Lenox Avenue – also named Malcolm X Boulevard; both names are officially recognized – is the primary north–south route through

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...

in the upper portion of the

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. This two-way street runs from Farmers' Gate at Central Park North (

110th Street 110th Street is a street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is commonly known as the boundary between Harlem and Central Park, along which it is known as Central Park North. In the west, between Central Park West/Frederick Doug ...

) to 147th Street. Its traffic is figuratively described as "Harlem's heartbeat" by

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, H ...

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 The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate agency of the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Opened on October ...

's . 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 The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...

in 1971.

History

Originally a part of

Sixth Avenue Sixth Avenue – also known as Avenue of the Americas, although this name is seldom used by New Yorkers, p.24 – is a major thoroughfare in New York City's borough of Manhattan, on which traffic runs northbound, or "uptown". It is commercial ...

, the segment north of Central Park 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. Malcolm X Blvd street sign

The avenue was the heart of

during the

Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. At the t ...

in the 1930s. The street brought together

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, Latinos, British West Indians, and

Spaniards Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex history, including a number of different languages, both ...

who developed relationships over common interests such as

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

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 African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

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.

In popular culture

* * The corner of Lenox Avenue and 125th Street is mentioned in the song "When the Revolution Comes" by The Last Poets on their self-titled album (1970). * ''

Small Talk at 125th and Lenox ''A New Black Poet - Small Talk at 125th and Lenox'', also known simply as ''Small Talk at 125th and Lenox'', is the debut album of recording artist Gil Scott-Heron, released in 1970 on Flying Dutchman Records.

'' (1970) is an album by

Gil Scott-Heron Gilbert Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011) was an American jazz poet, singer, musician, and author, known primarily for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Ja ...

. * ''

Lenox Avenue Breakdown ''Lenox Avenue Breakdown'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Arthur Blythe. It was released by Columbia Records in 1979 and reissued by Koch Jazz in 1998. The album reached No. 35 on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart in 1979. Reception '' ...

'' is an album by jazz alto saxophonist

Arthur Blythe Arthur Murray Blythe (May 7, 1940 – March 27, 2017) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer. He was described by critic Chris Kelsey as displaying "one of the most easily recognizable alto sax sounds in jazz, big and round, with a f ...

. Columbia Records released the album in 1979. * In ''

The Fire Next Time ''The Fire Next Time'' is a 1963 non-fiction book by James Baldwin, containing two essays: "My Dungeon Shook: Letter to my Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation" and "Down at the Cross: Letter from a Region of My Mind". T ...

'',

James Baldwin James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer. He garnered acclaim across various media, including essays, novels, plays, and poems. His first novel, '' Go Tell It on the Mountain'', was published in 1953; ...

refers to Lenox Avenue simply as "The Avenue". * The main characters of the

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment building in Amsterdam after two of its engin ...

novel ''

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

'' by

Toni Morrison Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist. Her first novel, '' The Bluest Eye'', was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed '' S ...

live on Lenox Avenue. * The video for Madonna's 1994 single " Secret" was shot on Lenox Avenue. * "Lenox Avenue: Midnight", a well-known poem by

, is set on Lenox Avenue, as is his "

The Weary Blues "The Weary Blues" is a poem by American poet Langston Hughes. Written in 1925, "The Weary Blues" was first published in the Urban League magazine '' Opportunity''. It was awarded the magazine's prize for best poem of the year. The poem was inclu ...

". The avenue is mentioned in his "Juke Box Love Song" and "Consider Me". * The avenue is featured in the first verse of the original Irving Berlin lyrics of " Puttin' On the Ritz". The song refers to the then-popular fad of poor but flashily dressed black Harlemites parading up and down Lenox Avenue, "Spending ev'ry dime / For a wonderful time". * In the title track of his debut record '' Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous'', Big L raps about 139th Street and Lenox Avenue. * The street signs are heavily featured in the opening titles of the 2016 Netflix series ''

Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...

'', which takes place and was filmed in Harlem. * Part of Teyana Taylor's 2018 music video for the remix of " Gonna Love Me" was shot on Lenox Avenue, near a mural of Big L. * The last line of the "Strut Miss Lizzie" patter has "...get set for Lenox Avenue." * In the 1995 movie Die Hard with a Vengeance, Simon Peter Gruber requires Lieutenant John McClane to get to the crossing of Lenox Anenue and the 128th Street, where he is quickly meeting with buddy Zeus (played by Samuel L. Jackson), although the scene was actually shot in Audubon Avenue, close to West 175th Street ( Washington Heights, Manhattan)

Gallery

File:Malcolm Shabazz Mosque.jpg,

Mosque No. 7 } Masjid Malcolm Shabazz, formerly known as Mosque No. 7, is a Sunni Muslim mosque in Harlem, New York City. It was formerly a Nation of Islam mosque at which Malcolm X preached, until he left it for Sunni Islam in 1964. History Opened as Temple ...

at 116th Street File:Ebenezer Gospel Tabernacle Lenox Av jeh.jpg, The Ebenezer Gospel Tabernacle at 121st Street, formerly the Lenox Avenue Unitarian Church (1889), p.59 File:2nd Ref Church Harlem sunny jeh.jpg, Ephesus Seventh-Day Adventist Church at 123rd Street, formerly the Second Collegiate Church of Harlem (1887) File:Harlem Hospital 5BBT jeh.JPG, Harlem Hospital at 135th Street File:Savoy West 555 Lenox Ave 138 St jeh.jpg, The Savoy West at 138th Street File:Rainbow over Malcolm X Boulevard.jpg, Rainbow over Malcolm X Boulevard, in a view looking northward from Central Park North

References

External links

* {{Authority control Streets in Manhattan Harlem Memorials to Malcolm X

History

In popular culture

Gallery

References

Further reading

External links