Sugar Hill not so sweet for longtime residents

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By Taisha Henry

Sugar Hill, a historic Harlem neighborhood, stretches from 135th to 162nd Streets, between Edgecombe  and Amsterdam avenues. During the Harlem Renaissance, Sugar Hill was a neighborhood that signified wealth or the “sweet life” for African American’s. It was home to legendary stars like Cab Colloway, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Billy Strayhorn.

But the once predominately black neighborhood has gentrified. More whites and Hispanics have moved in, causing an increase in property value. Sugar Hill’s co-op apartments can run anywhere from $125,000 to $800,000. Townhouses are sold for two million or more, leaving Sugar Hill’s older residents nostalgic.