The Black Mecca of The WorldHarlem is a large neighbourhood within the northern section of the New York City borough of Manhattan. Since the 1920s, Harlem has been known as a major African-American residential, cultural and business centre.
|
A Little HistoryHarlem was originally settled by the Dutch in 1658, it was manly farmland or left undeveloped territory for about 200 years. As populations were incearsed with the immigration of Irish, German, Italian and Jewish citizens the settlement expanded. In the 1880's the elevated railways of New York were extended north, encouraging the settling northwards. With the development of transportation there was a boom in the building of housing projects and apartment buildings that took their place in the New York skyline. In 1893 with the national recession the movement of people slowed causing real estate sales to hit rock bottom. With the recovery of economy in 1895 the development of the northern neighbourhoods took off once again. With the Completion of the Lenox Avenue IRT Subway Line in 1904 people of lower Manhattan started to move North. Developers over estimated the number of new residents. Real estate agent and entrepreneur Phillip A. Payton had the idea of leasing or sale the empty housing to black tenants. In 1930's after the idea was excepted Payton began to moving the Black Tenants. Phillip A. Payton is considered as the father of Black Harlem.
|
Alaina