway lines link Harlem with the rest of the island; check current service before you travel.

Location and neighborhood

The neighborhood of Harlem begins where Central Park ends and runs north to the Harlem River, taking in 125th Street and the brownstone blocks on either side. The grid follows the Commissioners' Plan of 1811: avenues run north and south, numbered streets cross them, and Fifth Avenue marks the divide between East and West. 125th Street is the commercial spine, busy at most hours. The side streets are residential: stoops, stone facades, churches on corners. Most rows date from the late nineteenth century, when Harlem filled in quickly, and keep their original scale of four or five stories in brown and red stone.

Sunday mornings bring the neighborhood's best-known ritual: gospel services in the churches on and around 125th Street and farther north. Many congregations welcome visitors, though modest dress and quiet manners matter, and some parishes ask that sightseers stay away from particular services, so check with the church before you go. The Apollo Theater on West 125th Street is the other anchor, a working venue with a long history in American music. Weekday afternoons are calmer, good for walking the brownstone blocks and looking at the detail on the facades. Evenings are lively along the main avenues, quieter on the side streets.

Getting there and around

Distances are straightforward from here. The Harlem Flophouse sits around 15 miles (23.6 km) from the airport and around 4.0 miles (6.5 km) from the main rail station. The subway runs 24 hours and connects Harlem with Midtown and downtown; tap a contactless card or phone at the turnstiles, since the MetroCard is being phased out. Buses run along the avenues and cross streets. For weekend service changes and diversions, check the MTA before you travel. Streets north of 14th Street are numbered, with Fifth Avenue dividing East from West, so an address is easy to follow once you have the cross street.

Nearby sights and food

Central Park forms the southern edge of the neighborhood, and its northern end, quieter and hillier than the midtown stretches, is a short walk from most of Harlem. The American Museum of Natural History is on Central Park West at 79th Street; The Metropolitan Museum of Art is on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, at the start of Museum Mile. Both are within easy reach of The Harlem Flophouse by subway or on foot through the park. Allow more time than you expect for either collection, and check opening days before setting out, since schedules change through the year.

Eating in Harlem covers a wide range. Soul food kitchens serve fried chicken, collard greens, macaroni and cheese and cornbread, some of them on the same corner for decades. West African restaurants along and near 125th Street serve jollof rice, grilled fish and long-simmered stews. Caribbean counters turn out roti, oxtail and patties, and older Italian bakeries and pizzerias sit beside newer coffee shops and small bistros on the side streets. Portions are generous, lunch is often the quieter meal, and a walk afterward along the avenues is part of the routine.

A day from The Harlem Flophouse

A day from The Harlem Flophouse starts with a walk south into Central Park at its northern end, where the paths are quiet. Follow the park down to 79th Street for the American Museum of Natural History, or cut east to Fifth Avenue for The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Lunch on 125th Street, then spend the afternoon on the brownstone side streets, looking at stonework and passing the Apollo Theater's block. In the evening, choose a concert, a church event or a long dinner, and walk back slowly. Check opening hours and ticketing before setting out, since museum schedules shift with the season. The Harlem Flophouse suits a weekend where walking matters more than a checklist.

Distances

Facilities listed by the supplier

As listed by the booking supplier; a facility not listed here may still exist. Confirm anything important with the property.

• Air conditioning
• Bathroom
• Crib
• Desk
• Fan
• Free Wi-Fi
• Garden
• Internet access
• Iron and board
• Lounge
• Non smoking rooms
• Parking
• Radio
• Smoke detector
• Towels
• WC
• Wi-Fi