North of 110th Street, the neighborhood of Harlem covers some six square miles and has been one of America's preeminent African American communities for decades. Divided by Fifth Avenue into Harlem and East Harlem, the overall neighborhood, which also includes Spanish Harlem, has a long history that has seen its share of both high and low points. To get to Harlem, take the A, D, 1, or 9 train to 125th Street. The 2 and 3 also stop at Lenox Avenue.

Harlem's Dutch Roots

Originally a Dutch settlement back in 1658 (called Nieuw Haarlem), the area grew into an affluent section of the city in the 1800s, with estates, farms, and even plantations. If they became successful, immigrants from the Lower East Side commonly moved north to this rapidly growing area.

It was thought that the new subway lines of the early 1900s would further the growth of this area by making Harlem more easily accessible from the rest of the city. With that in mind, developers began constructing more apartment buildings throughout the neighborhood. The buildings, however, did not fill up. A developer named Phillip Payton bought up many of these empty properties and began turning them over to hundreds of black families, hard pressed for housing in the city. By 1915, nearly a quarter of a million black families had moved in, and an equal number of white families had moved out.

By the 1920s, Harlem was the largest black community in the United States and gave birth to the Harlem Renaissance. Harlem was filled with popular nightspots, including the famous Cotton Club, which is still in business. Jazz greats could be seen and heard performing all over the neighborhood. White audiences traveled north to hear the likes of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway. Literary legends like Langston Hughes and James Baldwin also grew up in this thriving community.

Harlem's fortunes faltered after the stock market crash and the Great Depression. The area declined in the following decades, and the neighborhood became known for its high rates of crime and drug abuse. Recently, Harlem has begun to fight back and is once again emerging as a cultural center. The famed Apollo Theater returned, and restaurants, clubs, parks, and new housing finally began to crop up again in Harlem in the 1990s. Developers are going full tilt, and national retailers have established outlets where none existed before. Today, Harlem is a busy, growing community once again.

A Visit to Harlem

Stop at the classic Apollo Theater on 125th Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues. It's one of the neighborhood's greatest landmarks and has seen a long list of legendary performers in its nearly century-old history. Catch a show (particularly on amateur night) or take the tour. Another option is to see a production at the National Black Theater on Fifth Avenue between 125th and 126th streets (212-722-3800).

Browse the Studio Museum; it features a history of Harlem on Lenox Avenue between 125th and 126th streets. Stop at the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture on Lenox Avenue at 135th Street.

Have a weekend gospel brunch at the new rendition of the old Cotton Club on West 125th Street ($32 per person), or enjoy the finest soul food in town at Sylvia's, on Lenox and 126th Street (see page 334).

Take a trip west to Riverside Drive at 120th Street and visit Riverside Church, with its 400-foot carillon tower and a spectacular view looking out over the Hudson River.

Take a tour featuring the gospel music of Harlem.