If you’ve watched West Side Story, enjoyed the infectious rhythms of Latin Jazz, heard of musical giants like Thelonius Monk, Nina Simone, explored the Arturo Schomburg collections, or even attended events at The Palladium Ballroom in your youth, then you—in some way, shape, or form—have been impacted by the legacy of San Juan Hill.
Despite being the home and birthplace of several culture-shifting moments and individuals, this neighborhood in Manhattan no longer exists today. In its place sits Lincoln Center. In 1958, several communities, including an emerging Puerto Rican community, were displaced from New York City’s Lincoln Square and San Juan Hill neighborhoods to make way for the construction of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Fordham University. Over the last two years, CENTRO’s Data Hub has been working tirelessly to review and analyze thousands of relocation records housed in the archives of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Join CENTRO’s Data Hub team virtually on October 7th to learn more and discuss their latest report about the families displaced from Lincoln Square and San Juan Hill.
Afterlives of San Juan Hill is on view through October 15th at CENTRO en el Barrio. Click here to learn more about the exhibition, location, and hours.
Image credit: 1956, Lincoln Square, street view of crowd near bodega, NYC Parks Photo Archive.
