East 116th Street and Madison Avenue

East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or "El Barrio" to the locals, is a heavily residential neighborhood in Upper Manhattan. In fact, the population density here is about three times that of the city as a whole! Starting at 96th street and following 5th avenue all the way up to a point at 143rd, East Harlem is full of culture and energy that is celebrated to this day.

In 1860, a residential settlement was developed on 110th St and 3rd Ave after residents were forced to move due to the construction of Central Park. By the 1880s, row houses in East Harlem became home to thousands of immigrants, mostly of German and Irish descent. Soon after, Italians began moving into the neighborhood in large numbers, and by the mid-1890s the neighborhood became known as Italian Harlem.

In 1919, the Lexington Avenue Subway (now the 4, 5, 6, lines) reached the neighborhood, which contributed to substantial population growth. At the time, the area had one…

East Harlem Apartments