The West Harlem Summer Jazz Festival runs across Morningside, St. Nicholas and Jackie Robinson parks all season, and the St. Nicholas fourth-Friday date on the James Baldwin Lawn is its most atmospheric slot — a hillside lawn under the Hamilton Heights bluff, with Captain & The Nu Gypsies playing to whoever walks up. It is free, it is neighborhood-run, and it is the version of Harlem jazz that happens on a lawn rather than behind a cover charge.
What to expect
The lawn sits below the 135th Street plaza entrance with room for blankets and chairs on the slope. The crowd is largely local, multigenerational, and settles in as the set runs. There is no stage barrier and no ticketing; people arrive and leave throughout.
Good to know
- Free and unticketed, held on the James Baldwin Lawn
- B and C trains to 135th Street put you at the park entrance
- Bring a blanket or low chair — the lawn slopes
- The full season schedule and lineups are posted by the West Harlem Arts Alliance
- The park is unlit in places after dark; stick to the main paths on the way out
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Common questions
Where in St. Nicholas Park is it?
The James Baldwin Lawn and 135th Street plaza, at 135th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue.
Is it free?
Yes — the West Harlem Summer Jazz Festival is free and open to the public.
Who is playing?
Captain & The Nu Gypsies headline the St. Nicholas Park date.
