# NYC:Manhattan hoods-Harlem



## TalB (Jun 8, 2005)

Being in the most major part of upper Manhattan is the hood known as Harlem. It goes from 110th (Cathedral Pkwy) to 155th Sts between Federick Douglass Blvd with St Nicholas Ave and 5th Ave with the Harlem River. This hood is mostly residential, though it does have some commercial blocks in it. Originally, this was home to lush bottomland meadows with Indian trials going through them. In 1658 the Dutch settled and called this place New Haarlem after a town in their own country with the same name. The meadows were rebuilt by the Dutch West India Company, and later formed into Boston Post Rd. In 1664, the English took over the colony of New Netherlands, and changed the name to New York as well as renaming the town to Harlem, which it's called today. Durring the Revolutionary War, George Washington had lead his men through here. Throughout the 1800's Harlem became home to farms such the one by James Roosevelt on what is now 5th Ave between 110th and 125th Sts. Steamboats and stagecoaches allowed for transportation between Harlem and NYC. In 1827, slavery was abolished and blacks could finally live free. Around this time, the salt marshes around 110th St were skirted. In 1831, it was linked again to NYC by the NY & Harlem RR. As a result, Harlem started to become a ramshackle suburb. In the 1880's, the 6th Ave El made Harlem part of NYC. In 1880, John Jacob Astor bought land on 130th St between 5th and Lenox Aves and named it Astor Row. The neighborhood began to see a Jewish population that was mostly German and Easter European around the start of the 1900's, but that population ended after 1917. In 1907, black churches started to move uptown to join the rest of their group. In 1910, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) arrived here as did the Universal Negro Improvement Association in 1916 by Marcus Garvey. Around 1920, Harlem became predominately black. When this happened, it lead to the Harlem Renaissance in which blacks were celebrating through art and other cultures. The 145th St and Macombs Dam Br were built durring this time to connect over to the Bronx. Club Deluxe, now the Cotton Club, was founded by Jack Johnson as a burlesque house, but he refused any admission or performances for blacks when he owned it, not mention the performances were racists as well. However, he didn't own for too long and sold it to Owney Madden in 1923, who gave the club its current name, and had until he was arrested for bootlegging. In 1927, Duke Ellington was allowed to perform there for four years, and the color barrier was broken. In 1934, the Apollo Theater opened on 125th St with exclusive black performerances. Black celebrities lived on a block on 138th and 139th Sts, and the block took the name Strivers Row for those who strived to become famous. Despite the great acheivements, Harlem was still viewed as a slum for having such low rents. Race riots in 1936 lead to the closing of the Cotton Club. The 1950's weren't to kind to Harlem as many residents were leaving Manhattan as Harlem became infested with crime. The 1960's only made it worse when Malcom X became a resident and lead his organization until his asassination in 1965 in believing that only violence can solve things against racist whites. In honor Martin Luther King Jr's assasination, 125th St was nicknamed Dr Marin Luther King Jr Blvd as was Lenox Ave for Malcom X. In 1962, Sylvia Woods made a soul food on 127th St and Lenox Ave known as Sylvia's. Unfortunately, riots continued through here. In 1976, the NYS government decided to locate here by building upper Manhattan's tallest office building and named it after famous black politician Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Mayor Ed Koch started to crack down on the riots and the crime rates started to decrease, but that wasn't enough. A more recent one occured in 1995, when activists went after Jewish shop owners. Mayor Rudy Guiliani started a Broken Windows Policy, and crimes were only a minor disturbance. Today, Harlem is still a mecca for blacks as it was before, but it is allowing for residents who aren't of that color. The Apollo Theater remains a major place for black performances, and it even has open mice night for amatures, and you can perform no matter what color you are. The Harlem Studio Museum attracts many people uptown as does its Harlem USA at 125th St. You can get here by taking the subway to 110th St-Cathedral Pkwy (B, C), 116th St-Fredrick Douglas Blvd (B, C), 125th St-St Nicholas Ave (A, B, C, D), 135th St-St Nicholas Ave (B, C), 145th St-St Nicholas Ave (A, B, C, D), 155th St-Maher Circle (C), 155th St-Fredrick Douglas Blvd (B, D), 110th St-CPN (2, 3), 116th St-Lenox Ave (2, 3), 125th St-Lenox Ave (2, 3), 135th St-Lenox Ave (2, 3), 145th St-Lenox Ave (3), and 148th St-Harlem (3). Here is what you will find in Harlem.


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