Harlem, located between 110th and 155th Streets from the East River to the Hudson River, is the centre of African-American culture in New York, and arguably, the country. It is made up of several smaller neighbourhoods, including Hamilton Heights, Manhattanville, Striver’s Row and Sugar Hill.

Spanish Harlem is located between 96th and 141st Streets, from the East River to Fifth Avenue. Many of the residents are Puerto Rican, and it has become one of the largest Hispanic communities in New York City. Spanish Harlem, however, is by no means a homogenous area – it is alive with the cultures of immigrants from all over the world. Formerly known as Italian Harlem, the area now has few Italian residents.

Accommodation

For some years now Harlem has been undergoing rigorous gentrification and revitalisation, which has done wonders for crime rates but unfortunately housing prices in this area have tripled in the past few years. The streets of Harlem are home to some of New York’s best architecture and classic brownstones. There are several condos and co-ops under construction, and these will possibly be available within 2007. Striver’s Row features some upscale (and very expensive) homes, but if you have a good look around north of that, you may get lucky and find a brownstone at a great price (but it will be a fixer-upper). Housing in Spanish Harlem is architecturally much the same as that of Harlem, with slightly lower prices.

Shopping & Amenities

The neighbourhood features some great shopping and services, with plenty of specialist stores carrying items that will remind its multi-cultural residents of home. On West 116th Street there is an enormous open-air market called the Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market, a great place to find African artefacts and clothing.

Entertainment & Leisure

There is much to see and do in Harlem. The Studio Museum of Harlem (www.studiomuseum.org) showcases some amazing African-American art, and the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture (212 491 2200) has a collection of five million books and documents on black history. Check out some traditional gospel music at a Sunday service in one of Harlem’s 400 churches. Like Harlem, Spanish Harlem is also the location of several houses of worship, including Catholic churches, mosques, Greek Orthodox churches and a Russian Orthodox church.

Harlem is also the location of the historical Apollo Theater (www.apollotheater.com), which hosts a televised amateur night. The Hue-man Bookstore and Café (www.huemanbookstore.com) features a huge selection of children’s books and hosts book readings and other special events almost every evening. And Sylvia’s Soul Food, located at 328 Lenox Avenue, is a famous tourist stop serving some of the best
soul food in New York.

In Spanish Harlem there is a thriving art community, featured at museums such as El Museo del Barrio (www.elmuseo.org), which displays the works of Latin American and Caribbean artists.

Health

Hospitals serving the residents of Harlem include Harlem Hospital at 506 Lenox Avenue (www.harleminternalmedicine.org) and North General Hospital at 1879 Madison Avenue (www.northgeneral.org). The closest hospital for residents for Spanish Harlem is Mount Sinai Hospital, located at 1190 Fifth Avenue. The phone number is 212 241 6500, and the website is www.mountsinai.org.

Education

There are several schools in Harlem, including PS 30, PS 154, All Saint’s School (Pre-Kindergarten to the Eighth grade) and the Rice High School (for boys). Harlem is also known for its large number of charter schools. These schools are publicly funded elementary and secondary schools that do not have to follow all of the rules and regulations of other public schools. They instead must adhere to their own charters in order to continue to receive funding. Schools in Spanish Harlem include mostly public schools, including PS 108 and PS 50. However, The Harlem School of the Arts is also located here (www.harlemschoolofthearts.org).

Traffic & Public Transport

Harlem is easily accessible by train. Trains to Harlem include: A, B, C, D, 2 and 3. Trains to Spanish Harlem include: 4, 5, 6.

Safety & Annoyances

Crime rates in parts of Harlem top those in most other areas of Manhattan, although there has been significant improvement in recent years.