Overview

Harlem is poised to usher in a bright future while celebrating its rich history. New commercial and residential developments join museums, art galleries, elegantly refurbished brownstones, a variety of retail stores, and fine restaurants to make Harlem one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in New York City. The presence of art, cultural, and academic institutions has attracted a well educated workforce and is creating a vast and talented labor pool to draw from. More than 800,000 visitors come to Harlem each year to experience the cultural and entertainment attractions, such as art exhibitions, book fairs, and the jazz festivals.

In 2008 the City Council approved a comprehensive rezoning of the 125th Street Corridor between Broadway and Second Ave. The rezoning will foster public and private investment along Harlem’s “Main Street,” and support the growth of 125th Street as a premier arts, culture and entertainment destination. Expanded opportunities for new, mixed-use housing will develop a concentration of cultural and retail destinations, encouraging repeat visitation to Harlem.

View the Harlem 125th Street Central Business District Summary 

Office Market

The recently approved rezoning will allow approximately 1.8 million square feet of additional commercial office, hotel, and retail space and approximately 2,600 new housing units. The Harlem business district will expand eastward as the 6-acre East 125th Street site (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues and 125th and 127th Streets) is redeveloped. The 125th Street Corridor, the central artery of the business district, boasts a bustling retail and entertainment environment alongside a growing commercial office market. Harlem’s Central Business District is considered part of the Upper Manhattan submarket, which consists of 4.8 million square feet of office space. A wide range of companies and institutions are located in Harlem, including Columbia University, the New York Academy of Medicine, Verizon, and Truro College.

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Available Commercial Incentives

• Commercial Expansion Program (CEP)
• Energy Cost Savings Program (ECSP)
• Industrial and Commercial Abatement Program (ICAP)
• Relocation and Employment Assistance Program (REAP)
• Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Benefits
• See www.nyc.gov/businessexpress for more information about incentive programs

Office Market Snapshot¹

Class B Office Space¹

Class C Office Space¹

1. Data gathered from CoStar

Retail Market

Harlem boasts a large and active arts and cultural community. The area is home to institutions such as the Apollo Theatre, the Harlem School of the Arts, Lenox Lounge, the National Jazz Museum, the National Black Theatre, and the Studio Museum, among others. Recent zoning changes have set the stage for further growth of Harlem’s art and cultural community by providing incentives to create dedicated space for visual or performing arts.

This busy mini-metropolis enjoys excellent access via 10 subway lines, the Metro-North Railroad and numerous bus lines, including the M60 bus to La Guardia Airport. More than 724,000 subway riders and 175,000 Metro-North commuters pass through this hub each day. The area is also connected to the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens via the Triborough Bridge.

Demographics¹

Current Retail Development²

1. Data gathered from Demographics Now and CoStar
2. Data gathered from CoStar 

Who's Here

• Chuck E. Cheese’s
• Sylvia’s
• Marcus Samuelson’s Red Rooster
• Mobay Uptown Restaurant & BBQ
• Applebee’s
• Aloft Harlem
• H&M
• Marshall’s
• Old Navy
• Target
• American Apparel
• Nine West
• Modell’s Sporting Goods
• Staples
• Magic Johnson Theaters
• Best Buy
• M.A.C. Cosmetics

Large Scale Development Activity

East 125th Street Development

The development team, East Harlem M/E/C LLC is developing a $700 million East Harlem Media / Entertainment / Cultural Center, which will include 30,000 square feet of dedicated community and cultural space, more than 600 affordable housing units, a public plaza, new office and retail space and a hotel.

• Cost: $700 million
• Use: Residential / commercial / cultural
• Status: Construction

125th Street and Park Avenue

Located on 125th Street and Park Avenue, this site is adjacent to the first MetroNorth commuter stop in Manhattan. The site is zoned to allow up to 400,000 square feet of Class A office space in Harlem.

• Cost: $435 million
• Use: Office / retail
• Status: Planning

Mart 125

The New York City Economic Development Corporation is facilitating the development of a 50,000 square foot destination venue that supports arts and culture programming, a multi-media information center, retail and unique dining.

• Cost: $23 million
• Use: Retail / cultural
• Status: Planning

West Harlem Waterfront

West Harlem Piers Park reclaims the Hudson River waterfront for pedestrian and recreational use. A new, 2-acre park with newly constructed piers allows for fishing, recreational boat use and ferry service.

• Cost: $20 million
• Use: Recreation
• Status: Completed

Manhattanville

Columbia University plans to create a new 17-acre campus in West Harlem. The 6.8 million square foot project will create new academic, research, and university housing space, as well as ground-floor retail, publicly-accessible open space, and facilities for civic, cultural, and recreational activity.

• Cost: $6.3 billion
• Use: Academic / retail / cultural / recreational
• Status: Construction

Harlem 125th Street Map