Was Harlem a Ghetto?

While Harlem is beginning to be known for its renaissance, it remained the most famous urban ghetto in the world for almost half a century.

Is Harlem a dangerous place?

Greater Harlem, in the northern section of the New York City borough of Manhattan, has historically had high poverty and crime rates. Crime in Harlem is mainly related to petty theft, murder, drugs and prostitution. As of 1995, the leading cause of death among black males in Harlem was homicide.

Is Harlem a slum?

Since the 1920s, this period of Harlem's history has been highly romanticized. With the increase in a poor population, it was also the time when the neighborhood began to deteriorate to a slum, and some of the storied traditions of the Harlem Renaissance were driven by poverty, crime, or other social ills.