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

Perceval Legallois has only had two runs since September, so he drops out on that metric, while Spanish Harlem and High Class Hero were pulled up on their last run.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

This past year has seen several dazzling examples, including at the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Frick, but that of the New Museum is by far the most thrilling.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

"Mom, thank you for driving me back and forth to New York when we didn't have enough money to go through the Harlem tunnel, when we were looking for gas money, parking spaces," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

The idea of history being celebrated and preserved courses through “Once Upon a Time in Harlem,” a conversational documentary belatedly assembled from a 1972 gathering of Harlem Renaissance giants at Duke Ellington’s apartment.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2026

In Harlem that power was expressed in muscle, in being someone who wouldn’t take any nonsense or who was good at athletics.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers