the prestigious medical facilities of the city. The in-
tellectual circles attracted figures like JEAN
TOOMER,LANGSTONHUGHES, and others.
Known for its unmatched theatrical commu-
nity and performance venues, New York City was a
vital forum in which African-American playwrights
established themselves and advanced the black
dramatic tradition. Legendary entertainment
venues such as the COTTONCLUB, the APOLLO
THEATRE, and the Savoy were located in the heart
of HARLEM, a predominantly African-American
community in the northern area of Manhattan.
The active arts community inspired pioneers like
ROMAREBEARDEN, who enrolled at Columbia.
Harlem, one of New York City’s most vibrant
historic communities, was the cultural, political,
and social mecca during the Harlem Renaissance
period. The area now boasts the largest number of
landmark districts in Manhattan. Notable neigh-
borhoods within Harlem include STRIVER’s ROW
in the St. Nicholas historic district and the SUGAR
HILL community that was home to W. E. B.
DUBOIS,ADAM CLAYTON POWELL,SR., PAUL
ROBESON,EULALIESPENCE, and others.
Religious life in the city revolved around his-
toric churches such as the ABYSSINIANBAPTIST
CHURCH, the Episcopal Church of St. John the Di-
vine, St. George’s Episcopal Church, and the
Salem Street Episcopal Church, which was pas-
tored by the REVERENDFREDERICKCULLEN, father
of the poet COUNTEECULLEN.
The city is home to the NEWYORKPUBLICLI-
BRARYand its numerous branches. Of these, the
135th Street branch (HARLEMBRANCH) was one
of the most active and enterprising. The Schom-
burg Center for Research in Black Culture is one
of the area’s most prestigious academic libraries
and regarded as an unmatched contemporary re-
source for scholars and students of African and
African-American history and culture.
The city supported an impressive and diverse
number of Harlem Renaissance–era publishing
ventures. These included OPPORTUNITYand THE
CRISIS,the official publications of the NATIONAL
URBANLEAGUEand the NATIONALASSOCIATION
FOR THEADVANCEMENT OFCOLOREDPEOPLE,re-
spectively, and the independent monthly, THE
MESSENGER.In addition, the city was home to in-
fluential newspapers such as the AMSTERDAM
NEWS, the NEW YORK AGE, the INTER-STATE
TATTLER, and the NEGROWORLD.
The city of New York inspired several Harlem
Renaissance–era publications. These included
NEW YORK (1930) by PAUL MORAND and
HARLEM:NEGROMETROPOLIS(1940) by CLAUDE
MCKAY.Bibliography
Lankevich, George. American Metropolis: A History of
New York City.New York: New York University
Press, 1998.
Schoener, Allon, ed. Harlem on My Mind: Cultural Capi-
tal of Black America.New York: Random House,
1969.
Wetzsteon, Ross. Republic of Dreams: Greenwich Village,
The American Bohemia, 1910–1960. New York:
Simon & Schuster, 2002.New York Public Library
Established formally in February 1901, the New
York Public Library’s history dates back to the
19th-century institutions of the Astor Library, the
Lenox Library, and donations from the wealthy
family of Governor Samuel Tilden, who before his
death in 1886 bequeathed nearly $2.5 million to
the city so that it could construct a free lending li-
brary and reading room for New Yorkers. The New
York Public Library was founded when the two
early reference libraries merged with the New York
Free Circulating Library. The industrialist Andrew
Carnegie provided more than $5 million to create
library branches throughout the city.
The main branch of the New York Public Li-
brary is located on FIFTHAVENUEin New York
City. It opened in May 1911 with a collection of
more than one million books. Present at the his-
toric opening ceremony were President William
Taft, Governor John Allen Dix, and Mayor William
Gaynor. Between 30,000 and 50,000 people visited
the institution on its first day. The library’s hall-
mark statues, two lions referred to as “Patience”
and “Fortitude,” created by sculptor Edward Clark
Potter and made from pink Tennessee marble, are
among the most well-known symbols of the city.
One of the most important local branches
during the Harlem Renaissance was located in
Harlem at 135th Street (see HARLEMBRANCH OFNew York Public Library 387