East Harlem

Images of America: New York

by Christopher Bell

Overshadowed by the fame of Harlem and the wealth of the Upper East Side, East Harlem is rarely noted as a historical enclave. However, from the early 1800s through today, East Harlem has welcomed wave after wave of immigrants struggling for a place in the nation's most famous city. African Americans, Irish, Germans, European Jews, Italians, Scandinavians, Puerto Ricans, and Latinos are among the ethnic groups who have shaped this neighborhood, bringing with them their religious, social, and culinary traditions. East Harlem is the first volume to tell this neighborhood's history through images. Photographs of the iron, stone, and rubber factories, the tenements, the 100th Street community, famous politicians such as Fiorella LaGuardia, the Second and Third Avenue elevated subways, St. Cecilia's, and many other subjects capture East Harlem's past in one memorable collection.

Genres: Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2003

Reviews

[Maria Padilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking back at what East Harlem looked like years ago was nice to see. I was raised on East 100th Street and Lexington Avenue and looking back at the neighborhood was a wow moment for me. The way East Harlem has changed to what it is now looks very different. I was surprised to read about the different celebrities who grew up here as well. This book is great for anyone who wants to learn about the history of East Harlem.