Harlem

Harlem is a neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City long known as a major African American cultural and business center. Although sometimes stretched to include all of upper Manhattan including Washington Heights, Fort George, Inwood and Spanish Harlem, traditionally Harlem is bounded on the South by E. 96th St., on the West by Central Park West/Frederick Douglass Blvd. to 125th St. then west on 125th St to the Hudson River, on the North by155th St., and on the East by the East River.

The first settlement in what is now Harlem was by Dutch settlers in the first half of the 17th century, and they named it Nieuw Haarlem (or New Haarlem, after the Dutch city of Haarlem). In 1664, the British took control of the New Netherland colony and renamed the town Harlem.

The name of Harlem has also gained international fame through the Harlem Globe Trotters, a basketball show team.