Harlem

Harlem first came of age in 1920s as one of New York’s richest cultural centers, connected to the growth of the city’s jazz music and literary scenes. Over the last 10 years, both Harlem and East Harlem have seen another wave of revitalization as more people consider the opportunities that lay north of 125th Street.

A mix of longtime residents and newcomers interested in experiencing life above 125th Street.

Harlem imparts the feeling of the traditional residential neighborhood more strongly than most of Manhattan. There are more family-owned businesses and a sense of togetherness and community stand out strongly. There’s also a rich tradition of culture and creativity imbued in the fabric of the neighborhood.

Harlem has plenty of bars and socialization but offers neither a hyperactive all-night party scene nor the kind of upscale experiences found in lower Manhattan. Also, commuting times to downtown Manhattan are obviously longer here.

Harlem is very residential throughout, with avenues functioning as commercial boulevards. The architecture is rich with nineteenth century brownstones and apartments that may be considerably more affordable than apartments further south or brownstones in other neighborhoods. There are more and more new developments slowly beginning to pop up as well.

Harlem has a number of greenspaces of varying sizes that serve the community well, including Jackie Robinson Park, Marcus Garvey Park (with swimming pool), and St. Nicholas Park. Each functions both as recreational area and ad-hoc outdoor community center.

Compared to midtown, Harlem has few hotels and even fewer upscale options for lodging. Aloft Harlem is probably the best recommendation here, with the rest being budget options.

Central Harlem is well-served by the A/B/C/D and 2/3 subway lines but East Harlem suffers from the same issue as the rest of Manhattan’s upper east, having only the 4/5/6 trains on Lexington Avenue. The long-planned Second Avenue Subway is set to open later this decade, which should improve things considerably as well as generate more interest in properties located along those areas of East Harlem.

Transportation options: 2 3 A B C D Bus service

Street parking, though it isn’t easy to come by, can be found on many of the streets in Harlem. The hassle of finding an open spot may be frustrating enough for some to still consider renting a garage spot for their vehicle to avoid it all.

Harlem also has easy access to the West Side Highway and Harlem River Drive for out of town getaways.

Yellow cabs for passenger pickup are also readily available just about anywhere.

Distance from main airports by car:
LaGuardia: 15-30 minutes
JFK: 35-50 minutes
Newark: 50-75 minutes