Harlem

American  

[hahr-luhm] / ˈhɑr ləm /

noun

1. a section of New York City, in the NE part of Manhattan.

2. a tidal river in New York City, between the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, which, with Spuyten Duyvil Creek, connects the Hudson and East rivers. 8 miles (13 km) long.

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Harlem British  

/ ˈhɑːləm /

noun

1. a district of New York City, in NE Manhattan: now largely a Black ghetto

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Harlem Cultural  

1. Neighborhood of Manhattan.

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Discover More

During the 1920s, Harlem was the site of a great upsurge in black literature, music, and theater known as the Harlem Renaissance.

Mostly populated by African-Americans, Harlem has long been a center of black culture.

The area now contains a large Puerto Rican population and, after a period of economic decay, has experienced a revitalization.

Example Sentences

At the Sunday rally, Mamdani announced plans to open a city-owned grocery store in East Harlem by the end of his first term, another component of his affordability campaign.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

But even as an adolescent growing up in Harlem, she felt like an old soul, her thoughts running deeper than the average kid’s.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

“The 1930s were a peak moment where the greatest, most innovative jazz had a large place in the commercial popular-music world,” says Loren Schoenberg, senior scholar at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

Capping off the year is a production of Alice Childress’ modern classic, “Wine in the Wilderness,” set amid the Harlem Uprising of 1964.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

School was free, as was reading when the books were from the library, and the only thing needed to play basketball in Harlem were sneakers and a game.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers