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For other uses, see Spanish Harlem (disambiguation).
116th Street between Third Avenue and Lexington Avenue
116th Street between Third Avenue and Lexington Avenue

Spanish Harlem, also known as El Barrio and East Harlem, is a low income neighborhood in Harlem area of New York City, in the north-eastern part of the borough of Manhattan. Third Avenue is a north-south thoroughfare on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, running from Cooper Square north for over Lexington Avenue, often abbreviated by New Yorkers as "Lex" is an avenue on the East Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City that carries Barrio is a Spanish word meaning District or Neighborhood. The Word has come into use in English mostly through the large Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African American cultural and business center The City of New York In New York City, a borough is a unique form of government which administers the five fundamental constituent parts that make up the consolidated city Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York Spanish Harlem is one of the largest predominantly Latino communities in New York City. It includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, and still harbors a small Italian American population along Pleasant Avenue. Italian Harlem is a neighborhood in East Harlem in the New York City borough of Manhattan, inhabited by an Italian American population However, since the 1950s it has been dominated by residents of Puerto Rican descent, sometimes called Nuyoricans. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Nuyorican is a blending of the terms "Nueva York" and "Puerto Rican" and refers to the members or culture of the Puerto Rican Diaspora located The neighborhood boundaries are Harlem River to the north, the East River to the east, East 96th Street to the south,[1][2] and 5th Avenue to the west. See also Geography and environment of New York City The Harlem River is a navigable tidal Strait in New York City, USA that The East River is a tidal Strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end The neighborhood is part of Manhattan Community Board 11. The Manhattan Community Board 11 is a local government unit of the New York City borough of Manhattan, one of 12 The primary business hub of Spanish Harlem has historically been East 116th Street from 5th Avenue headed east to its termination at the FDR Drive. The Franklin D Roosevelt East River Drive (commonly referred to as the FDR Drive) is a Freeway -standard Parkway on the east side of the New York The area is patrolled by both the 23rd Precinct located at 162 East 102nd Street and the 25th Precinct located at 120 East 119th Street.

Contents

Demographics

Spanish Harlem has a population of 117,743 as of the 2000 US census. For decades East Harlem has been one of the poorest communities in the United States of America. Almost half the population lives below the poverty line and receives public assistance (AFDC, Home Relief, Supplemental Security Income, and Medicaid). The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of Income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate Standard of living in a given country Welfare is financial assistance paid to people by governments General Assistance (also known as General Relief) is a term used in the United States to denote welfare programs that benefit adults without dependents Supplemental Security Income (or SSI) is a monthly stipend provided to aged (legally deemed to be 65 or older blind or disabled persons based on need paid by the United Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources Over 25% of the population resides in units managed by the NYCHA. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA provides housing for low and moderate income residents throughout the five boroughs of New York City. East Harlem has one of the highest concentration of Puerto Ricans in all of New York City. Puerto Ricans in the United States (also referred to as the "Puerto Rican Diaspora," " Nuyorican " "Stateside Puerto Ricans" "mainland The vast majority of units in Spanish Harlem are renter occupied. [3]

History

The construction of the elevated transit to Harlem in the 1880s urbanized the area, precipitating the construction of apartment buildings and brownstones. Brownstone is a brown Triassic Sandstone which was once a popular Building material. Harlem was first populated by German immigrants, but soon after Irish, Italian, Lebanese and Russian Jewish immigrants began settling in Harlem. In East Harlem, Southern Italians and Sicilians soon predominated and the neighborhood became known as Italian Harlem, the Italian American hub of Manhattan. An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship Puerto Rican immigration after the First World War established an enclave at the western portion of Italian Harlem (around 110th Street and Lexington Avenue), which became known as Spanish Harlem. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Lexington Avenue, often abbreviated by New Yorkers as "Lex" is an avenue on the East Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City that carries The area slowly grew to encompass all of Italian Harlem as Italians moved out and Latinos moved in in another wave of immigration after the Second World War. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

In the 1920s and early 1930s, Italian Harlem was represented by future Mayor Fiorello La Guardia in Congress, and later by Italian-American socialist Vito Marcantonio. LaGuardia redirects here For the airport see LaGuardia Airport. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Vito Anthony Marcantonio ( December 10 1902 – August 9 1954) was an American lawyer and politician Italian Harlem lasted in some parts into the 1970s in the area around Pleasant Avenue. It still celebrates the first Italian feast in New York City, Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Some remnants of Italian Harlem, such as Rao's restaurant, started in 1896, and the original Patsy's Pizzeria which opened in the 1930s, still remain. Rao's is a Restaurant founded in 1896 Rao's is located at 455 East 114th Street Italian Harlem, New York City.

