coworkingHarlem
Geographic Boundaries
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City, with fluid boundaries generally defined by 155th Street to the north, the Harlem and East Rivers to the east, and Central Park North (110th Street) to the south. The western edge borders the Hudson River, though some definitions extend to Amsterdam Avenue. East Harlem (El Barrio) lies northeast of Central Harlem, bounded by the East River, Harlem River, and 96th Street near Central Park. The greater Harlem area spans approximately 1.4 to 4.4 square miles depending on sub-neighborhood inclusions.
Businesses and Retail
Harlem's commercial landscape blends historic institutions with modern ventures. 125th Street serves as the main retail corridor, housing national retailers like H&M and Old Navy alongside local staples such as the Apollo Theater's gift shop. Specialty stores include Silk Road Cigars and Harlem Haberdashery (men's clothing). The neighborhood hosts multiple farmers' markets, including the Harlem Grown market on 134th Street. Fine dining establishments range from Red Rooster Harlem by Marcus Samuelsson to Sylvia's Restaurant, a soul food landmark since 1962.
Historical Attractions
Key cultural landmarks include the Apollo Theater (1914), which launched careers of Ella Fitzgerald and James Brown, and the Abyssinian Baptist Church (1808), a center of Black political activism. The Studio Museum in Harlem (1968) showcases African-American art, while the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture houses rare manuscripts like Malcolm X's diaries. Historic residential buildings like the Strivers' Row townhouses (1890s) exemplify Harlem Renaissance architecture.
Architectural Landscape
Building types range from pre-war brownstones and limestone row houses to public housing complexes like the General Grant Houses. Notable structures include the neo-Gothic Revival City College of New York campus and the modernist Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building. Recent developments like the Harlem Row complex on Frederick Douglass Boulevard blend retail and luxury residential spaces.
Transportation Infrastructure
Major subway lines include the A/B/C/D trains at 125th Street and the 2/3 trains along Lenox Avenue. Metro-North Railroad services Harlem-125th Street Station with connections to Westchester and Connecticut. The M60 Select Bus Service provides access to LaGuardia Airport, while multiple bike lanes connect to Manhattan's cycling grid. Key bus routes include the M101 and M7 along major avenues.
Zip Codes
Primary ZIP codes include 10026 (Central Harlem), 10027 (Morningside Heights overlap), 10030 and 10037 (West Harlem), 10035 (East Harlem), and 10039 (Hamilton Heights). Adjacent areas use 10025 (Upper West Side) and 10029 (East Harlem overlap).
Corporate Presence
Columbia University's Manhattanville Campus expansion anchors academic and research enterprises. Major employers include Mount Sinai Hospital's satellite facilities and the Harlem Hospital Center. Tech incubators like the Harlem Biospace support life sciences startups, while corporate offices for national nonprofits like the National Urban League (55 West 125th Street) maintain headquarters in the area. Retail chains such as Target and Whole Foods operate large-format stores with corporate regional offices embedded locally.