Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HARLEM AND NORTH MANHATTAN
The most famous black community in America, Harlem has been the bedrock of
African-American culture since the 1920s, when poets, activists and jazz blended in the
Harlem Renaissance. Though it acquired a notoriety for street crime in the 1970s, it is
now a neighbourhood on the rise. Indeed, Harlem's streets are as safe as any other in
New York. Though most tourists still visit Harlem solely to see its wonderful Gospel
choirs on Sundays, you'll also find some fabulous West African and soul-food restaur-
ants, a vibrant local jazz scene, plenty of historic sights and some of the prettiest streets
in the city. Explore African-American history at the Schomburg Center, or visit contem-
porary temples of black culture: the Apollo Theater and Abyssinian Baptist Church.
North of Harlem lies Washington Heights and Inwood, home to the largest Dominican
population in the United States.
