Hackney v Harlem: Who's the toughest?

Anne Widdecombe hits Harlem's "mean" streets

"I've seen worse in Hackney," said shadow home secretary Ann Widdecombe during a tour of Harlem.

Harlem, in the upper Manhattan area of New York, has been undergoing a second renaissance since its crack and murder-ridden dog-days of the mid-1990s.

But Hackney, similarly, is undergoing a regeneration of its own - the east London borough is home to ultra-trendy Hoxton, for one thing.

We see how the formerly notorious US neighbourhood and UK borough measure up.

HARLEM		HACKNEY
Demographics - Harlem became the "cradle" of the African-American population after World War I. It is still ethnically mixed. A third of its 500,000 inhabitants are bilingual .		Demographics - The Hackney population is young; about one in four are under 15. It is also ethnically mixed, with about 66% of the population white, 22% black, 7% Asian and 1% Chinese. About 35% of households are headed by people born outside the UK.
Employment - Falling crime rates have encouraged investment and an influx of businesses. Tourists, some five million annually, also boost the local economy.		Employment - Hackney has the highest rate of unemployment in London. The February 1999 figure was 21,354 - 14.6% of the economically active population.
Housing - Property prices are up 25% or more in two years for prime locations in historic areas. A four-storey "brownstone" on West 145th Street can be picked up for as little as $400,000.		Housing - Despite the fact that Hackney includes affluent areas such as Hoxton and Shoreditch, only about 27% of the population own their own home. Almost half are housed by the local authority. And about 5,035 households are in temporary accommodation such as hostels and B&Bs.
Crime - Plunging. Crime is down 60% overall over the last five years, and the murder rate has dropped by 72%; 10% faster than New York in general. Since 1993, shootings in central Harlem have dropped 84% and overall crime 60%.		Crime - High and rising. Levels for all crime, especially serious crime, are up. Robbery, for example, is nearly three times as high as the average rate in London, itself about three times higher than the England and Wales average. Police say they are concerned that gang violence is on the increase among youths.
Poverty - Despite its reputation for deprivation, more than one in three Harlem residents now earn more than $30,000 per year (£20,000).		Poverty - The government ranks the borough the fourth most deprived in the country. By far the majority of the households in Hackney have a gross income of less than £12,000, about half that of Greater London in general.
Gentrification - Massive. Widely said to be undergoing a Second Renaissance, comparable to the post-WW1 boom. The first major shopping plaza in Harlem, Harlem USA, opened last year and houses chains such as Starbucks, Disney and Gap. The first large-scale chain supermarket in the area for 30 years opened last year.		Gentrification - Massive. Hackney includes the groovy areas of Hoxton, Shoreditch and Stoke Newington, whose popularity since 1980 has been led by artists and designers, drawn by the low rents and large lofts of old warehouses. The Nationwide building society says Hackney held the record for property prices rises in 1999: up 37%.
Famous sons and daughters - Rapper Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs; Rebel Without a Cause star Sal Mineo; Hollywood producer Sam Jaffe II; murdered rap singer Tupac Shakur also grew up in the area.		Famous sons and daughters - Marc Bolan, TV star Trisha; singer Gabrielle; the late entertainer Anthony Newley; home office minister Paul Boateng; actor Ray Winstone;
Arts and culture - Home of the Harlem Spirituals and many other Gospel choirs. It was also a magnet for the stars of modern jazz, including Charlie "Bird" Parker. It is also the backdrop for numerous 70s Blaxploitation films and the novels of Chester Himes.		Arts and culture - A cultural revival is under way, led by a number of trendy galleries and theatre companies. The Gainsborough film studios, once the haunt of Hitchcock, is hosting plays starring Ralph Feinnes and Emilia Fox.
Famous venue - The Apollo Theatre, a showcase for black talent in the 1930s, also famous for stars such as James Brown in the 60s.		Famous venue - Hackney Empire. So beloved is the theatre that a recent £15m financial shortfall prompted a host of stars, including Griff Rhys Jones, to lend a hand.