HARLEM

This uptown neighborhood which extends from 96th St to 155th St and from the East River to the Hudson has had a reputation for years as a tough unsafe area for anyone to visit let alone tourists but in recent years all that has changed and the true history of Harlem is one of very little violence and a huge amount of art.culture and freedom.

In the early years when Manhattan was still being settled and the original inhabitants of the island who were Native American were run off by the Dutch many black slaves of the Dutch West India Company were used to clear and develop the land. When the English took over many of the blacks remained and Harlem was occupied by George Washingtons forces to counter the large British occupation of what is now lower Manhattan.

In the beginning it seemed to work but later on the British invaded again and burned all of Harlem down. After the American Revolution as the island became more developed and the wealthy residents of the lower district were looking for a place to get away Harlem was slowly rebuilt with many grand estates farms and mansions.

In the late 1830s a rail link was established between Harlem and the rest of the city allowing for urban infrastructure to reach the area with gas and sewer lines which created the ability to house more people at lower cost and enabled modernization and construction to increase. As the civil war period progressed the community attracted many immigrants of Italian, Irish, Eastern European and Jewish Heritage. In addition to the many black settlers who already lived there this began to lay the groundwork for the diverse community that Harlem remains to this day.

As the Jim Crow Laws in the south created an oppressive environment for the black community many of them migrated north to New York and settled in Harlem and the N.A.A.C.P and the Negro Improvement Association founded by Marcus Garvey began to take shape . In the 1920s there was a massive boom in black art,poetry,literature and theater which continued to flourish but when the Great Depression hit things took a turn for the worse and the development which had been rising steadily in Harlem came to a halt.

Whites stopped coming to see the sports theater and music. Jobs, being so scarce meant that the already marginalized black community was pushed further into isolation as the white community chose to hire white immigrants in favor of blacks. This trend caused a massive decline in the community to support itself leading the area to become run down. This trend continues from the 1930s till the 1960s when even more tension brought on by the Civil Rights Movement created a dangerous situation in which Blacks who were already feeling restricted began to form movements like the Black Panthers and began rejecting white landlords high rents and white police. 

The tension escalated till the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr which culminated in riots and general discord. Due to the unrest the city became reluctant to send workers up to the area to repair buildings and Harlem began to fall into rapid decline. It was not until the mid-1980s that things began to improve and the urban development commission sunk over $300 Million into redeveloping the area.

It enabled the restoration of some of the most beautiful townhouses in the city, created jobs and drew in national chain business such as Starbucks and Ben And Jerrys to hire locals. As the economy improved more people looking to invest in real estate began to look to Harlem for its low-priced brownstones. Historically beautiful with high ceilings and elaborate woodwork the buildings were quickly snatched up by private buyers and developers alike and what was once a derelict neighborhood is once again some of the most sought after real estate in the city.

There are now parks and gardens both public and private, Beautiful promenades and fantastic schools. Contrary to what people think there is virtually no crime and there is an equal ratio of blacks to whites living in the area. The schools are among the best, the history is rich and vivid and the community does a fabulous job of keeping the area vibrant and committed to improvement. While a trip to Harlem is not for everyone the traveler who likes to stray from the tourist path will really enjoy staying up in this beautiful neighborhood. At the very least we recommend taking a tour to see the diverse and historic locations in the area.

PLACES TO EXPLORE
The Apollo Theater
The Cotton Club
El Museo Del Barrio
Langston Hughes House
James Bailey House
Rucker Park
Studio Museum
Hamilton Grange and Hamilton House
The Cathedral of St John the Divine(this is an exceptional place and worth the visit to check out the architecture and there is a very special thing in the part of the cathedral called Synod Hall -perhaps the only tightrope in any cathedral in the world. It is used by the artist in residence and wire master Philippe Petit to practice his walks and change the lightbulbs on the massive chandeliers as he is the only one brave enough to do the job !!!)

PLACES TO EAT
Awash Restaurant
Amy Ruths
Harlem Tavern
Lido
Londels Supper Club
Mobay
Red Rooster
Talay
Yatenga
Strictly Roots
Uptown Juice