Gentrification in Harlem
Harlem, settled in 1658 by the Dutch for its beautiful, rich land and perfect trade location. Harlem, where in the mid-1800s saw an overwhelming surge of factories and tenement buildings crowding the area, attracting new faces to the neighborhood. Harlem, a place of despair and depletion of a middle class in the early 1900s allowing for affordable housing for African-Americans. Harlem, the center for the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and the center of gentrification today.
Founded by Nieuw Haarlem, a Dutch settler, the land was a perfect location to start a booming civilization. At the time, Haarlem did not know that a Starbucks or other high-end businesses would be established on his turnip, pea, clover, and grain farms. In the beginning, the area was simply a great location for trade, fishing, and long-term living (Encyclopedia of the Nations) . There was not one reason to migrate elsewhere. However, soon after the Dutch settled, they were over-taken by the English.
The 1800s were a more exciting time in the early history of Harlem. Many European immigrants infiltrated the area and moved into the newly developed tenement buildings found right off Malcolm X Boulevard today. The cause, a rail line, called the New York and Harlem Railroad (BG 438), recently was laid through Harlem causing an influx of these tenements. Many Jewish immigrants settled in the tenements around the railroad and became the dominant population in the area. Evidence of their prominence is a synagogue built in 1907, which is now named the Mount Olivet Baptist Church. The area continued growing in population until the beginning of World War I when constructing new buildings came to a sudden stop. Efforts towards assisting the military made the country change its priorities and many were drafted to fight in the war (Gurock) .
After the first Great War, the Jewish population began to migrate outside the city limits and a new wave of inhabitants began to fill the tenement buildings, African Americans. Realtors at first could not find upper-middle class people to rent to, giving blacks the opportunity to live in a good area at a cost. Although rent was high, it was an opportunity one could not pass up. Post-war migration to Harlem pushed most of the Jewish population out allowing for many African Americans to move in. It was this movement and this economic step forward that gained appeal from southern blacks to come to New York (Gurock) . Over time, the area became predominantly black, which is true to this day.
Considering historical importance to the Civil Rights era in American history, Harlem is a place that has seen a sense of belonging, an attachment made between the people and the land. Since settling in Harlem, the African American community has called the northern tip of Manhattan home. There are no worries of getting pushed out or being forced to migrate. They are satisfied and humble (White) . In recent years, the area has seen a change; for better or worse cannot be determined as of yet. Depending on which perspective from which one looks, there could be an upswing to the economic aspect but a descending value in the sense of belonging. African Americans who live in Harlem are still part of the lower to middle class and are not able to eat at upscale restaurants or afford to purchase Starbucks on a daily basis. They are seeing places spring up all around them so they are beginning to lose touch with history. Gentrification has a way of doing this.
In response to property values rising (BG 438), there has been increase in the volume of middle class residents moving in. This allows for the real estate owners to renovate older brownstones to attract even more of the middle class tenants. If a potential tenant comes down a street and sees run-down buildings, they become quickly repulsed by the area. If they drive or walk down a tree-lined street with renovated brownstones and an exquisite French restaurant on the corner, they may be persuaded to live there. Harlem is still in the beginning stages of gentrification but it is definitely prevalent. Harlem is still a predominantly African American community, but there is a noticeable influx of other races and ethnicities.
Gentrification takes time and does not occur over night. Another area near Harlem that has experienced change is Spanish Harlem. There has been the infusion of more expensive restaurants and many building facelifts and renovations. This proves that the neighborhood, once again, is changing. Called El Barrio, Spanish Harlem is seeing more of a Dominican and Mexican presence, but Puerto Ricans remain the overwhelming majority. Similar to Harlem’s belongingness, El Barrio’s inhabitants have made the area their home. It is a place where Puerto Ricans can come and feel as if they never left their country. There are people playing Dominos outside and the smell of delicious food in the air. This feeling helps in the transition from one culture to the next. Hopefully gentrification assists the communities, and does not destroy them.
Works Cited
Blue Guide New York. Taunton: Blue Guides Limited, 2008. 438.
Encyclopedia of the Nations. "The Netherlands - Agriculture." 2011. 30 October 2011 <http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Europe/The-Netherlands-AGRICULTURE.html>.
Gurock, Jeffrey S. "When Harlem Was Jewish, 1870-1930." 1979. C250 Celebrates Harlem History. 30 October 2011 <http://c250.columbia.edu/c250_celebrates/harlem_history/jewish_excerpt.html>.
White, Khadija. "Bangclash: Belongingness and the Harlem Drummers." 30 October 2011 <http://www.sas.upenn.edu/dcc/workshops/documents/White-DCC.pdf>.
