Harlem Places
[These are just a few of the establishments on Harlem's streets.]
The grand Hotel Theresa can be found at the corner of 7th Avenue and 125th Street—Seventh Avenue is Harlem’s widest street, a graceful boulevard with a median planted with trees. Thirteen stories tall, Hotel Theresa is mostly an apartment hotel providing long-term lodgings for residents
and comfortable temporary lodgings for celebrities. Because the hotel occasionally hosts noteworthy guests, all of the major newspapers of Harlem—the News, the Age, and the Courier—have a reporter assigned to cover activities there. In addition, the Pittsburgh Courier’s Harlem offices are directly across the street from the hotel. The Amsterdam News offices are at 2271 Seventh Avenue, and the New York Age is at 230 West 135th Street.
While the Theresa caters to the rich and wealthy of Harlem, Hotel Olga (697 Lenox Avenue and 145th Street) is open to all, as the establishment is not segregated and is open for tourists and other travelers, as well as longer-term residents.
At the corner of 5th Avenue and 110th Street (on the far end of the Golden Edge) is the soapbox corner known as Trotsky Square, in front of the Young Men’s Hebrew Association building. This corner is one of the most popular locations for public speech-making and political meetings. Every day passersby can take a moment to listen to Harlem’s political leaders speak on matters of class and race. The location is not a coincidence, many of the Jewish families in the Golden Edge recently immigrated from Eastern Europe and are sympathetic to socialist and communist politics.
Just below Sugar Hill is The Cotton Club, 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue, was the Club Deluxe until 1923, when Irish gangster and bootlegger Owney Madden bought it. He renames the 600-seat establishment the
Cotton Club, turning it into the outlet for Madden’s No. 1 Beer. He bans non-whites from the audience and proceeds to spotlight the most talented African-American performers in the country.
For the performers, the Cotton Club offers a higher paycheck than most establishments, as well as the opportunity to star in live radio shows that might launch their careers. To actually catch up with the talent, you’d do better to find them next door at 646 Lenox, where they let off steam in the basement cabaret after the show.
Prince Hall Masonic Temple is on 155th Street. Built in 1925, it provides meeting locations first for the William McKinley Freemasons Lodge, and then later for other fraternal groups in Harlem, ncluding the Prince Hall Freemasons.
The public Harlem Hospital, including an ambulance station and nurses’ home, occupies the block between 136th and 137th Streets on the east side of Lenox Avenue. Although two-thirds of its patients are African-American, and it has begun hiring African-American doctors and training African-American nurses, the hospital’s leadership and staff remain mostly white.
Because Harlem Hospital refuses to hire black doctors, a group of seven doctors comes together to form their own clinic, becoming Edgecombe Sanitarium, on the corner of 137th Street and Edgecombe Avenue. The sanitarium is a small surgical center that also offers treatment for tuberculosis sufferers, estimated at 3 percent of Harlem’s population, well above the city average.
Wiley Wilson Sanitarium (138th Street and 7th Avenue) offers hospital services to the residents of Strivers’ Row and the Valley. The small hospital includes a surgical center. The founder, Dr. Wiley Wilson, is the ex-husband of cosmetics millionaire A’Lelia Walker.
[Note that neither of these 'sanitariums' are dedicated exclusively to mental health care.]
The White Rose Mission (262 West 136th Street) was co-founded by Maritcha Lyons, a Brooklyn teacher, and Victoria Matthews, an activist and former enslaved person. The Mission offers young, single women with no local contacts a safe place to sleep, simple meals, job placement, and training. There’s a small library and lectures by Hubert Harrison—former Socialist, former head editor of Marcus Garvey’s Negro World, and “dean” of the “Outdoor University”—to provide more educational opportunities for residents and dues-paying members. Mission volunteers meet ships and trains to offer services to newcomers.
