Harlem

Harlem is known throughout the world as a center of culture, music, and African-American life. Today's Harlem, however, is a very different Harlem from that of 15 years ago, when many considered it too dangerous to visit and with little to offer in the way of cultural attractions, business, or residential life. Today more and more renovated and new buildings join such historic jewels as the Apollo Theatre, architecturally splendid churches, and cultural magnets like the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

As overcrowded apartments and expensive rents downtown make Harlem a more and more attractive area, black (and, increasingly, white) professionals and young families are restoring many of Harlem's classic brownstone and limestone buildings. This new growth has brought much new life and commerce to the community, but it has also priced out some longtime residents.

Back in 2001, former president Bill Clinton's selection of 55 West 125th Street as the site of his New York office was an inspiration to businesses considering a move to Harlem; now the busy thoroughfare sprouts outposts of Starbucks, Old Navy, the Body Shop, MAC Cosmetics, American Apparel, and H&M. Outside the shops, the sidewalk is a continuous traffic jam of people, offering a concentrated glimpse of neighborhood life. Pedestrians compete with street-side hawkers selling bootleg CDs and DVDs, books, and homemade essential oils in nondescript bottles.