Le Petit Senegal
Encyclopedia
Le Petit Sénégal, or Little Senegal, is a neighborhood in the New York City
borough of Manhattan
. It has been called Le Petit Senegal by the West African immigrant community and Little Senegal by some people from outside the neighborhood.
Le Petit Senegal is a smaller section of the much larger, and older, neighborhood of Harlem
. The neighborhood's exact borders are difficult to define as it is still new, growing from nonexistent in 1985 to 6,500 by 2005. Le Petit Senegal is generally defined as located in Central Harlem. The neighborhood's main streets are the blocks surrounding W. 116th Street
between St. Nicholas Avenue
on the east and Morningside Park to the west.
Le Petit Senegal is the main shopping and social area for many of Harlem's West African immigrants. The majority of these recent immigrants hail from (partially) French speaking Senegal
, reflecting the French local name of Little Senegal. However, African languages, such as Wolof
, are also spoken in this part of Manhattan. There are also immigrants from other West African countries, including Cote d'Ivoire
, Ghana
, Guinea
, Mali
, Gambia, and Burkina Faso
.
West African stores, restaurants, bistro
s, bakeries, cafes, and other proprietorships can be found in the neighborhood.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. It has been called Le Petit Senegal by the West African immigrant community and Little Senegal by some people from outside the neighborhood.
Le Petit Senegal is a smaller section of the much larger, and older, neighborhood of Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
. The neighborhood's exact borders are difficult to define as it is still new, growing from nonexistent in 1985 to 6,500 by 2005. Le Petit Senegal is generally defined as located in Central Harlem. The neighborhood's main streets are the blocks surrounding W. 116th Street
116th Street (Manhattan)
116th Street runs from Riverside Drive, overlooking the Hudson River, to the East River, through the New York City borough of Manhattan. It traverses the neighborhoods of Morningside Heights, Harlem, and Spanish Harlem; the street is interrupted between Morningside Heights and Harlem by Morningside...
between St. Nicholas Avenue
Saint Nicholas Avenue (Manhattan)
Saint Nicholas Avenue is a major New York City street. It runs north-south between 193rd Street and 111th Streets in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It goes through the neighborhoods of Washington Heights, Harlem, Hamilton Heights, and Inwood...
on the east and Morningside Park to the west.
Le Petit Senegal is the main shopping and social area for many of Harlem's West African immigrants. The majority of these recent immigrants hail from (partially) French speaking Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, reflecting the French local name of Little Senegal. However, African languages, such as Wolof
Wolof language
Wolof is a language spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania, and is the native language of the Wolof people. Like the neighbouring languages Serer and Fula, it belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo language family...
, are also spoken in this part of Manhattan. There are also immigrants from other West African countries, including Cote d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, Gambia, and Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
.
West African stores, restaurants, bistro
Bistro
A bistro, sometimes spelled bistrot, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. Home cooking with robust earthy dishes, and slow-cooked foods like cassoulet are typical...
s, bakeries, cafes, and other proprietorships can be found in the neighborhood.