Generally, as New York City develops from a Native American settlement to an urban city, the total population has increased. However, East Harlem does not always follow this trend.
Population Density: 1860-2010
(Images taken from Social Explorer)
Source: "Manual of the Corporation of the City of New-York,” 1863
Before the Europeans arrived in America, the Wecksquaesgek Native Americans settled the land that is now known as East Harlem. Dutch settlers and French Huguenots, who were also attracted by the land’s resources, followed them. A farming community was established, with the Dutch Reformed Church as town center. During this time, Peter Stuyvesant named the land Nieuw Haarlem. Even after the British took over and renamed New Amsterdam to New York, Nieuw Haarlem kept its Dutch name, Harlem.
During the early 1800s, East Harlem became more populated as more immigrants started to arrive. The immigrants included the Irish and German, who were coming from a more crowded Lower East Side. Some black farmers also settled by the riverside. East Harlem was becoming more suburban, but still remained largely a farming community.
Source: http://www.thehistorybox.com/ny_city/italian_harlem_neighborhood_nycity.htm
From the late 1800s to 1910, East Harlem saw an even bigger increase in population. This was mainly due the extension of the New York Elevated Railroad to the Harlem River, and the arrival of even more immigrant groups: mainly the Italians. In 1895, the population of East Harlem was recorded at 20,640. By 1910, the population density was between 480 to 560 people per acre.
Between 1910 and 1920, East Harlem’s population reached a peak, and there was actually a net loss of 7,224 people. This was due to the various groups leaving as the Italian immigrants came in. The 1930s saw a further decrease in the total population of the neighborhood, for various reasons that will be explained in another section.
The chart shows East Harlem’s population spiking in 1950, then steadily decreasing till the year 1990. However, within a decade, East Harlem has increased in population size by 6.4%. It is still smaller in size when compared to Manhattan as a whole, but its growth was larger than the latter (3.3%). In that 10 year growth from 1990 to 2000, ages 5-9, 35-44, 45-54, and 75-and-over experienced the largest growth (17.3%, 24.9%, 14.5%, and 18.9% respectively). Contrastingly, ages 5-and-under, 25-34, and 55-64 experienced decline (-9.9%, -3.2%, and -1.0% respectively).
An increase in population is predicted for not just East Harlem, but for the entire New York State. According to the 2010 Census projections, the population should increase by 3.2% between 2000 and 2020, but should increase on a smaller scale (2.6%) between 2000 and 2020.
Statistics gathered from the Community District 11 Planning Assessment
Statistics gathered from the Community District 11 Planning Assessment
