New York Living Solutions

Harlem, East Harlem, and Hamilton Heights are all on the upswing.

Bill Clinton’s choice to locate his post-presidential offices in Harlem has commercially revitalized the neighborhood; many have deemed it Harlem’s second renaissance. Cultural hunters look no further than Harlem. Artistic staples such as the world famous Apollo Theater, the Magic Johnson Theater, and the African American Wax Museum, mark Harlem the cultural Mecca of Upper Manhattan.

East Harlem, also known as El Barrio or Spanish Harlem, has also undergone its own commercial face-lift. With much more modest buildings than Harlem itself, East Harlem was once haven for working class Italians. After WWI however, Puerto Ricans who migrated from the island populated, renamed and infused the neighborhood with their own ethnic flavor. El Museo del Barrio (the Neighborhood Museum), New York’s premier artistic institution dedicated to Latin, Latin American and Caribbean art, stands as testament of cultural influence of Spanish Harlem on the rest of the city.

Hamilton Heights is located in West Harlem, between Morningside Heights (home to Columbia University) and Washington Heights to the north. This area boasts brownstones and limestone buildings that are beautifully nestled amongst historic churches and the City College of New York.