It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, so we’re celebrating the Latinx-owned businesses here in the neighborhood.
Before World War II, East Harlem was known as “Italian Harlem” and housed some 100,000 Italian immigrants, three times that of downtown’s Little Italy at the time. In the 1960s and 1970s, Latinos, mainly Puerto Ricans, moved in, and people started referring to the area as “Spanish Harlem” or “El Barrio.”
East Harlem has one of the most diverse Latino communities in the city, with sizeable Puerto Rican, Dominican, Mexican and Cuban populations. We’ve got eateries offering all of those cuisines — plus Peruvian, Spanish and Brazilian, too.
Check out our guide below, or click on Listings or Map and search for “Latinx-Owned.”
El Kallejon (photo credit Evi Abeler)
MEXICAN:
Cafe Ollin — plus new second location! On Second Avenue b/t 108th & 109th