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East Harlem, New York, United States - Current Time
11:05 AM EDT on Wednesday, May 22
Area code. 212, 332, 646, and 917. East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or El Barrio, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City, north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue to the west, and the East and Harlem Rivers to the east and north.
1 day ago · The East Harlem neighborhood just north of the Upper East Side, also known as El Barrio, is one of the city’s most vibrant areas. It has plenty to offer in terms of history, art, culture...
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Key Details. WHAT TO EXPECT. A day-to-day lifestyle steeped in local-feeling routine and community pride. THE LIFESTYLE. Casual and familiar. Family-owned restaurants and businesses add to the “know-your-neighbor” vibe. WHAT NOT TO EXPECT. An upscale nightlife and dining scene or short downtown commutes. THE MARKET. Affordable.
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Known for its civil rights history, soul food and thriving music scene, Harlem is attracting a new wave of travellers keen to appreciate the community and culture of New York’s most influential Black neighbourhood.
This article was adapted from National Geographic Traveller (UK).
“I started running errands here after school and on weekends in 1965,” reminisces Billy Mitchell, as he swings open the auditorium doors. “And before I knew it, I’m meeting all these wonderful people. The Temptations. The Supremes. James Brown and Marvin Gaye took a real liking to me — especially Mr Brown. He’d ask how my schoolwork was going.”
It’s a 30C morning in mid-June, but we’ve escaped the oppressive heat in the cool embrace of the Apollo Theater. Empty red seats cascade around us; lights illuminate the stage, set for tonight’s show. It’s a scene Billy, an Apollo veteran and ambassador of nearly 60 years, has seen many times. But as a rookie, I’m entranced by the storied space, and by Billy’s genuine charm; he’s met everyone in the music business and yet talks about it with the same kind of casual ease that I might discuss lunch plans. Though he is, after all, a local celebrity in his own right. He’s Mr Apollo.
“I’ve never called myself that you know,” Billy continues, “but the village of Harlem has chosen to call me that. I’m very grateful, of course. The theatre has always been a beacon of pride for this neighbourhood.”
Harlem, a 45-block stretch from Central Park to 155th Street — clipped by Fifth Avenue to the east and the Hudson River to the west — isn’t somewhere many first-time New York City visitors see. Or even second-time visitors. But of those who finally do put in the effort to come to this distinctive uptown pocket, most wonder what took them so long.
Just 20 minutes later, the park is a leafy memory and I feel the city pressing in. I’m down on sun-baked W125th Street, and despite the pulsating summer heat, the pavement is heaving. Street vendors hawk sunglasses and phone cases. Enticing aromas from street food stalls curl through the air. Ahead, cloaked in scaffolding, is the Victoria Theater — a sister project to the Apollo, under renovation to become an arts facility. It’s just one of many new cultural projects currently underway in Harlem; 2024 will also see the launch of the area’s reimagined Studio Museum, a celebration of Black artists.
That’s not all I see. As I push through the crowds to Malcolm X Boulevard, I pass adverts for glossy new condos and spot a branch of Whole Foods Market. Harlem property prices are skyrocketing, new people are moving in and — as is so often the case — locals are being squeezed out. Billy was measured in his comments about the change, noting that Harlem has always been diverse and that it was Dutch, Italian and Jewish before it was African American. But not everyone is as restrained. Passing a church a few blocks south, I pause to take in the words on the large letter board sign: Stop The Gentrifiers.
Gentrification in Harlem is a complicated, multifaceted issue. It’s tricky to pinpoint the biggest threat to the established local identity: as the area becomes more affluent, is the real concern Harlem’s changing class or its changing colour?
It’s a fact that Harlem’s getting whiter. But in turn, there’s also a growth in new-wave Black-owned businesses that celebrate Harlem’s unique identity, promoting its culture and keeping money in local pockets. Chic and millennial-friendly, these businesses are turning the area trendy. Ethiopian-Swedish celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson changed the landscape when he opened his Red Rooster restaurant here in 2010. He believes in the neighbourhood and its culture, and employs locals. His menu of soul food classics — cornbread, chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits — riffs off the staples served at more retro neighbourhood joints, like Sylvia’s, a few doors down.
Curled up in one of Red Rooster’s restaurant booths, I devour devilled eggs topped with ‘po’boy’ hummus, crisp pan-fried catfish with black-eyed peas, and, best of all, juicy fried chicken (‘yardbird’, in the restaurant’s lingo), drizzled in sticky honey.
Many smaller businesses shout loud and proud about their Harlem connections. I sink an afternoon pint at Manhattan’s first 100% African American-owned craft beer bar, Harlem Hops. At Sugar Hill Creamery, I try delicious honey and lavender ice cream — crafted by long-time locals Petrushka Bazin Larsen and Nick Larsen.
Harlem is awash with markets. Visit the daily Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market, selling clothing, instruments and other wares sourced from across Africa. On Saturdays, there’s a farmers’ market in rambling Morningside Park. Or, on the second Thursday of the month (April to November), visit the Uptown Night Market, a trendy food event in West Harlem with more than 50 vendors.
Want to see jazz the way Harlem locals do? Besides established spots like Minton’s Playhouse and Bill’s Place, check out the roaming Jazzmobile, which puts on pop-up events throughout the area.
Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic fly direct to New York’s JFK from UK terminals including Edinburgh, Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester.
Average flight time: 8h.
There’s no bad season to visit New York, but from late spring to early autumn you’ll see Harlem really come to life — its parks are lush and there’s plenty of al fresco dining and outdoor festivities (especially over Juneteenth, celebrated on 19 June). July and August can get very hot in the city, with temperatures averaging 26C, which can make exp...
Aloft Harlem. From £128, B&B.
The Harlem Flophouse. From £209 for two nights, room only.
NYC The Official Guide. nycgo.com
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead. RRP: £16.99
America As You Like It has seven nights at the Aloft Harlem, B&B, from £1,653 per person, including return flights.
Published in the October 2022 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK)
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Aug 20, 2020 · We “met” on 120th Street, on the south side of Marcus Garvey Park, another city landmark designed around a spectacular eruption of Manhattan schist — with a 47-foot-high watchtower from the ...
East Harlem is a neighborhood in the northeastern part of Manhattan. Originally part of the Lenape tribe's territory, the land was eventually settled by Dutch farmers in the 17th century. Over time, waves of immigrants moved into the neighborhood, including German, Italian, and Eastern European communities.
East Harlem. Commonly known as “El Barrio,” East Harlem has a strong Latin, Caribbean and African American presence. The influence of those communities reflected in the neighborhood’s cultural institutions, shops and restaurants. Numerous parks and works of public art add to the allure.
