Italian Harlem
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Italian Harlem is a neighborhood in East Harlem, formerly inhabitated by a large Italian American population. Today Italian Harlem is called Spanish Harlem because of its large Latino population. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries a huge wave of immigrants came from Southern Italy and Sicily moved around Pleasant Avenue in East Harlem.
[edit] Today
Today East Harlem still has a small existing Italian American population. Some Italian vestiges remain from the old days including a Barber Shop, a Bakery, Patsy's Pizzia and Rao's. Most of the Italian American population has left and replaced by Puerto Ricans, although there is still a small thriving Italian American population. Most of these predominantly older residents are clustered around Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.