Spanish Harlem was one of the hardest hit areas in the 1960s and 1970s as New York City struggled with deficits, race riots, urban flight, drug abuse, crime and poverty. Tenements were crowded, poorly maintained and frequent targets for arson. The area still has some of the worst problems with poverty, drug abuse and public health in New York City. Latin Kings are extremely prevalent in Spanish Harlem. The Latin Kings are the oldest largest and most organized Hispanic Street Gang which has its roots dating back to the 1940s in Chicago Illinois However, like the rest of New York, it has enjoyed a resurgence in terms of construction in the past two decades.

With the growth of the Latino population, the neighborhood is expanding. It is also home to one of the few major television studios north of midtown, Metropolis (106th St. and Park Ave. ), where shows like BET's 106 & Park and Chappelle's Show have been produced. Chappelle's Show is an American Comedy Television The major medical care provider to both East Harlem and the Upper East Side is the Mount Sinai Hospital, which has long provided tertiary care to the residents of Harlem. This page is about a hospital in New York For other uses please see disambiguation pages for Mount Sinai or Mount Sinai Hospital. Many of the graduates of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine make careers out of East Harlem public health initiatives including the battle against asthma, diabetes, unsafe drinking water, lead paint and infectious disease. This page is about a medical school in New York For other uses please see Mount Sinai (disambiguation Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Many famous artists have lived and worked in Spanish Harlem, including the renowned timbalero Tito Puente (110th Street was renamed “Tito Puente Way”), Jazz legend Ray Barretto and one of Puerto Rico’s most famous poets, Julia de Burgos among others. Tito Puente Sr, ( April 20, 1923 &ndash May 31, 2000) born Ernesto Antonio Puente Jr Ray Barretto aka King of the Hard Hands ( April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) was a Grammy Award-winning Puerto Julia de Burgos ( February 17, 1914 &ndash July 6, 1953) is considered by many as the greatest poet to have been born in Puerto Rico Piri Thomas wrote a best-selling autobiography titled, "Down These Mean Streets" in 1967. Piri Thomas ( September 30, 1928) is a Writer and Poet whose Autobiography Down These Mean Streets became

The Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts serves as a focus for theatre, dance, and musical performance in the neighborhood, as well as its hosting the annual competition to award the Charlie Palmieri Memorial Piano Scholarship, a scholarship established in Palmieri's memory by Tito Puente for the benefit of intermediate and advanced young (12-25) pianists' study of Latin-style piano. The Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts is a Performing arts center in Spanish Harlem, New York, New York. Charlie Palmieri, also known as " The Giant of the Keyboards " ( November 21, 1927 - September 12, 1988) was a renowned Charlie Palmieri, also known as " The Giant of the Keyboards " ( November 21, 1927 - September 12, 1988) was a renowned Tito Puente Sr, ( April 20, 1923 &ndash May 31, 2000) born Ernesto Antonio Puente Jr [4]

El Museo del Barrio, a museum of Latin American and Caribbean art and culture is located on nearby Museum Mile and endeavors to serve some of the cultural needs of the neighboring community. Founded in 1969 by a group of Puerto Rican artists educatorscommunity activists and civic leaders El Museo del Barrio is located at the top of Museum Mile in New York There is a diverse collection of religious institutions within the confines of East Harlem: from mosques, a Greek Orthodox monastery, several Roman Catholic churches, including Holy Rosary Parish-East Harlem, and a traditional Russian Orthodox church. The Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Rosary at 444 East 119th St See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure

Despite the moniker of "Spanish Harlem" or "El Barrio," the region is now home to a new influx of immigrants from around the world. Yemeni merchants, for example, work in bodegas alongside immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Italians live next to the influx of Central and South American immigrant populations. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Other businessmen and local neighbors can be Korean, Chinese or Haitian in origin. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: The rising price of living in Manhattan has also caused increasing numbers of young urban professionals, mainly Caucasians, to move in and take advantage of the inexpensive rents, relative to the adjacent neighborhoods of Yorkville and the Upper East Side. Yorkville is a neighborhood within the Upper East Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River.

Social problems

Many social problems associated with poverty from crime to drug addiction have plagued the area for some time. Despite crime declines versus their peaks during the crack and heroin epidemics violent crime continues to be a serious problem in the community. [5][6] Spanish Harlem has significantly higher drop out rates and incidents of violence in its schools. [7] Students must pass through metal detectors and swipe ID cards to enter the buildings. Other problems in local schools include low test scores and high truancy rates. Drug addiction is also a serious problem in the community. Many households in the area are headed by a single mother which contributes to the high poverty rate. [8] Many of the families living in Spanish Harlem have been in poverty for generations. The incarceration rate in the area is also very high. [9] Many if not most males in the community have been arrested at some point in their lives. This has a direct correlation to aggressive policing tactics including "sweeps" due to the area's high crime rate. Spanish Harlem is home to a significant number of inmates currently held in New York state prison and jail facilities. With a decrease in affordable housing, homelessness has become a worsening problem. Many families double or triple up in a single apartment, relocate to other neighborhoods, or leave the city completely.

