2009 New York City Marathon
When I first moved to my apartment in Harlem a few years ago, it was a pleasant surprise that I woke up to the New York City Marathon on First Avenue one day. I think Sean Combs was running in it or Lance Armstrong. It felt like the world was visiting our lonely part of the city for a few hours. It was also exciting to see the professional runners speed by knowing you just saw them on TV a few minutes before.
It's inspiring to see strangers cheer anybody whose running, but my favorite part has always been these random bands playing on every other corner of First Ave to serenade the runners. It's just a great positive atmosphere. Today on 115th Street I saw a rap group.