At 596 Lenox Avenue, the elegant Savoy Ballroom opens in 1926 under the management of Charles Buchanan, an African-American businessman, and financed by white entrepreneur Jay Faggen and Jewish businessman Moe Gale. The ballroom, which extends the length of an entire city block (between 140th and 141st Streets), appears even bigger thanks to its trick of mirrored walls. At one end of the ballroom, talented young dancers develop new moves, such as the Lindy Hop (formerly the Texas Tommy). At the other, the Savoy Hostesses teach more traditional dancing forms, and partner unaccompanied gentlemen for a mere 25 cents per dance. The ballroom stays open every night of the week, glittering and pulsing with what Langston Hughes called “the Heartbeat of Harlem.” New dances quickly become the craze, and the Charleston becomes wildly popular.
The Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), a movement for black economic and political power, founded by Marcus Garvey in 1914, has its offices at 54–56 West 135th Street with the offices of the Black Star Press.
St. Philip’s Protestant Episcopal Church (on 134th Street just west of Seventh Avenue) is the wealthiest and largest church in Harlem. This grand edifice was designed by Vertner W. Tandy and George W. Foster, who were among the first registered black architects of New York and New Jersey. The church is a center of both spiritual and social support for the African-American community.
It is far from the only church in Harlem—more than a hundred churches are active, though many of them are small enough to meet in residences and storefronts. Most white churches in Harlem are Catholic, while a smaller number of synagogues cater to the Jewish community.
Across the street from the Abyssinian Baptist Church (on 138th Street) lies the Renaissance Ballroom & Casino. One of the few entirely black-owned and operated social venues in Harlem, this complex includes stores, a theater, a ballroom, and a casino. The ballroom serves two purposes: dancing and basketball; squeaky shoes and ball early in the evening are followed by dancing until late at night.
Numerous young black writers frequent the Hobby Horse bookstore (on 136th Street), drinking coffee, writing, and debating ideas.
At 135th and Lenox stands the modest (1919) building for the Harlem branch of the Young Men’s Christian Association offering community, culture, and edification to “develop healthy body, mind, and spirit" in young men. Unlike unintegrated YMCAs around the city or the nation, the Harlem branch serves as a haven for African-American men, providing athletic equipment, rooms to rent by the night or month, and spaces where men can express themselves and encounter others. Here, a traveler from Vermont, newly arrived to the city and looking to make his future, might sit down to a communal meal next to an elderly man born into slavery in Alabama who has lived here (and in the previous “Colored Men’s Branch”) since it opened. You never know who you’ll meet at the YMCA.
Between 135th and 136th Streets on Lenox Avenue resides the New York Public Library Harlem Branch. The library opened its doors in 1905 with 10,000 books. A white woman, Ernestine Rose, becomes the chief librarian and integrates the formerly all-white staff in 1920. She focuses on integrated reading programs for the community and schools and hosts the library’s first African-American art exhibit, which becomes an annual event. The library branch quickly becomes a focal
point for the budding Harlem Renaissance.
On the western edge of Harlem can be found St. Nicholas Park, extending from 141st Street to 128th Street, with a playground along 129th. It lies on craggy and rough terrain, and the southernmost area of the park is known as the “Point of Rocks,” having served as a military campground for General Washington’s men during the Revolutionary War. The “Point” looms over surrounding buildings in winter when it’s not covered with greenery.
On the other side of St. Nicholas Park is the College of the City of New York, a free public institution of higher education. The college was founded on the principle of educating all who qualified solely on academic merit, admitting students both rich and poor, so long as they were men (women are not admitted until 1930). The college welcomes all; black, Jewish, or Irish, it doesn’t matter.
The Dark Tower (at 108–110 West 136th Street and Lenox Avenue) was built in 1913 for A’Lelia Walker. The Stanford White-designed Neo-Georgian brick and limestone townhouse was her residence until she moved to an apartment on Edgecombe Avenue a few years ago. Remodeled by Vertner Woodson Tandy (one of the first African-American architects), Lelia College of Beauty Culture classes are held in the basement, while the Walker Hair Parlor operates out of the first floor.
