Harlem was originally settled by the Dutch who called it "Nieuw Haarlem". Until the mid 1800s this was all farmland.

Part of New York City, the cradle of Jazz. An influx of African Americans beginning around 1910 made it one of the largest African-American communities in America. In the 1920s it became a center of art and literature. This was later referred to as the Harlem Renaissance. Harlem became a sophisticated artistic and literary center. In his magazine Crisis, W.E.B. Du Bois urged racial pride among African Americans, and writers, many living in Harlem, began producing fine original works about African-American experience. Home of:

Prominent people who lived in Harlem:


Source: Dunford, Martin and Holland, Jack, "New York City: The Rough Guide", Rough Guides, London, 2000 http://www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/Harlem/text/exhibition.html Last Updated 11.26.02

Harlem starts at 110th street or 125th street (depending on who you ask) it ends at 145th street or so (after that you are in Washington Heights). The centre of Harlem is the Apollo Theatre and Abyssinian Baptist Church. For a long time it was a fairly dangerous place to live, but since the mid-1980s it has filled up with buppies who by brownstones at 200,000 to 500,000 dollars a pop, then renovate them. To get to Harlem Take the A train, (or even the C or B or D) uptown.

In the east (from E 102 st to the bottom of the Bronx) You'll find Spanish Harlem. Spanish Harlem is still a bit of a mess, but the Latin Americans have only been there since the 1970s so, with any luck, that area will improve soon.

Harlem was originally built as a suburb for white middle-class families by Dutch architects. The idea never caught on so, Black folks moved in and made numerous improvements.

Here is a guide to Harlem street by street (I'll hardlink them once they have been written):

Harlem - 116th Street
Harlem - 117th Street
Harlem - 118th Street
Harlem - 119th Street
Harlem - 120th Street
Harlem - 121th Street
Harlem - 122th Street
Harlem - 123th Street
Harlem - 124th Street
Harlem - 125th Street
Harlem - 126th Street
Harlem - 127th Street
Harlem - 128th Street
Harlem - 129th Street
Harlem - 130th Street
Harlem - 131th Street
Harlem - 132th Street
Harlem - 133th Street
Harlem - 134th Street
Harlem - 135th Street
Harlem - 136th Street
Harlem - 137th Street
Harlem - 138th Street
Harlem - 139th Street
Harlem - 140th Street
Harlem - 141th Street
Harlem - 142th Street
Harlem - 143th Street
Harlem - 144th Street
Harlem - 145th Street
Harlem - 134th Street

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