Your morning run/stretch/trot will begin at the Harlem River Park, located at the edge of the Harlem River. The park has become a destination for local artists’ work. As you make your rounds around the park, you will notice the heavy presence of artwork on its walls. In recent years, the park has also become a welcome host for festivals that spotlight local food, art and music. Today’s run is sure to give you a fantastic view of the city that not many get to see. Add to the amazing visual soup the sprawling views of the Bronx, and a view of the New Yankee Stadium.

Lunch in East Harlem means small, often simple bites, like pizza. The best is easily at Bosa’s Pizza of Harlem. In fact, Bosa’s pizza is considered superior to the rest of the pizza joints in the city. It’s even become so popular that the pizza place extended its delivery services across the river and into The Bronx. From the basic cheese slice to the broccoli rabe, there’s not a slice you should not want to taste. For another lunch spot you may want to try down the road, sample the bites at Wimpy’s, which features some tasty burgers.

There’s a distinct cultural presence in East Harlem. The area once housed a major movie studio near the Harlem River Drive (the interior scenes of “The Godfather” were filmed there.) But the National Black Theatre is the gem of the neighborhood. The theater group was created in 1968 and has provided an outlet for African-American actors and playwrights. The location itself is one of the oldest African-American owned theaters in the country, and one of the longest operated by a woman of color. The goal for the theater group remains to provide a history of the African-American experience on stage.