Famous and infamous, Harlem is one of New York’s most remarkable neighborhoods. It has an extensive history, a rich, diverse culture, and a limitless future. From its beginnings as a small farming community to the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s, then to its fallout in the 1970’s to it’s current gentrification; Harlem is ever-changing, a true testament to the spirit of New York, and a home to many people who love it, myself included.
Whenever I told people in my Buffalo suburb that I was moving to Harlem, I was met with incredulous stares. “Isn’t it dangerous?” They would ask, and I would have to explain that Harlem is an exciting place to live, not to mention beautiful, and most importantly in my case, affordable. The median price for a one-bedroom apartment in Central Harlem is $1,750 a month opposed to $3,000 in the rest of Manhattan (Average Rental). With the rising housing costs in Manhattan, Central Harlem has become a haven for students and the working class. In fact, from 2000 to 2010, there was a 34% increase in the number of people aged 20-24 living in Central Harlem (Manhattan Community). As seen in the Lower East Side and Williamsburg, students are often the ones who pave the way for gentrification.
Gentrification happens when the economic and social nature of a neighborhood changes. Over the last decade, more middle-class families are moving to Harlem, driving up the housing prices. Chase banks and chain restaurants are eating up the no-longer-affordable commercial real estate. With its easy access to downtown, Harlem is becoming a more desirable place to live for young professionals. The rising rent is starting to push out native Harlem residents, and many are not happy. Jeff, an African American man in his forties, told me that he had lived in Harlem his whole life but is considering moving to the Bronx where rent is cheaper. “I live here because I can afford it, and it’s a subway ride from my job. But with all the rich people moving here, people like me will have to move away. That’s just not fair.” While no one misses the Harlem of the 1970’s, some of its rich culture is being lost when residents are displaced.
But perhaps gentrification is only another chapter in Harlem’s vast history. Bordered by Central Park to the south, the Harlem River to the north, St. Nicholas Avenue to the West, and 5th Avenue to the East (Neighborhood Profile), Central Harlem is an area rich in culture and history. Harlem was originally settled by the Dutch in 1658 and used primarily for farmland. Later on, many wealthy politicians, including Alexander Hamilton, took up residence there in order to get away from busy life in New York City.
As New York’s population expanded, residents started moving north. Apartment buildings were built and Harlem became a residential district. After the panic of 1893, Harlem faced a sharp decline and landlords couldn’t find anyone to rent to, so they started to rent to African Americans who had just started to migrate north after the Civil War (Chakravorty). From then on, Harlem was a predominately black neighborhood. Today 65% of Central Harlem’s population is black (U.S. Census).
After the end of World War I, Harlem experienced a movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. Notable people living in Harlem at that time included W.E.B. Du Bois, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holliday, among many others. These writers, artists, activists, and musicians truly advanced black culture. Jazz music was created and the Apollo Theater was built to showcase African American talent. Jobs were created through speakeasies and clubs. In a time of severe racism, African Americans fought back through creativity (Julius Mitchell II). The Renaissance created a new identity for African Americans nationwide.
However, the Renaissance came to a screeching halt during the Great Depression. Harlem was hit hard by rising unemployment and many residents took to rioting in the streets (A Brief History). Harlem became a center of activism during the Civil Rights Movement when African Americans were fighting for equality, better schools, equal pay, and sufficient housing. The peaceful suburbs began to attract middle-class families who were sick of the violence of the city. Those who could afford to leave did, and those who could not were forced into paying higher and higher rent for buildings that were not maintained properly (History).
In the 1970’s, Harlem hit its lowest point. The flight to the suburbs had emptied most of its buildings. During that decade, 30% of Harlem’s population left, leaving vacant lots where crime ran rampant (Sternburgh). This is the Harlem that many people think still exists today. However, in the past twenty-ones years, total crime has dropped 74% in Central Harlem, thanks to a crackdown on crime in the 1980’s (Report). When asked if she feels safe in her neighborhood, college student Kelly replied, “Mostly, I’m no more afraid of this neighborhood than I am anywhere else.”
In the 1990’s, Harlem began to change. A report in the New York Times in 1999 stated, “Central Harlem is being remade, literally and figuratively. On almost every street from 110th to 155th Street, Fifth Avenue to St. Nicholas Avenue, some development is under way” (Siegal). City funds were spent bringing Harlem up to date with the rest of the booming New York. More people began to realize its potential. So began the second Harlem Renaissance.
