East Harlem aka Spanish Harlem!!! I stayed in this area while visiting NY, and I have to say that it's a pretty bustling scene. Lots of Latin Flavor here from the music, to the street art, to (of course) the food and culture.
I loved walking down the street and seeing so much colorful street art on the walls and in the alleyways. So many street vendors around selling lots of handcrafted and discounted items. I left my belt at home and figured that I'd have to go downtown to a major department store to buy another one. But on the way to the train station, I found this guy on the street that was selling belts for $5! And it wasn't a flimsy belt either. I wear it all the time. I just loved that I could walk down the street and pick up things like this.
You'll see people out on the street painting and doing live artwork. People singing, dancing, and performing. You can smell the food trucks from a mile away. So many corner markets and corner stores with everything that you need. And Spanish Harlem is truly what it is. It's very diverse, but there's a dense Latin culture here. Cubans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, and even people from my background (Panamanian). I love being amongst my Latin brothers and sisters.
And the FOOD!!! Wow. Like, don't even get me started on that. This is the closest that I've ever gotten to finding Latin food as good as how my grandparents used to make it. The food options are so ethnic and endless! Trust me, you'll never get bored with the food around these parts. I wish I could take a little piece of East Harlem and transplant it back home in the Bay. But until then, I'll just take advantage of these visits. read more