The upper levels of the mansion are dedicated to a library, The Dark Tower itself, and living quarters.
The mansion’s name takes inspiration from Countee Cullen’s poem of the same name (published in Opportunity magazine), and the place is dedicated to a creative salon, providing opportunities for writers and musicians to attend readings and performances every evening. Exquisite rosewood furniture fills the salon, as well as a gold-painted grand piano and a sky-blue Victrola, while two poems are mounted on the walls: “From the Dark Tower” by Cullen, and parts of “The Weary Blues” by Langston Hughes. Membership to The Dark Tower isn’t free—the invitation to join states there is a one-dollar annual fee. The costs associated with a visit vary (15 cents to check a coat and 50 cents for a sandwich, etc) to help defray the cost of staff and refreshments.
A little to the south and west of Sugar Hill, Jungle Alley encompasses numerous joints where you can catch up-and-coming African-American talent, from Smalls Paradise and Connie’s Inn to “Club Hot-Cha” (included on a 1932 map with a mysterious “Ask for Clarence”) and the Lafayette Theatre. More than 125 establishments of various repute fill Jungle Alley with a wide array of entertainment. By day, this is a diverse area, with African-American, Jewish, Latino, and Italian families (and more) going about their business; many who live in the five-story apartment buildings that flank the clubs. Despite the daytime appearance, when walking through the alley at night, there is a far greater chance of running into white folk (from all around town) than in most other parts of Harlem. Such visitors are generally accompanied by the police who come out to make sure the white folks don’t feel threatened. While club curfew is 3:00 a.m., some of the clubs on 133rd have greased the right palms to stay open later, and late-night audiences tend to be local.
Such establishments come and go quickly! Clubs here are subject to the fickle demands of the restaurant and entertainment business, while also dealing with the corruption and bribery rampant during Prohibition. Almost all of the establishments are basement operations tucked into the bottom-most floors of buildings, with a shop above and apartments above that. It makes for a tight environment, and a dangerous one should the police decide to mount a raid. Many of the speaks have tunnels to allow the alcohol and bartender (at least) to slip out the back while the police break their way in through the front door.
At 133rd Street stands Harry Hansberry’s Clam House, a long and narrow nightclub tucked in between other far less notorious clubs. Gladys Bentley headlines, performing in tails and a top hat with a chorus line in drag. Her rich alto and obscene, improvised lyrics lend an energy to an evening’s entertainment that is hard to find anywhere else. While the club has a reputation for gay activity, the patrons still practice discretion—even in the relatively flexible nightclub scene of Harlem, police entrapment can and does occur. A block farther along on 133rd Street, Pod’s and Jerry’s Catagonia Club is always hopping with Willie “The Lion” Smith and “Little Jazzbo” blowing the roof off the joint. A few steps away is the Band Box Club, known for its spontaneous jam sessions at the bar.
The Lafayette Theatre (known to locals as the “House Beautiful”) at 132nd Street and Seventh Avenue became desegregated in 1913, allowing black theatergoers to join the white audience in the orchestra seats, instead of being restricted to the balcony. Here, African-American audiences can attend performances of the black Lafayette Players. The venue specializes in presenting mainstream Broadway shows, primarily by white playwrights, with an emphasis on the equal quality of black acting rather than spotlighting the works of African-American writers. The theater hosts live bands when between plays and musicals, and saw the New York City debut of a 24-year-old Duke Ellington. The theater went through two management changes in the 1920s, leading to more comedy and vaudeville rather than serious drama.
