Harlem has experienced significant revitalization while maintaining its cultural heritage. Strong transit access and growing retail corridors serve a diversifying population.
Harlem has experienced significant revitalization while maintaining its cultural heritage. Strong transit access and growing retail corridors serve a diversifying population.
Did you know?
The Apollo Theater's Amateur Night, which launched Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, and Lauryn Hill, has run nearly every Wednesday since 1934.
Neighborhood Stats
Who’s your neighbor?
Housing cost
Family scores
Show 5 moreShow fewer
What families should know
Personalize
Get an agentic neighborhood analysis — including safety and cost of living — tailored to your priorities, family size, budget, and commute.
Analyze for My FamilyLiving here
Families in southern Harlem have one solid playground option at Martin Luther King, Jr. Playground — a well-maintained spot that's popular with local kids. Beyond that single location, the neighborhood's park inventory is thin, which is a real gap for families looking for more variety in green space. What's there works well, but there's no deep bench of options to choose from.
Schools & early education
Harlem South runs a deep bench of options across the public, charter, and private landscape. Zoned public schools like P.S. 076 A. Philip Randolph and P.S. 149 Sojourner Truth anchor the neighborhood, while charter networks including Harlem Village Academy West and Success Academy offer alternatives. A handful of private options like Harlem Academy round things out. The governance mix means families have real variety to weigh, though navigating the charter lottery alongside zoned assignments takes some legwork.
Compare with nearby neighborhoods
Best schools in Harlem (South)
Schools in Harlem (South)20
- Frederick Douglass Academy II Secondary School
- Future Leaders Institute Charter School
- GREAT TOMORROWS USA SCHOOL
- HARLEM ACADEMY
- Harlem Hebrew Language Charter School
- Harlem Link Charter School
- Harlem Village Academy West Charter School
- MT PLEASANT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
- New York French-American Charter School
- Opportunity Charter School
- P.S. 076 A. Philip Randolph
- P.S. 149 Sojourner Truth
- P.S. 180 Hugo Newman
- P.S. 242 - The Young Diplomats Magnet Academy
- PAUL INST OF MAINSTREAM 5TH AVENUE
- STEM Institute of Manhattan
- Success Academy Charter School - Harlem 1
- Success Academy Charter School - Harlem 4
- The Locke School of Arts and Engineering
- Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing & Visual Arts
Early education in Harlem (South)20
- CITIZENS CARE DAYCARE CENTER 1
- Citizens Care DCC 1
- COMMUNITY LIFE CENTER, INC.
- EAST CALVARY DAY CARE CENTER
- East Calvary DCC
- GREAT TOMORROWS USA SCHOOL
- HARLEM ACADEMY
- Harlem Gems
- Harlem Hebrew Language Charter School
- Harlem Link Charter School
- Heaven's Tiny Tots, Child Development Center, Inc.
- MT PLEASANT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
- New York French-American Charter School
- P.S. 076 A. Philip Randolph
- P.S. 149 Sojourner Truth
- P.S. 180 Hugo Newman
- P.S. 242 - The Young Diplomats Magnet Academy
- STEM Institute of Manhattan
- The Clifford Glover Day Care Center, Inc. At 41 West 117 Street
- The Locke School of Arts and Engineering
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Harlem (South) a good neighborhood for families?
- Harlem (South) scores 46/100 for families on Motley — near the middle of the pack citywide. The Family Fit score blends safety, schools, parks, cost of living, and community.
- Is Harlem (South) safe?
- Harlem (South) scores 1/100 on safety — toward the lower end citywide. We build the score from NYPD complaint data, normalized by population.
- How are the schools in Harlem (South)?
- Harlem (South) has 20 schools mapped inside its boundary and scores 74/100 for schools — ahead of most NYC neighborhoods.
- Is Harlem (South) affordable?
- Harlem (South) scores 13/100 for affordability on Motley — among the pricier parts of the city.
- Which borough is Harlem (South) in?
- Harlem (South) is a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City.
Want personalized insights for your family?
Sign in to get an agentic neighborhood analysis — including safety and cost of living — tailored to your priorities, family size, budget, and commute.