Lenox Avenue facts for kids
Row houses on Lenox Avenue between 122nd and 123rd Streets are part of the Mount Morris Park Historic District
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| Other name(s) | Malcolm X Boulevard |
|---|---|
| Former name(s) | Sixth Avenue |
| Part of | Sixth Avenue |
| Owner | City of New York |
| Maintained by | NYCDOT |
| Length | 1.9 mi (3.1 km) |
| Location | Manhattan, New York City |
| South end | Central Park North / East Drive in Harlem |
| Major junctions |
145th Street Bridge in Harlem |
| North end | 147th Street in Harlem |
| East | Fifth Avenue |
| West | Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard |
| Construction | |
| Commissioned | March 1811 |
Lenox Avenue – also named Malcolm X Boulevard; both names are officially recognized – is the primary north–south route through Harlem in the upper portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan. This two-way street runs from Farmers' Gate at Central Park North (110th Street) to 147th Street. Its traffic is figuratively described as "Harlem's heartbeat" by Langston Hughes in his poem Juke Box Love Song. The IRT Lenox Avenue Line runs under the entire length of the street, serving the New York City Subway's 2 and 3 train.
From 119th Street to 123rd Street, Lenox Avenue is part of the Mount Morris Park Historic District, designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1971.
History
Originally a part of Sixth Avenue, it was renamed in late 1887 for philanthropist James Lenox. In 1987, it was co-named Malcolm X Boulevard, in honor of the slain civil rights leader.
The avenue was the heart of Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1930s. The street brought together African Americans, Latinos, British West Indians, and Spaniards who developed relationships over common interests such as jazz and food. In 1932, Harlem was so firmly established as the world capital of jazz and African-American culture in general that "black cinema" films like Harlem Is Heaven were playing on the nation's big screens. Jazz flourished and grew like it could have in no other time and place. "You might have had 15 great clubs on one block, all going at once," said the trombonist and bandleader Wycliffe Gordon. "Imagine going into a joint to check out Willie 'The Lion' Smith, and sitting next to you are Duke Ellington and James P. Johnson." Lenox Avenue is thought by some to be one of the most important streets in the world for African American culture.
The Savoy Ballroom was located between 140th and 141st Streets on Lenox Avenue. Other historical venues of Lenox Avenue are Sylvia's Restaurant, located between 126th and 127th; and the Lenox Lounge, located between 124th and 125th.
Gallery
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Mosque No. 7 at 116th Street
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The Ebenezer Gospel Tabernacle at 121st Street, formerly the Lenox Avenue Unitarian Church (1889)
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Ephesus Seventh-Day Adventist Church at 123rd Street, formerly the Second Collegiate Church of Harlem (1887)
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Harlem Hospital at 135th Street
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The Savoy West at 138th Street
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Rainbow over Malcolm X Boulevard, in a view looking northward from Central Park North
- Paterson, David "Black, Blind, & In Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity."Skyhorse Publishing. New York, New York, 2020
See also
In Spanish: Malcolm X Boulevard (Harlem) para niños
