Spanish Harlem - Definition and Overview

Spanish Harlem (also known as El Barrio) is the name given to a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, United States. Since the 1950's, it has been populated by a large number of people of Puerto Rican descent, sometimes called Nuyoricans. Before that time, the area was Italian. In the 1920's and early 1930's, Italian Harlem was represented by Fiorello LaGuardia in Congress.

Spanish Harlem extends from about East 96th St. to East 125th St. and is bound by the Upper East Side, East River, Harlem, and Central Park. With the growth of the Latino population, the neighborhood is expanding.

Spanish Harlem is home to many artists and writers, including James De La Vega, whose murals and street drawings decorate the neighborhood and Piri Thomas whose autobiography "Down These Mean Streets" became a best-seller in 1967.

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans