I began my tour of East Harlem by taking the D train to Morningside Park, getting off at 125^th street. I had previously decided as Morningside Park as my first destination because it is East Harlem’s largest park and a historical landmark, having been designed by the same designers as Central Park. The park itself resembled Central Park, but with more open spaces and fewer trees and hills. The weather was bitterly cold, but quite sunny. I was surprised by the number of people who had braved the cold to spend time outdoors. Particularly lots of families with children, particularly lots of single women with children. Whether these were mothers or nanny’s, it was hard to tell, but as it was noon on a Friday, it is likely many people were at work. The park-goers were fairly diverse, along with women and children, many of whom were black or Latino, there were several groups of students (Columbia presumably) taking a stroll or chatting on the grass. Again, why they would do this is 15 degree weather is unfathomable to me.

After a while outside, I decided to leave the park and grab food. I exited the park and walked around, simultaneously trying to take in my surroundings and find an appetizing place to eat. Just outside of the park, I ran into a very large, gothic style church. I couldn’t find signage to indicate the denomination (I looked it up when I got home, the Holy Rosary Church, Catholic.) As for the food, the area was overwhelmingly Latin American and Mexican, though with a few other cuisines (primarily Asian) mixed in. Not only were the cuisines a strange mix, but the restaurants themselves were also an odd mix of upscale/hip and more rundown bodega style. The gentrification occurring in the area is impossible to miss. I also took note that while the park was busy on the Friday afternoon, the streets were considerably more empty. Those who were on the street were older black women, Latino men and women, often young. The Columbia students did not wander from the park apparently. I passed many corner stores and barber shops. Based on the culinary choices and the signage of the buildings, the area appeared to be overwhelmingly Hispanic, although the area was clearly diversifying.

I passed a restaurant called East Harlem Café and decided to duck in. The café was clearly a newer business, catering to a hip, young crowd with overpriced coffees and kale things. Perhaps a poor illustration of the neighborhood’s historical flavor, it is a harbinger of the gentrification already in process. The fact that the owners were so bold as to name it East Harlem Café demonstrates how these new residents and establishments have begun to make the neighborhood their own, bit by bit. It was very strange to sit in a trendy café, surrounded by rather affluent hipsters and the latest in indie music, watching generally poorer residents pass by, with Latin music blasting from many passing cars.