The Frogs Clubhouse (at 111 West 132nd Street) is just a block down from the Golden Edge. The Frogs are a charity organization originally formed to support the efforts of black actors and other performers locked out of white theater networks. Later, the organization expands to include other professionals outside of the theater. The Frogs were led by Bert Williams, a vaudeville comedian popular enough to be considered a superstar. The Frogs continued after he unexpectedly passed due to pneumonia. Every August the club holds a charity event called “The Frolic of the Frogs” featuring comedy routines, dances, and charity raffles—all for a cover of fifty cents at the door.
On Fifth Avenue and 132nd Street, Edmond’s Cellar, owned by Edmond “Mule” Johnson, is a basement cabaret frequently featuring Ethel Waters with a three-piece band. The crowd is composed of drug dealers, prostitutes, cross-dressers, and gamblers. The club is known for its so-called “pansy” entertainment.
The Corner (at 131st Street and Seventh Avenue) is a frequent hangout for musicians—it is literally a quiet corner to discuss, play tunes, and forge professional relationships.
Connie’s Inn (at 131st Street and Seventh Avenue) is owned by bootleggers—the three Immerman brothers—and specializes in African-American performers. Although the audience is segregated, unlike the Cotton Club, Connie’s also opens after hours to African-American audiences from the neighborhood; in the small hours of the morning, performers improvise sets, rising talents showcase their chops, and the people of Harlem enjoy their own music. Connie’s Inn is also a front for a silent partner, Dutch Schultz the Bronx mobster uses the club to sell smuggled alcohol. Directly above Connie’s, The Barbecue boasts the first jukebox in all of Harlem and the best ribs.
Between the Lafayette Theatre and Connie’s Inn, one might pause to touch the Tree of Hope—a large chestnut tree whose roots force up the sidewalk. Out of work or aspiring black performers touch the tree for luck when headed to a gig, kiss it when finding work, or more practically, gather around it to talk about possible gigs and form new acts.
Lottie Joplin, the wife of Scott Joplin (famed composer, pianist, and “King of Ragtime Writers”), runs Joplin Boarding House (at 163 West 131st Street.) Lottie opens the boarding house in 1920 to provide housing for entertainers; some of the current residents include Ferdinand “Jelly Roll”
Morton and Eubie Blake.
The Nest nightclub is at 169 West and 133rd, its main floor is filled with the Barbecue Club, but the basement is a private club with paying members that neatly avoids Prohibition. The owners, Mal Frazier and John Carey, make sure their bribes keep trouble away. The club’s cook is Tillie Fripp, who makes a killer ham and eggs; Tillie later opens her own place, becoming an anchor for the entire
row serving the hungover or soon-to-be-hungover party crowd. The shows at the Nest feature loud and fast dance music and scantily dressed girls, while similar entertainment goes with the illegal drinking and gambling (over pool tables) in the back. Like most pool halls, this one is full of cigarette smoke and hustlers looking to make a quick buck off an easy mark.
At the edge of this neighborhood (on 135th Street near Fifth Avenue) is the Sugar Cane Club, a cabaret venue featuring jazz performances late into the night, well after the curfew, and both white and black patrons. During Prohibition, the club functions as a speakeasy as well as a nightclub. Despite being small, it’s popular enough to attract some of the best musicians and has enough patrons to allow Ed Smalls to open a second club: Smalls’ Paradise. Smalls is one of the few black nightclub owners in Harlem, and he keeps all of his clubs integrated. In addition to the stage performers, Small’s Paradise features dancing waiters and roller-skating waitstaff; there is even a breakfast dance for the late-night crowd willing to stay till the sun comes up.
Barron’s Exclusive Club reigns supreme before Prohibition, introducing black talent to white audiences before the Cotton Club. Barron Wilkins, the owner, is a local politician who finances black
boxers and baseball teams. This private club regularly sees politicians, artists, athletes, and stars.
A sprawling brownstone of 6,008 square feet at 278 West 113th Street is the Houdini House. Houdini can frequently be found in this lavishly furnished home that includes a sunken tub to practice his underwater escapes and a library stocked with thousands of books, which surrounds his office.