Click to see the map of Harlem

Dutch settlers founded Harlem, a 5 1/2 square mile area north of Central Park, in 1658. For two centuries, it was essentially farmland where prominent New Yorkers had large country estates. Harlem was developed during the1880's, when elevated railroads made the area accessible to downtown New Yorkers. These included residents of English, Dutch, and German descent. For thirty years, Harlem was New York's most fashionable neighborhood, boasting an opera house (founded by Oscar Hammerstein in 1889), a philharmonic orchestra, and a yacht club.

Central Harlem became a Black neighborhood between 1910 and 1920 when its real estate market collapsed, leaving scores of new apartment buildings empty. To find tenants, landlords opened up the area to African Americans, who were leaving the southern states in search of a better life. By 1914, Harlem's population reached 50,000, and between 1920 and 1930, the number quadrupled.

In the 1960's, Harlem's population declined due to social problems and the relocation of many Harlemites to other neighborhoods. In the 1970's, its housing stock deteriorated as landlords abandoned their properties.

The 1980's saw the beginning of a rebirth as a massive program of redevelopment began. Harlem became a major tourist attraction as travelers added it to their list of sightseeing "musts," flocking to its churches, nightclubs, restaurants, and museums.