By Josh Gross

125^th Street sits today at a crossroads between its difficult past and its promising future. Between the Great Depression and today, Harlem has seen its fair share of woes and hardships. The housing situation in Harlem in this period grew progressively worse. Because white landlords refused to take in black tenants throughout New York, housing in Harlem became increasingly overcrowded and unbearable.  A lack of investment in housing development led to more urban decay by the 1960s and 70s. Landowners could not afford the fines levied against them by the New York City Buildings Department, so they simply abandoned their buildings, leaving tenants in a terrible position. By 1987, 65% of property in Harlem was owned by the City. ¹

Burnt out remains of the Church of Nazareth, 144th Street and Hamilton Terrace (Stern, David. 2006)

Yet by the 1990s things began to change for the better. With the crack epidemic of the 1980s drawing to a close, and with diminishing crime rates, Harlem began to receive attention from city officials. From 1987 to 1990, “the city removed long-unused trolley tracks from 125th Street, laid new water mains and sewers, installed new sidewalks, curbs, traffic lights, streetlights, and planted trees.” Increased efforts to revitalize 125^th Street as retail corridor for the area began in full by the second half of the 1990s. ²

Gentrification rapidly commenced at the dawn of the 21^st century. In addition to fierce efforts by the city to combat crime and to channel money into Harlem’s revitalization, attempts to deter financial institutions’ systematic discrimination against minority and low-income areas began on the federal level. The Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 was an effort by the U.S. government to encourage commercial investment into lower income areas, and to change the policies of banks that usually avoided these neighborhoods. It was an attempt to stop the “redlining” policies that the banks had used frequently since the 1930s. The legislation did not reach its full effectiveness until the 1990s, when President Clinton pushed for amendments to increase the authority of the act.

Offices of Bill Clinton, 55 West 125th Street (Levine, Sandra. 2007)

In the 1990s, property values in Central Harlem ballooned by 300%. This is in contrast to a 12% increase throughout the rest of New York City. At the beginning of the Great Recession in 2007, Harlem was experiencing the greatest economic boon it had ever known. As housing prices soared, commercial development of the area around 125^th became more evident.

The Great Recession saw a dramatic drop in real estate values in Harlem. Between 2007 and 2010, the value of real estate in Harlem decreased by 23%, compared to 3% in the rest of New York. Bank takeovers and forecloses increased steadily, and the renewed efforts at turning 125^th Street into a viable retail corridor were somewhat hindered. ³

Yet, the impact of the Great Recession did not lead to the long term economic decline of Harlem the way the earlier Great Depression had. By 2010, Harlem housing values were once again climbing. Between 2010 and 2011, values increased by 9%. This was in contrast to a 1% increase in the rest of the city.

Protest against gentrification in East Harlem (Mandell, Nina. 2010)

The rapid revitalization has brought a changing demographic and feel to the area around 125^th Street. Today, African Americans make up 40% of the population of greater Harlem. The non-Hispanic White population has increased to 14%. With a decrease in crime, and still attractive home values, the neighborhood has received an influx of middle-income families, most of them white. However, some older residents have railed against the rapid change in the neighborhood. The unveiling of the 2008 “River To River” plan, a housing development project aimed to put luxury housing along 125^th Street, has sparked widespread controversy and condemnation. Opponents say the plan is an effort to force out lower-income minorities unable to pay the high rents the project will require. Other projects such as the multimillion-dollar housing development plan in East Harlem led by the Dawnay, Day Group, a multi-national London based company, have met further opposition. Protests against both projects have taken place in Harlem. ⁴

125th Street stands as a testament to the enduring presence of African Americans in New York, as well as the challenges they face. Once a symbol of urban squalor, 125th Street is now a symbol of positive change to some and gentrification to others. Either way, it has remained a crossroads of cultures, peoples, and ways of life.

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