Overview

First settled in 1637, this neighborhood has a long and rich history. After the Dutch immigrants of the 17th century and the Jewish immigrants of the 19th century, a wave of American blacks from the south arrived in the 1920s. During the prohibition, Harlem developed a well-deserved reputation for good music, good food and speakeasy clubs that attracted a largely Midtown white crowd. Meanwhile, Harlem's black writers and artists spearheaded the cultural Harlem Renaissance. After some hard times in recent decades, the neighborhood is undergoing a true economic revival.