Urban renewal

After a wave of arson ravaged the low income communities of New York City throughout the 1970's and "planned shrinkage" policies, many of the residential structures in Spanish Harlem were left seriously damaged or destroyed. Planned shrinkage is a United States policy of withdrawing essential city services (such as police patrols garbage removal street repairs and fire services from By the late 1970's, the city began to rehabilitate many abandoned tenement style buildings and designate them low income housing.

Gentrification

In recent years, property values in Spanish Harlem have climbed along with the rest of the Manhattan and the metro area. Many people priced out of more affluent sections of the city have begun to look at Spanish Harlem as an up and coming area due to the neighborhood's proximity to Manhattan's core and subway accessibility. With increased market rate housing, including luxury condos and co-ops, there has been a severe decline of affordable housing in the community. White non-Hispanic young professionals have settled in the newly constructed buildings. Many believe that Spanish Harlem real estate developers hoping for a wave of gentrification, wish to displace current low income and long time residents. This has created tension in the community.

Land use and terrain

Spanish Harlem is dominated by public housing complexes of various types. There is a high concentration of older tenement buildings between these developments. Newly constructed apartment buildings have been constructed on vacant lots in the area. The neighborhood contains the highest geographical concentration of low income public housing projects in the United States. The total land area is 2. 2 square miles.

Low income public housing projects

There are twenty-two NYCHA developments located in Spanish Harlem. [10]

  1. 335 East 111th Street; one, 6-story building.
  2. East 120th Street Rehab; one, 6-story rehabilitated tenement building.
  3. East River Houses; ten buildings, 6, 10 and 11-stories tall.
  4. Edward Corsi Houses; one, 16-story building.
  5. Gaylord White Houses; one, 20-story building.
  6. George Washington Carver Houses; 13 buildings, 6 and 15-stories tall.
  7. Governor Dewitt Clinton Houses; six buildings, 9 and 18-stories tall.
  8. Jackie Robinson Houses; one, 8-story building.
  9. James Weldon Johnson; ten, 14-story buildings.
  10. Lexington Houses; four, 14-story buildings.
  11. Metro North Plaza; three buildings, 7, 8, and 11-stories tall.
  12. Metro North Rehab; seventeen, 6-story rehabilitated tenement buildings.
  13. Milbank-Frawley; two rehabilitated tenement buildings 5 and 6-stories tall.
  14. Park Avenue-East 122nd, 123rd Streets; two, 6-story buildings.
  15. President Abraham Lincoln; fourteen buildings, 6 and 14-stories tall.
  16. President George Washington Houses; fourteen buildings, 12 and 14-stories tall.
  17. President Thomas Jefferson Houses; eighteen buildings, 7, 13 and 14-stories tall.
  18. President Woodrow Wilson Houses; three, 20-story buildings.
  19. Senator Robert A. Taft; nine, 19-story buildings.
  20. Senator Robert F. Wagner, Sr. ; twenty-two buildings, 7 and 16-stories tall.
  21. U. P. A. C. A. (Upper Park Avenue Community Association) Site 6; one, 12-story building.
  22. U. P. A. C. A. . (Upper Park Avenue Community Association) U. R. A. Site 5; one, 11-story building.

See also

External links

Further reading

References

  1. ^ Hinds, Michael DeCourcy. "BATTLING TO CONTROL E. 96TH GROWTH", The New York Times, May 13, 1984. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Accessed December 5, 2007. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. "EAST 96TH STREET is not just a dead piece of real estate - it is a socially important corridor, said August Heckscher. With El Barrio to the north and Yorkville to the south, it could be the meeting place of two cultures, a river into which both flow. "
  2. ^ Lee, Denny. "NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: EAST HARLEM; A 'Museo' Moves Away From Its Barrio Identity", The New York Times, July 21, 2002. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Accessed December 5, 2007. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. "The neighborhood north of East 96th Street is sometimes called East Harlem or Spanish Harlem, but local Puerto Ricans affectionately call it El Barrio. "
  3. ^ Manhattan Community District 11
  4. ^ Article on the Charlie Palmieri Memorial Piano Scholarship at Boricua. Charlie Palmieri, also known as " The Giant of the Keyboards " ( November 21, 1927 - September 12, 1988) was a renowned com
  5. ^ 23rd Precinct CompStat Report
  6. ^ 25th Precinct CompStat Report
  7. ^ NYC Dropout Rates
  8. ^ Poverty Concentrations in New York City
  9. ^ NYC Prison Expenditure
  10. ^ NYCHA
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