In painting the mural, Haring addressed his frustrations with the ineffective government on tackling drug-related issues, and his concern with the rising number of crack-addicts throughout the country, and especially in New York City.

Location:
127 Street 2 Ave., and, Harlem River Drive (Google Map)

THE GRANDSCALE MURAL PROJECT CREATES A VIBRANT GATEWAY TO HARLEM THROUGH ART BY UPTOWN ARTISTS THAT SUPPORTS AND UPLIFTS THE COMMUNITY. During three weekends in late summer 2019, 50 artists came together to transform 1,500 feet of fencing across three blocks into a canvas for mural artwork. In 2021, 120 artists united to transform more than half a mile of construction fencing into colorful, memorable blocks to walk.  (See murals)

Location:
125th 3rd Avenue to Madison Avenue

The Spirit of East Harlem mural was started during the summer of 1973 by artist Hank Prussing, after receiving donated paint and the support of the local housing and community development group, HOPE Community Inc. Alongside artist (then apprentice) Manny Vega, Prussing embarked on the five year mural project covering one side of a four-story apartment building on Lexington Avenue and 104th Street. The children and adults depicted in the mural include “Flash,” a Spanish rock singer, a motherly big sister, a pastor and teacher, a Bruce Lee fan carrying nun-chakus in his back pocket, and a no-nonsense bodega owner. Prussing viewed this work as a mirror image of the community—capturing the people, as well as many backwards logos of popular culture, to reflect the vibrant life of the neighborhood.

Location:
104th & Lexington Avenue

Julia de Burgos (1914 - 1953): Julia de Burgos was a Puerto Rican poet, educator and activist University of Puerto Rico, de Burgos attended the University of Havana, and periodically lived in New York. Between 1943-1944, she wrote for the Spanish speaking newspaper, Pueblos HispanosRio Grande de Loiza, but she also published several books including Poemas Exactos de mí Misma, Poemas en Veinte Zurcos and Canción de la Verdad Sencilla. After her health steadily deteriorated, de Burgos died in a hospital after collapsing on a sidewalk in El Barrio. A mosaic mural located on 106th Street was created in 2006 by Manny Vega and commissioned by HOPE Community, Inc. in commemoration of her contribution to the Puerto Rican and Spanish speaking community in East Harlem.

Location:
106th St. and Lexington Avenue

Celia Cruz (1925 - 2003): She immigrated to the United States in 1960 after the Cuban Revolution. Her musical career in Cuba began with a band called Sonora Matancera, but eventually she became a solo performer in the United States. Cruz is considered one of the most influential and successful Cuban performers of the twentieth century. La Reina Celia Cruz is a mural painted by artist James De La Vega La Reina Celia Cruz mural is located on 103rd Street and Lexington Avenue.

Location:
103rd St. and Lexington Avenue

Founded by NY community activist Ray Rodriguez (aka "Sting Ray") in 1980, the Graffiti Wall of Fame is located at the J.H.S. 013 Jackie Robinson Educational Complex School on Park Avenue and 106th Street. The graffiti pieces cover the walls in the school courtyard and those facing the street. Rodriguez founded the Graffiti Wall of Fame as a site for xiii Manuel Acevedo and Kathleena Howie-Long, are two El Museo artist educators who have been involved with the Graffiti Wall of Fame, along with other notable graffiti artist crews such as Tats Cru. The graffiti pieces change annually, giving new crews and individual artists the opportunity to showcase their talents.

Location:
106th Street & Park Avenue

New York’s leading Latino cultural institution, welcomes visitors of all backgrounds to discover the artistic landscape of Latino, Caribbean, and Latin American cultures. Their richness is represented in El Museo’s wide-ranging collections and exhibitions, complemented by film, literary, visual and performing arts series, cultural celebrations, and educational programs. History of El Museo

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Location:
1230 5th Avenue (105th St. & 5th Avenue)

The Museum of the City of New York fosters understanding of the distinctive nature of urban life in the world’s most influential metropolis. It engages visitors by celebrating, documenting, and interpreting the city’s past, present, and future.

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Location:
1220 5th Avenue (104th St. & 5th Avenue)

In 2016, we expanded to create Uptown Grand Central, a 501c3 nonprofit that works to support, strengthen and showcase all that is "grand" about our neighborhood, from small businesses to culture to greening to art. Our goal is to transform the East 125th Street corridor by putting advocacy into action.

Location:
(see website site)

The Harlem–125th Street station is a commuter rail stop serving the Metro-North Railroad's Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines. It is located at East 125th Street and Park Avenue in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City.

Marcus Garvey Park is a 20.16-acre park on the border between the Harlem and East Harlem neighborhoods of Manhattan, New York City. The park, centered on a massive and steep outcropping of schist, interrupts the flow of Fifth Avenue traffic, which is routed around the park via Mount Morris Park West.

Location:
Mt Morris Park - Madison to Fifth Avenue

Small, shaded garden square with benches, creative sculptures & occasional art installations.

Location:
E. 120th St & Sylvan Place

La Marqueta's story goes back to 1936, when the City opened the Park Avenue Retail Market to bring East Harlem's pushcart vendors under one roof. As the neighborhood transformed from Italian Harlem into Spanish Harlem after World War II, the Park Avenue Retail Market became “La Marqueta,” specializing in Latin American and Caribbean goods for the residents of East Harlem, Central Harlem, and the South Bronx.

Location:
115th & Park Avenue

Visit These Shops While There:

DEC 28, 1969 - Young Lords take over the Church, name it the People's Church, and begin an 11-day occupation. They establish free breakfast and clothing programs, health services, a day-care center, a liberation school, community dinners, poetry and films. Thousands of supporters attend activities - it was a defining moment. Occupying the Armitage Avenue United Methodist Church in May 1969, the Young Lords set up programs inside what they called the People's Church. The building remained a church but also served as the Young Lords National Headquarters for nearly two years.

Location:
163 E. 111th St & Lexington Avenue

Union Settlement is one of the oldest settlement houses in New York City, providing community-based services and programs that support the immigrant and low-income residents of East Harlem since 1895. It is East Harlem’s largest social service agency and serves 10,000 people annually through programs including early childhood education, youth services, senior services, adult education, mental health, small business development and community outreach.

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Location:
104th St. between 2nd Avenue & 3rd Avenue

El Barrio’s Artspace PS109 is a community-driven project which transformed an abandoned public school in East Harlem into an arts facility. Designed by Charles B.J. Snyder and completed in 1898, this structure is five stories tall with a steeply pitched roof, copper-clad cupolas, and a wealth of newly restored decorative terra cotta. Today, the project boasts 90 units of affordable live/work housing for artists and their families, as well as 10,000 square feet of complementary space for arts organizations.

Location:
215 East 99th Street (between 2nd & 3rd Avenue)