ethnic neighborhoods (New York, Brighton, Pelham: college, to live, shops)

[SuperMario]

Originally Posted by bluedog2

And I don't think she will be singing any time soon!
Where do people get these crazy notions ? I mean a few white people move into Harlem and it's not a black area any more ?

I dont think those people live here.

[DAS]

Originally Posted by bluedog2

And I don't think she will be singing any time soon!
Where do people get these crazy notions ? I mean a few white people move into Harlem and it's not a black area any more ?

It's all the gentrification threads over the last couple of years on the forum. Like the Bronx most people haven't actually been to Harlem in years, and then only to a certain place in Harlem. They have not been around the entire Harlem.

I posted a question one time, if anyone ever heard of the West Harlem section of Manhattanville, being referred to as Spanish Harlem. This is because a couple of people that I know from Brooklyn and Queens that hardly ever come to Harlem, got off the #1 train on 125th St, and that is where they thought they were. They had a light harded argument with me over an hour about it.

So you get the point, if you have only been to 125th and Lenox recently you may think it is not Black anymore.

[DonnaReed]

Originally Posted by bluedog2

And I don't think she will be singing any time soon!
Where do people get these crazy notions ? I mean a few white people move into Harlem and it's not a black area any more ?

The question is neither are there Black people in Harlem, nor are they the majority.

Of course Harlem has lots of Black residents and majority.

If I were describing the racial makeup, my description would NOT be simply "Harlem is Black".

Harlem is diverse and changes by the area.

Harlem has had a very large Latino population (which is not race specific) as long as it's had a Black population.
(Most folks don't take into consideration the Black included in Latino).

There IS an increasing white population in Harlem in areas historically you would be hard pressed to see a white face.

To simply say, "Harlem is Black" is INACCURATE.

[SuperMario]

Originally Posted by DonnaReed

The question is neither are there Black people in Harlem, nor are they the majority.

Of course Harlem has lots of Black residents and majority.

If I were describing the racial makeup, my description would NOT be simply "Harlem is Black".

Harlem is diverse and changes by the area.

Harlem has had a very large Latino population (which is not race specific) as long as it's had a Black population.
(Most folks don't take into consideration the Black included in Latino).

There IS an increasing white population in Harlem in areas historically you would be hard pressed to see a white face.

To simply say, "Harlem is Black" is INACCURATE.

Then to be fair Washington Heights is no longer Hispanic, neither is Spanish Harlem, or South Bronx. Because all have other ethnicities living there too.

People refer to cental Harlem and parts of lower west Harlem when they say Harlem is black. The black population there is still atleast 70% and even higher in certain areas. Because of this overwhelmingly majority, Harlem is black. I don't care about the 5% growing white population, it has no effect to me on the demographics of the neighborhood. Last time I was on Adam Clayton in the 120's, I didn't see one white face. Ditto when I go through the 130's and Lenox.

Even in spanish Harlem and west Harlem the black population is atleast 30+%. So if you want to combine all the Harlems, blacks are the majority.

[thelazyone]

Brooklyn:

Sunset Park – Chinese, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican and small pockets of Scandinavian communities.

Bensonhurst – Italian, Chinese, Russian, Jewish and some small pockets of Middle Eastern communities.

Bay Ridge – Irish, Greek, Middle Eastern and Scandinavian communites.

[DAS]

Here is the percentage breakdown by zip code of Harlem residents that identify as Black Alone in these percentages are Carribean, and African born Black people. Most Lation people identify as White, or 2 or more races. There may be a small percentage of Latins that identify as Black Alone.

10031 - 40% Black alone, this is a mostly Dominican area
10030 - 82% Black alone
10039 - 80% Black alone
10037 - 89% Black alone
10027 - 55% Black alone, some of this area is below 125th or around 125th, gets more diverse
10026 - 74% Black alone

East (Spanish) Harlem
10035 - 40% Black alone
10029 - 35% Black alone

My feelings are that this is about accurate. I get this picture from walking around, and going in the post offices, supermarkets, etc. I live near and get around all of these areas frequently.

[SuperMario]

Originally Posted by DAS

Here is the percentage breakdown by zip code of Harlem residents that identify as Black Alone in these percentages are Carribean, and African born Black people. Most Lation people identify as White, or 2 or more races. There may be a small percentage of Latins that identify as Black Alone.