Today, Harlem is a far cry from what it was forty years ago. 125th street, still the bloodline of Central Harlem, is alive with shoppers. The fashion-conscious are there to take advantage of the deals that many of the stores on 125th offer. Niesha Hogan, a local Harlem fashionista from California says she loves Harlem because everyone “understands and loves getting dressed” (Andrade).
Also on 125th are the Studio Museum of Harlem and other small galleries and theaters. Tourists stop to take pictures of the Apollo. New restaurants are opening on almost every street: soul food to French bistros to Red Lobster to hip bars. Harlem is becoming the new cool place to be. Harlem is getting a better reputation in pop culture. “Harlem” a catchy song by the band, New Politics debuted in 2013 and was played on the radio all over the country. Hipsters are probably reconsidering their move to Williamsburg after New Politics painted Harlem in a welcoming and fun way.
With its many parks and affordable housing, Harlem is also becoming a magnet for young families who want to escape the insanity of downtown, yet they can still get to their jobs quickly on the express trains. There are many more options when it comes to larger apartments the further north you go. It is much easier to find a large four-bedroom apartment in Harlem than in the Lower East Side where rooms are smaller and apartments more compact. Many streets have been named historic districts by the city so the beautiful prewar brownstones still stand in all their glory, carefully cared for by the people who live there today (Neighborhood History).
Through all these changes, there are still some people who worry about the changing neighborhood. On top of housing becoming more expensive, the whole makeup of the community is changing. In 2006, the percentage of white people in Harlem was the highest its been since 1940 (Beveridge). While Central Harlem is still predominately black, many residents are afraid that with the influx of whites, they will lose their traditional black neighborhood and culture that has been so long established in Harlem.
It’s fascinating for me to watch the neighborhood change around me. Yet through all of these changes, Harlem is still a true community. Walking down the street, you can see neighbors greeting each other with handshakes and hugs. Locals stand of street corners on the nice days or play basketball in the park. An old man who lives in the building next door is out all day, every day, playing his guitar. Often, people walking by will stop to chat with him; sometimes they even take a moment to sing with him. Unlike many neighborhoods of New York, the people of Harlem still take the time to get to know their neighbors or to greet people on the street with a smile. It is really the people of Harlem who make it such an incredible place to live.
Works Cited:
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Andrade, Fritzie. “Fashion in Harlem: A Place of Style and Confidence.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 Mar 2014. Web. 06 May 2014.
“Average Rental Prices in NYC.” Naked Apartments. Web. 1 May 2014. <http://www.nakedapartments.com/blog/average-rental-prices-in-nyc/>.
Beveridge, Andrew. “Harlem’s Shifting Population.” Gotham Gazette: The Place for New York Policy and Politics. 02 Sept. 2008. Web. 07 May 2014.
Chakravorty Spivak, Gayatri. Harlem. Seagull Publications, 2013. PDF. “History of Harlem.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 05 Mar. 2014. Web. 04 May 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Harlem>.
Julius Mitchell II, Ernest. “”Black Renaissance”: A Brief History of the Concept.” American Studies African American Literary Studies: New Texts, New Approaches, New Challenges 55.4 (2010): 641-65. JSTOR. Web. 02 May 2014.
Manhattan Community District 10. New York City: Department of City Planning. June 2013. PDF.
“Neighborhood History.” Hamilton Heights West Harlem. Web. 04 May 2014.
“Neighborhood Profile: Harlem.” New York Magazine. Web. 02 May 2014. <http://nymag.com/realestate/articles/neighborhoods/harlem.htm>.
Report Covering the Week 4/21/2014 Through 4/27/2014. New York City: NYPD CompStat Unit, 05 May 2014. PDF.
Siegal, Nina. “Harlem on the Brink.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 Sept. 1999. Web. 05 May 2014.
Sternburgh, Adam. “What’s Wrong With Gentrification?” New York Magazine. 11 Dec. 2009. Web. 04 May 2014.
U.S. Census Bureau. Population Division. Demographic and Housing Estimates 2008-2010. New York City Department of City Planning, Nov. 2011.
