New York Car Hire and Harlem

It is a neighborhood in New York City in Manhattan and it is known by most people as the main cultural and business area of African Americans. It is also, unfortunately, known for a bit of poverty because of this stereotype. Despite this characterization, the area is turning over a new leaf and experiencing a renaissance, both socially and economically. The area is getting back on its feet and is finally starting to make a positive name for itself. What is it, New York car hire vacationers? It’s the neighborhood of Harlem that runs from the East River to the Hudson River. The whole area itself has a few different districts like West Harlem, Central Harlem and East Harlem that all have specific boundaries. If you want to see a unique area with famous landmarks and an amazing history, you should check out Harlem on your future New York car hire vacation.

The start of an era

The history of Harlem and how it came to be is truly one of a kind. The first settlement came in 1637 by Dutch settlers. Eventually, the Dutch deserted it because of all the beatings the land took from Native Americans. In 1658, New Harlem came about and a man named Peter Stuyvesant took it over. In its early years, Harlem was a place of farming and community. In the 1820s, the neighborhood had 91 families, a church, a school and a library. Property values soon began to decline and the area was taken over by the city of New York in 1873.

To Hell and back

Soon after Harlem was controlled by New York, the African Americans began to arrive in large numbers. “Ghettoization” was starting to take place with blacks taking up huge amounts of land and moving into the area and the population density growing at outstanding numbers. There were so many people on such a small amount of land that there were always complaints about rats, lack of plumbing, unsanitary conditions and more. But recently, Harlem has been working hard to get back on track and has been seeing rapid gentrification of urban renewal and an increase in property values. Wealthier people have come into the area and fixed it up a bit and it is actually a pleasant place to go and visit on your New York car hire trip.

You won’t be bored

There are numerous landmarks in Harlem that are definitely worth visiting on your trip. They are amazing tourist attractions and you might even learn a thing or two about the history of this place. You can visit 125th Street, which is also called Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. You can also check out the Apollo Theater, the James Bailey House, Rucker Park and Strivers’ Row. There’s also the Lenox Lounge, Hamilton Heights, the Aaron Davis Hall and Morningside Park. These are just a few of the great places to visit when you are traveling to Harlem on your New York car hire trip.

You might get lucky

There are many famous and influential people who have come out of Harlem so maybe if you’re lucky, you might get to see someone famous on your trip. Norman Rockwell, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Malcolm X and Erik Estrada all hail from Harlem. Also from Harlem are Kelis, P. Diddy, Maya Angelou, Mandy Patinkin and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. There have also been a number of movies filmed in Harlem like “Die Hard with a Vengeance”, “American Gangster”, and “Paradise in Harlem”. Come check out the spot that made these movies and these celebrities famous. It’s a true historic wonder to witness on your future New York car hire vacation.