In her book Naked City: The Death and Life of Authentic Urban Places, Zukin opens the chapter “Why Harlem is Not a Ghetto” by describing the atmosphere of Settepani, a restaurant in Harlem that has attracted tourists, new residents, and gentrifiers. Zukin associates Settepani and other well-known Harlem restaurants with the Harlem Renaissance and, in turn, the gentrification of the neighborhood. Zukin states that the Harlem Renaissance was a period when black creativity prospered and says that Harlem “shaped an authentic space of racial identity.” Now, this hub of black culture is redeveloped and, as a result, is losing its authenticity. Zuki describes this degradation of black culture with Settepani as an example when she says, “Neither “native” enough to be considered African American, nor “down home” enough to dispel fears of gentrification, Abraham admits that Settepani sets a new tone for the neighborhood. “We are catalysts for some of the changes,” she says, and regrets that not everyone welcomes these changes or can adapt to them.”
In the chapter, Zukin also mentions how the Internet has also fueled the gentrification and loss of authenticity in Harlem as publicity online attracts newcomers to the area. Considering how Zukin begins the chapter talking about Settepani contributing to the loss of authenticity in Harlem and ends the chapter talking about the Internet’s contribution to Harlem gentrification, I thought it would be interesting to see what restaurants the Internet would suggest for me to go in Harlem for “authentic food.” Thus, I Google-searched “authentic Harlem spots” and was led to an article titled “The 15 Best Authentic Places in Central Harlem, New York.”
While there were some restaurants that looked worthy of being on the list, others were questionable as to whether or not they were truly “authentic.” Settepani did not make it on the list, but some other restaurants that piqued my interest were Sushi Inoue, Ponty Bistro, Manhattanville Coffee, and Seasoned Vegan. I highly doubt that Sushi Inoue and Seasoned Vegan serve food that reflects Harlem’s black culture. Seasoned Vegan is a vegan restaurant that specializes in “soul food.” To me, soul food would be authentic to the neighborhood; however, on the Seasoned Vegan website, it specifically says “We use the term “soul food” loosely because we are not referring exclusively to the typical cuisine of the Southern region of the United States. For us, soul food is any meal prepared by a chef who not only includes flavorful ingredients but also infuses tender love and care. With that as a founding theme, Seasoned Vegan gives typical Italian, Asian, Middle Eastern, Caribbean and American dishes a vegan, home cooked, soulful twist.” Considering this, it’s obvious that Seasoned Vegan isn’t authentic at all.
I also find it laughable that the article listing authentic restaurants would include a cafe and a bistro because Zukin pointed out how the quaint cafes that popped up after the Harlem Renaissance contributed to gentrification and loss of authenticity. Although the website does not list who wrote the article (it just says “created by Foursquare lists”), I am certain that whoever wrote this does not actually live in Harlem. Overall, I think that this article is funny considering how Zukin completely contradicts some of the restaurants listed in the article but I also think that this exemplifies the points that Zukin makes. Not only does it give non-authentic restaurants that show the changing cultural landscape of Harlem, but it also shows how the Internet is promoting Harlem to be attractive to tourists and potential new residents.
Questions:
What other establishments, besides restaurants, show the loss of authenticity in Harlem?
Are there hot tourists spots that also maintain Harlem’s authenticity and service the current residents?
What does “authenticity” in Harlem even mean?
