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Jim Mackin brings Harlem to life in a collective biography of an iconic neighborhood and its residents. Notable New Yorkers of Harlem is encyclopedic, illuminating and delightfully surprising.---Robert W. Snyder, Manhattan Borough Historian, 2019-2025
Notable New Yorkers of Harlem celebrates, in tasty and easily digestible chunks, that famous neighborhood’s residents, from athletes and actors to philosophers, publishers and politicians. Extensively researched, it is revelatory in its reach—a 'Who’s Who' that repeatedly prompts the reaction, Who knew?! The book explores the histories of Jews, Italians, African Americans and other residents of those historic blocks over the centuries. It tells tales of the famous as well as those who are, today, forgotten. If you have not walked the streets of this historic part of Manhattan, you will want to after reading Jim’s comprehensive and captivating book.---Stephanie Azzarone, author of Heaven on the Hudson: Mansions, Monuments, and Marvels of Riverside Park and Fabulous Fountains of New York
Jim Mackin’s succinct, rich and insightful bios on the talented and eclectic people who have been born and nurtured in Harlem through four centuries will both surprise and inform his readers. American Revolutionary War heroes have walked the same path as Tony Award-winning lyricists, legendary actors, musicians, scholars, artists, jurists, Civil Rights legends, athletes, scientists and politicians in this historic and architecturally rich part of New York City. Mackin’s research and storytelling bring them all to life in these pages.---Davida Siwisa James, author of Hamilton Heights and Sugar Hill: Alexander Hamilton’s Old Harlem Neighborhood Through the Centuries
With his brief, sparkling biographies of notable individuals, Jim Mackin unpeels the many layers of Harlem’s 400-year history. His book is powerful evidence of Harlem’s contributions to the culture of our nation and our world.---Gilbert Tauber, oldstreets.com
Just when I thought that most of the prominent figures from Harlem had been discussed, Jim Mackin reminds us of even more to be remembered. And these notables are not only mentioned but given glowing tributes. Add one more tome to your Harlem trove.---Herb Boyd, author of Epic Harlem
Sometimes neighborhoods change and tell new tales. But the old stories, the lore, remain. Jim Mackin's Notable New Yorkers of Manhattan's Upper West Side collects nearly 600 of them. And they reveal an Upper West Side character that's lasted for century―intellectual, political, diverse. ― Daily News
Jim Mackin’s work will add an extra dimension to your enjoyment of this marvelous neighborhood. What fascinating people lived, wrought, wrote, schemed and sang behind those windows we pass every day!---Gilbert Tauber, nycstreets.info
If you are in a hurry, don't take Jim Mackin on a walk through the Upper West Side. Every few steps he might stop and say, 'Let me tell you who lived here,' or, 'You'll never guess who worked there.' You see, Mackin has uncovered the homes of every notable figure who has ever resided in the neighborhood--and they are many. But if, like me, you find such revelations delightful and addictive, Mackin--or at least his book--will make a perfect companion. His work is an exhaustive and ofttimes surprising 'Who's Who' of Upper West Siders who have shaped the worlds of art, culture, politics, and science. After reading his book I thought, 'Harlem and Greenwich Village boosters take note! The Upper West Side deserves a seat at the table.'---Michael Miscione, Manhattan Borough Historian, 2006 - 2019
The new book Notable New Yorkers of Manhattan’s Upper West Side: Bloomingdale- Morningside Heights is a compilation of stories of nearly 600 former residents who once called Manhattan’s Upper West Side home...Profiling a rare selection of diverse people who shaped the character of the area, Mackin introduces readers to its fascinating residents: some famous, such as George and Ira Gershwin and Thurgood Marshall, and some forgotten, such as Harriet Brooks, Augustus Meyers, and Elinor Smith. ― New York Almanack
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