Let's Talk About Harlem

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I've been fascinated by Harlem for a while now. Despite the fact that I know very little about it and have never (or perhaps at some point but I can't remember) actually walked through it.

I'm drawn to it largely because many of my favorite Hip Hop figures were born and/or raised there. For example, Black Rob, Loon, G. Dep, Big L, Diddy(haha he's funny come on). Also, because of the rich musical, cultural and artistic history belonging to Harlem other than Hip Hop(that I admittedly know less about but want to know more).

I was raised on Long Island and for some reason I've always been fascinated by Harlem and Georgia. I suppose that some connection must be that they are both large cultural centers for African Americans but I never saw my own interest as specifically or only based on that fact, even the names Harlem and Georgia are beautiful to me.

Just wondering what other people's thoughts on Harlem were and if they had any interesting things to say or share my sentiments...

(It's also come up in my life because I'm a Hip Hop artist (white if you're wondering) and I might be appearing on this mixtape that mostly consists of MCs from Harlem, and I've also started writing a piece in my creative writing class that I would like to set in Harlem but I'd like to know more about the place before I go and talk out of my ass!)

― Colin_C. (Colin Cassidy), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 21:34 (nineteen years ago)

it's a great neighborhood. some co-workers of mine are going to amateur night at the apollo tomorrow and i'm bummed i can't go.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 21:37 (nineteen years ago)

I was raised on Long Island and for some reason I've always been fascinated by Harlem and Georgia.

"for some reason"

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 21:39 (nineteen years ago)

lol

― Colin_C. (Colin Cassidy), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 21:42 (nineteen years ago)

How big is Harlem? Nothing I've ever read has given me an idea of its size.

― Django Blowhardt (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 22:52 (nineteen years ago)

huge! of course, a lot of people count places that aren't harlem as harlem, tho.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 22:54 (nineteen years ago)

S: Coffin Ed and Gravedigger Jones novels

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 22:57 (nineteen years ago)

How big is Harlem? Nothing I've ever read has given me an idea of its size.

depends on your definition, but roughly 4 square miles

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 23:09 (nineteen years ago)

Manhattan (the island) itself is about 21 square miles

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 23:22 (nineteen years ago)

ihttp://www.citidex.com/map/neigh800.gif

― Super Cub (Debito), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 23:28 (nineteen years ago)

I have a good friend who lives in Washington Heights and loves it- it's a great place to visit when we're hanging out. Not really Harlem, though, from my understanding of Manhattan geography.

― lyra (lyra), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 23:34 (nineteen years ago)

at one of my first nyc jobs we had an older gentleman in our office -- think stately black guy, real nice, proud lifetime resident of harlem, turned us on to quite a few cool places up there. one of the funniest sonnings i've witnessed was an exchange between him and a kid fresh out of an ivy league school at lunch:

cute woman from different dept asking us where we live
Ron: I live in Manhattan
ivy kid: Ron, I thought you lived in Harlem
Ron: Well, Harlem is part of Manhattan
ivy kid: Yeah, I guess Harlem is technically part of Manhattan
Ron: No, it's ACTUALLY part of Manhattan

― songs and ballads of the bituminous miners (sanskrit), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 00:18 (nineteen years ago)

where was 'ivy kid' from?

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 00:23 (nineteen years ago)

Jersey

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 00:26 (nineteen years ago)

i don't know if he was from jersey, but yeah I think it was tri state area (ny/nj/ct)

― songs and ballads of the bituminous miners (sanskrit), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 03:37 (nineteen years ago)

gabbneb, don't worry, I'm sure it wasn't Columbia what with it being about 2 blocks west of central Harlem and all. Must've been Harvard.

― Allyzay Eisenschefter (allyzay), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 03:51 (nineteen years ago)

Also, I could've sworn that Diddy was from Westchester but I just looked it up and he was actually born in Harlem, and just lived his mid-school years in Westchester! I'll be damned.

― Allyzay Eisenschefter (allyzay), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 03:54 (nineteen years ago)

I was trying to figure out if dude was from Iowa. Or Connecticut.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 04:03 (nineteen years ago)

I think it'd be better if he was British.

― Allyzay Eisenschefter (allyzay), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 04:38 (nineteen years ago)

connecticut is technically british.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 05:28 (nineteen years ago)

four years pass...

I'm a Hip Hop artist (white if you're wondering)

― how many sb'ings do you have? (buzza), Friday, 1 July 2011 17:58 (fourteen years ago)

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