The African American push into Harlem moved out the white upper
class mostly composed of Jewish people, further north into areas of
the Bronx. The upper class settled there initially when NYC was still
located in Lower Manhattan because of their economic status allowed
them to travel to and from the financial district by horse and carriage.
When African Americans moved into Harlem, they situated themselves
around the more populated avenues where the houses during the population
and building boom before the IRT line came into existence. They began
to fill the space between 130th and 140th streets very rapidly from
1913 until 1930. By 1930, Harlem had the greatest concentration of
African Americans in the country from 116th street to 153rd street
from the Harlem river to Broadway, with Lenox avenue right down the
middle of the densely populated area, showing how the population of
African Americans spread out from Lenox avenue.
Without the Lenox line Harlem would not have been what it had
become today, the Harlem Renaissance might not have even existed if
all the African Americans who migrated to Harlem could not find a
means of reaching that far up Manhattan easily. Harlem might not have
made such a smooth transition from upper class to African American
if it wasnÕt for the steady flow of African Americans into the area
through the train line. the thousands and thousands of people would
not have been able to enjoy the "swingin" places Harlem had to offer
and the enjoyment one received just from being there. Much is owed
to the train line for making Harlem what it is today.
