neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City
A church in Harlem

Harlem is a big neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It was a village independent of New York City until 1873. Most of the people in Central Harlem are African-American. Most of the people in West and East Harlem are Hispanic.[1]

It started as a Dutch village called Nieuw Haarlem. It was named for the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands.

In the 19th century it became an industrial suburb. In the 1920s the Harlem Renaissance happened in Harlem.

There is a lot of crime in Harlem, but there is becoming less. The most common cause of death for young black males there is getting murdered.


  1. "Spanish Harlem New York City.com : Profile". NYC.com.

Coordinates: 40°48′32″N 73°56′54″W﻿ / ﻿40.80889°N 73.94833°W﻿ / 40.80889; -73.94833