Harlem

We've all seen movies and TV series about African Americans living in Harlem. What was a mecca for African Americans for over one hundred years is now recovering the cultural and artistic status it enjoyed before the Great Depression. The district can trace its history back to 1890, when Irish, Italian and Jewish families moved en masse to the Uptown area. But even after these waves of immigration, many houses stood empty, and black families from the south of the country rushed to fill the gap. By 1920, Harlem had become an important center for the black community.

Today, however, Harlem is dominated by the Jewish diaspora, almost a Little Israel in America.

We took the Gray Line Tour bus to Harlem, the historic black neighborhood in Manhattan. Our first stop was in front of the Dakota Building, famous not only for its luxurious apartments, but also because it was where John Lennon was murdered in 1980. This building had been declared a Historical Heritage in 1973. From there we took West Central Park Drive to the first wooden homes that were built in Harlem, followed by Jumel Morris Mansion, which dates back to 1765 and is the oldest house in Manhattan. It is now a historical museum, and once accommodated George Washington during the War of Independence.

Having family in NY has been a tremendous asset, not only for housing, but also for finding great places and neighborhoods that are off the beaten path. They moved around quite a bit which is how in 2005 they moved to a small and cozy townhouse in Harlem. Television and movies make this neighborhood seem bad but that isn't the case. The first day we went to Central Park to the Harlem Meer to enjoy the snow that had just fallen. We got to see a little of the neighborhood and what we saw was old men chatting under the sun, people going to work, the children going to school, etc. It certainly wasn't as glamorous as other parts of New York but it didn't feel at all miserable or unsafe either.

One of the most genuine New York neighborhoods, where you spot charming facades seen so often in the movies, enjoy a gospel worship or eat at Silvia restaurant with live music and the most authentic sound you can imagine. There is nothing dangerous during daylight hours.