The Murals of East Harlem
With Greeter Leigh Hallingby leading the way, a group of Big Apple Greeter volunteers spent a sunny autumn afternoon viewing the painted and mosaic murals that appear on buildings throughout East Harlem.
The neighborhood, also known as Spanish Harlem and El Barrio, has one of the largest Hispanic communities in the city and was for many years the center of New York’s Puerto Rican—or Nuyorican—culture.
Photo by Leigh Hallingby
Leigh, who leads walks in three Harlem neighborhoods, became interested in East Harlem when she had a Greet with a visitor making her tenth visit to the city. Looking for something the visitor likely had not seen before, Leigh learned more about the murals she had first viewed on a walk with Greeter Rita Cohen.
There are plenty of murals to see from 111th to 103rd Street between Lexington and Third Avenues. The First Spanish United Methodist Church, more commonly known as The People’s Church, at Lexington Avenue and 111th Street is the perfect starting point for exploring the East Harlem murals. Just a block from the 110th Street station on the 6 subway line, four murals are visible from the corner where the church sits. One of Leigh’s favorites, “El Regalo Magico (The Magic Gift),” pictures Nuyorican writer Nicholasa Mohr.
Photos by Leigh Hallingby – Click to view larger
Other artists featured in neighborhood murals include Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos. The mosaic murals along the route were created by Manny Vega, whose work is on view at the Museum of the City of New York through January 6. James de la Vega, a New York painter of Puerto Rican descent, has three murals in the neighborhood.
Find out more about the East Harlem murals at the Visit El Barrio website.