The area of present-day Harlem was once inhabited by Dutch farmers, and until the early 19th-century Dutch cattle were grazed and Dutch cheeses were brewed. Over time, the land gave up all its juices, the Dutch farmers abandoned it, and in place of the pastures the apartment buildings grew, which the owners did not hurry to occupy – the area was still on the outskirts. Soon after, housing prices in Harlem fell and houses were finally found to be owned by black people, not only from other parts of New York but also from southern America and the Caribbean.
