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West Harlem



  

History


West Harlem comprises a large portion of Upper West Side Manhattan. Starting around west 135th street and continuing for another twenty blocks to west 155th street. This area has a long and rich history stretching back 350 years to the time of the Dutch colonization of the North East. In 1658 the Village of New Harlem was founded by Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant. In 1664 control of Harlem passed to the English. Over the next 200 years Harlem remained separate from the city and became know as an area of rich estates and plantations. Slowly this came to an end as the first West Harlem real estate boom began. Most of the plantations were broken up and sold piece by piece. With the construction of the Croton Water Aqueduct in 1854 the rural calm of Harlem was finally broken marking the beginning of urbanization in the area.

Cheap West Harlem rentals began to attract new immigrants to the area. These west Harlem apartments often took the form of flats. 1904 was the year when West Harlem’s black population began to boom. By the 1920’s West Harlem grew to become a black cultural center unlike any that had been seen before. Jazz clubs began opening and famous Jazz musicians such as Duke Elliginton began their rise to fame. On January, 26th 1934 the world famous Apollo Theater opened its doors. Located on 125th street, the Apollo Theater is one of the most famous black cultural landmarks in the world. The cultural influence of West Harlem continues to this day hip-hop the most prominent form of popular music today got its start here in the 1970’s. Youth began gathering in the playgrounds for parties. Large public address systems would be set up soon MCs began rapping over the DJs. This launched a cultural revolution even larger than the jazz revolution of the 1920’s

Description


West Harlem is located in a very urban area of upper Manhattan. There are plenty of parks and playgrounds. There is also no shortage of shopping. The area is serviced by many bus routes and subway lines.

Residents


West Harlem is composed mostly of working class families. It has a very large minority population. It is one of the few areas left in the city where working class families thrive.

Rental Housing


West Harlem rental prices range from $1.90 to $3.10$ a square foot.  West Harlem is composed mostly of apartment buildings. There are also row houses and townhouses for rent in some areas. It is still one of the most affordable areas of the city. There is never a shortage of affordable West Harlem apartments for rent.

Fun Stuff


Located in Manhattan there is no shortage of entertainment available to residents of West Harlem. The entire city is a bus or subway ride away. The area is also home to many historic jazz clubs. There are area is brimming with historic locations.