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When the subway system expanded throughout the city, moving all types of people and classes, it separated different ethnic groups into different areas of the city. African Americans were not excluded from this mass relocation of people. As in Brooklyn Heights, Harlem also experienced an exodus of the upper class. They began leaving the area between 1905-1910, around the time of the Depression, leaving open housing for other people. Racism drove the upper class out of Harlem, they refused to live along side other ethnicities. The absence of upper class to sell to drove the real estate value down. The combined effect of the Depression and the lack of upper class interest in Harlem housing made it possible for the lower classes to be able to afford housing in Harlem. Who would claim this real estate treasure however, was determined by the Lennox avenue subway line.

The Lennox avenue subway line was responsible for transferring African Americans into Harlem. This line began in Lower Manhattan and ran up along Broadway and split into two sections: One heading north on Broadway, and the other splitting of east around 86th street, across a small section of Central Park and up Lennox avenue into Harlem. African Americans began gradually moving up the city from the Five Points area, Greenwich village, The Tenderloin and San Juan Hill. Because of the access that the subway provided into Harlem, by 1910, Harlem had the greatest concentration of African Americans above 110th street and east of Morningside avenue. At the same time the area between 110th and 125th from 5th avenue to Madison avenue experienced the most rapid growth of African American population in the city.

14th street tunnel,1902