photograph

Spanish Harlem

street scene in Spanish Harlem

Spanish Harlem

East Harlem, also know as Spanish Harlem or El Barrio is a neighborhood in upper Manhattan, New York City. The neighborhood is one of the largest predominantly Latino communities in New York City, mostly made up of Puerto Ricans, as well as sizable numbers of Dominican, Cuban and Mexican immigrants. It includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, in which the remnants of a once predominantly Italian community remain. The Chinese population has increased dramatically in East Harlem since 2000.

East Harlem has historically suffered from many social issues, such as the highest jobless rate in New York City, teenage pregnancy, AIDS, drug abuse, homelessness, and an asthma rate five times the national average. It has the second highest concentration of public housing in the United States, closely following Brownsville, Brooklyn.

Police services to the neighborhood are divided between the 23rd and the 25th Precincts. Conversely, East Harlem is notable for its contributions to Latin freestyle and salsa music.

corner of Lexington Avenue and 110th Street, upper Manhattan

1860s

text from Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Harlem

photograph | Spanish Harlem | New York City | history | Italian Harlem | El Barrio | neighborhood | latinos