Harlem has always had social borders that went beyond official political lines of the neighborhood. West Harlem is a good case study since most consider Sugar Hill up by St. Nicholas as being in Harlem. For the most part, the historic neighborhood that starts right above 145th Street and ends at the crest of the hill at 161st Street, is in Harlem. The only thing to point out here is that Harlem's most northern border ends at 155th Street from river to river. So basically the last half dozen blocks within the Sugar Hill District is officially not in Harlem but don't say that to the folks that live there since they will give you a different story.
Then there is Morninside Heights which stretches from 110th Street to 122nd Street along the Broadway corridor. According to the
Community Board 9 website, West Harlem consists of Morningside Heights, Manhattanville and Hamilton Heights. Once again, if one were to ask the residents of Harlem if the Columbia Universtity campus blocks were part of Harlem, one would probably hear a contrary comment.
I always liked the name Harlem with it’s Dutch heritage even though the term Harlem gives the impression everything above 110th street is the same, which we know is far from the case. Although we have many distinct neighborhoods within Harlem (Sugar Hill, Hamilton Heights etc) I find those names rarely used except by the residents themselves. Especially within the greater Manhattan, everything uptown is still referred to as Harlem. As more people discover and learn of Harlem, its sub neighborhoods and characteristics may become better known to all New Yorkers.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, I had always herd that Harlem went "around" Columbia University. No matter where the buildings were located, Columbia was not a part of Harlem, however any building not associated with Columbia, but near by or even connected could be considered to be in Harlem.
ReplyDeleteAs a life-long Harlemite, I've always considered Columbia as part of Harlem. In my experience, it's usually Columbia and those new to Harlem that don't think it is.
ReplyDeleteI grew up on 118th St. between Morningside and Manhattan aves. and way later in life I was told that in my block and around on Manhattan ave. that Columbia University owned most of those buildings.
DeleteThis just goes to show how neighborhood boundaries in this city are completely arbitrary and subjective.
ReplyDeletePerhaps this is the contemporary legal conception of Harlem, but if you incorporate Sugar Hill -- which has traditionally been part of Harlem -- then you must include the Coogan's Bluff neighborhood, which is north of 155th St. I don't think the city got it wrong when they co-named 160th Street Count Basie Place and Edgecombe Avenue Paul Robeson Boulevard. I doubt if those peeps thought they were living in Washington Heights. Don't believe me? Consider this NY Times source:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/06/realestate/living-in-sugar-hill-reclaiming-a-place-where-the-music-once-played.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
As Harlem develops new distinct neighborhoods are evolving with their own unique characteristics, namely, the vibrant upper Lenox restaurant row scene, also lower Lenox near Mount Morris Park with it’s stunning architecture and restaurants, lastly Frederick Douglass Boulevard with it’s canyon of new condos and restaurants. Maybe each of these will gain a name over time, only please do not let it be an acronym like noha.
ReplyDeleteThis is all very, very interesting. I was born on West 164th St. & Edgecombe Avenue back in 1953 and have lived here all these many years since. I can tell you that as children & adolescents when we were asked what part of Manhattan we lived in we would proudly responded; "Up on the 'hill.' Or; "...on top of the 'hill' as in Sugar Hill. I am an alumnus of St. Catherine of Genoa School & the nuns all told us that we were in Harlem. I am an alumnus of Bishop DuBois HS and the Christian Bros of Ireland who taught us all referred to the schools location as being in Harlem. I can remember as a young boy buying pastries from Wilson's on West 159th St. and hearing Jazz singer Joe Williams exclaim; "I love it here in Harlem." He lived on West 159th St. as did comedian Timmy Rodgers. I remember that the district line was drawn back from West 159th St. to West 155th St. sometime around 1970 or the time when Rangel was running against Adam Clayton Powell Jr. My grandparents moved from West 111th St. b/t ACP Blvd & St. Nicholas Avenue in 1952 because Harlem was "changing" (for the worse). Harlem in 1952 really was a place to escape from. Now everyone including moi wants to live there but can't afford to.
ReplyDeleteWhen Madame Jumel lived on West 160th St. & Jumel Terrace in the 19th century she often referred to her "...house in Harlem"
One wishes that the City Council would intervene and draw distinct lines for these distinct communities because as communities improve and its residents become more and more stewards and proprietors of their communities, the idea of who is and who isn't a bona fide resident of a favoured community can lead to conflicts.
I've lived briefly in other countries over the years and when people in those countries ask me where I'm from I have always responded; "Washington Heights."
Uptown is Harlem to me !
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