10031 - 40% Black alone, this is a mostly Dominican area
10030 - 82% Black alone
10039 - 80% Black alone
10037 - 89% Black alone
10027 - 55% Black alone, some of this area is below 125th or around 125th, gets more diverse
10026 - 74% Black alone

East (Spanish) Harlem
10035 - 40% Black alone
10029 - 35% Black alone

My feelings are that this is about accurate. I get this picture from walking around, and going in the post offices, supermarkets, etc. I live near and get around all of these areas frequently.

Wow, it was more black than I tought.

[Mobilemoll]

Originally Posted by DAS

I live in Morningside Heights which is bordered on the north and east by Harlem. Basically if I walk through Morningside Park I'm in Harlem, or if I walk a little more than 10 blocks north I'm in Harlem. I am in Harlem often, at least 1 X a week, usually more. I have family in Harlem and in East Harlem. If I keep walking east I'm in East Harlem.

Harlem is still Black for the most part north of 125th from Amsterdam to Lenox. Going West of Amsterdam to Broadway it starts mixing with Dominican and Black. Mostly all of Broadway over west to Riverside Drive all the up to the Washington Heights border of 155th St is mostly Dominican.

In these areas are also Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Ecuadorians, Asians, Middle Easterners. There are Dominicans in Black areas, and Blacks in Dominican areas. but this is mainly how it is broken down.

It has been mainly these Dominican and Black areas for the last 40 years.

Now below 125th it more diverse, from 125th down to 110th from Riverside Drive to Morningside Drive is considered Morningside Heights. It is very diverse. All groups live there.

Morningside Park is the divider between Harlem and Morningside Heights. This part of Harlem below 125th is diverse. The African community is centered around 116th St between Frederick Douglas Blvd (8th Ave) and Lenox Ave.

All groups live below 125th but I would still say that it is mostly Black. That is mainly who you will still see on the streets, but not so much like above 125th St.

East Harlem starts at 125th and 5th Ave over to 1st Ave and down to E 96th St, it is mostly Puerto Rican, with Mexicans being the next largest group, Blacks are probably next. There are also all the other groups in East Harlem, Whites, other Latin groups, Asians, Middle Easterners, but mostly below 110th St.

The products in the restaurants and stores in these areas reflect the populations of the areas.

Don't worry about bursting your daughters bubble. There is plenty of Black and Latin heritage in Harlem. Research the many cultural institutions and activities. Have fun and enjoy your visit to Harlem and all the other neighborhoods listed in this thread.

Cool post When I mentioned Bursting my daughter's bubble I meant the differences between what's in her text book and what's going on now as far as neighborhood changes. Some of the things in her old books seem more outdated than I thought they would be.

We hop on the LIRR to NYC and Queens sometimes when the weather is good, but I do plan on taking more treks especially during school recess (when not visiting relatives).

[Andez]

Sunset Park in Brooklyn has a huge mexican and chinese population.

5th avenue feels like Mexico (with some dominican and puerto rican taste) and 8th avenue is Chinatown.

It's amazing to see how in 3 avenues it changes from being all hispanics to all chinese.

[DonnaReed]

Originally Posted by SuperMario

Then to be fair Washington Heights is no longer Hispanic, neither is Spanish Harlem, or South Bronx. Because all have other ethnicities living there too.

People refer to cental Harlem and parts of lower west Harlem when they say Harlem is black. The black population there is still atleast 70% and even higher in certain areas. Because of this overwhelmingly majority, Harlem is black. I don't care about the 5% growing white population, it has no effect to me on the demographics of the neighborhood. Last time I was on Adam Clayton in the 120's, I didn't see one white face. Ditto when I go through the 130's and Lenox.

Even in spanish Harlem and west Harlem the black population is atleast 30+%. So if you want to combine all the Harlems, blacks are the majority.

To say Harlem is BLACK is innaccurate and misleading.

Particularly for someone who's never been there or hasn't been lately.

The description even according to what you're saying would be

"PREDOMINANTLY BLACK"

And that Black would include African-American, West Indian, Latino,

thus DIVERSE.

Harlem HAS changed and IS changing - commercial aspect, property values...

I imagine that anybody whose description of Harlem is simply "Black" would be useless as a witness to a crime.