By the late 1930s Harlem nightclubs were visibly in decline. On March19, 1935, the rumor that a black teenager was being beaten sparked anight of violent rioting, which confirmed in most New Yorkers’ mindsthe decline of Harlem from the center of exotic nightlife —“America’sCasbah”—to a dangerous slum. The larger clubs, such as the CottonClub, either closed or relocated downtown. At the same time, an alter-native strip of jazz-oriented nightclubs emerged on 52nd Street, prompt-ing some black musicians to wonder whether the widely publicizeddangers of wandering through Harlem at night were simply a ruse tofrighten white customers away from Harlem after-hours clubs to a moreconvenient midtown location. For whatever reason, by the mid-1940s thecenter of gravity had gradually shifted away from Harlem to 52nd Street.But during the early years of bebop,
This is an example of how the marketing and how jazz is accessible over time. Even within the same borough, shifting from Harlem to 52nd street can change the market and the audience heavily. Bebop became more accessible when then jazz scene shifted to 52nd street.