This is one of the larger areas of Manhattan when taken together. Although two separate neighborhoods, Sugar Hill, Harlem, East Harlem, and Hamilton Heights are all on the upswing. The trend in the neighborhood, since Bill Clinton’s choice to locate his post-presidential offices in Harlem has been revitalization; it is Harlem’s second renaissance if you will.

Harlem has undergone a commercial revitalization. Now, in addition to the street vendors selling discounted CD’s, incense and street food, there are also stores such as Gap, Old Navy, Disney, H&M, M.A.C. and Circuit City to choose from, that with more upscale shopping at places such as Citarella make Harlem a logical choice for singles and families looking to rent or buy. Options in the area include brownstones, rental buildings, and walkups.

If it is culture that you are looking for, look no further than Harlem. With institutions such as the Apollo, Magic Johnson Theatre, the African American Wax Museum, Museo Del Barrio, the Museum of the City of New York and the Black Fashion Museum, numerous others make Harlem a cultural Mecca.

East Harlem, el Barrio as it is called within the neighborhood and Spanish Harlem, as it is commonly referred to by non residents, is another area of Harlem that is in revitalization. With much more modest buildings than Harlem itself, East Harlem was a haven for the working class, many of whom were Italian, and then it began to be inhabited by Puerto Ricans who emigrated from the island to the United States, giving Spanish Harlem its current name and ethnic flavor. This area is currently experiencing an influx of residents of non-Latino decent with the speculation that a similar gentrification to what has taken place in other areas of northeast Manhattan such as Yorkville will occur, given the opening of the East River Plaza, a large shopping center on FDR Drive which promises to offer more permanent jobs and commuter access.

Hamilton Heights, one of the most coveted areas of Harlem, is located in West Harlem, between Morningside Heights where Columbia University is located, and Washington Heights to the north, this area boasts brownstones and limestone buildings that are beautifully nestled amongst the historic churches and the City College of New York. This area, which is just beginning its process of gentrification, still offers some great rental prices in locations that are up and coming, rents have recently been on the rise but great deals are still to be found, if one looks east of Broadway in Hamilton Heights.