Frenchy CoffeeEast Harlem is the neighborhood in the northeast corner of Manhattan, between Fifth Avenue and the East River, starting around 98th Street. It is also called Spanish Harlem and El Barrio. In one day you can walk from two museums on Fifth Avenue to the gardens at the top of Central Park and on to La Marqueta, the old market under the Park Avenue tracks. We run a French café on East 102nd Street, so this is the route we suggest to friends, with a coffee stop included.
Where is East Harlem?
East Harlem is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, directly north of the Upper East Side. According to its Wikipedia entry, it is bounded by 98th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue to the west and the East River to the east, and it is one of the neighborhoods counted as part of Greater Harlem.
Central Park sits along its western edge, which is why East Harlem is often the quickest way to reach the park's quieter north end. The Lexington Avenue line runs underneath the neighborhood, and Park Avenue runs under the Metro-North viaduct, one of the easiest landmarks to recognize when you are finding your way.
Spanish Harlem and El Barrio: one neighborhood, three names
East Harlem, Spanish Harlem and El Barrio all describe the same place. The neighborhood was once known as Italian Harlem. Over the twentieth century it became the home of one of the largest Hispanic communities in New York City, mostly Puerto Rican, along with Dominican, Salvadoran, Cuban and Mexican families. El Barrio simply means "the neighborhood" in Spanish, and it is the name many residents use.
That history shows up everywhere: in the music (East Harlem is known for its contributions to salsa and Latin freestyle), in the food, in the community gardens and in the murals. Part of the neighborhood, roughly between 111th and 120th Streets, was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the East Harlem Historic District in 2019.
A day in East Harlem: a walking route
East Harlem is easy to explore on foot. This route covers about 20 blocks and works well for a slow day, with museums in the morning, the park after lunch and La Marqueta in the afternoon.
- 8 to 9:30 am, breakfast. Start with a coffee and a croissant near the 6 train at 103rd Street. Our café, Frenchy Coffee, opens at 7 am on weekdays and 8 am on weekends, two minutes from the station.
- 10 am, Museum of the City of New York. Walk west on 103rd Street to Fifth Avenue, about ten minutes. The museum opens at 10.
- Late morning, El Museo del Barrio. Two blocks north on Fifth Avenue, at 105th Street.
- Lunch. Head back east into the neighborhood for lunch, or pick up sandwiches to go for a picnic in the park.
- Early afternoon, the Conservatory Garden. Across Fifth Avenue from El Museo, inside Central Park.
- Mid-afternoon, the Harlem Meer. A few minutes north, at the park's northeast corner.
- Late afternoon, La Marqueta. Walk east to Park Avenue and up to 111th to 116th Streets, under the Metro-North viaduct.
If you only have a morning, keep the first three stops. If you have the whole day, add a walk through the side streets between 111th and 120th Streets, where the historic district is.
The museums at the top of Museum Mile
The stretch of Fifth Avenue along Central Park between 82nd and 110th Streets is nicknamed Museum Mile, and its northern end is in East Harlem. The mile's best-known museums, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim, are further south, so the uptown museums are easy to combine with a walk in East Harlem.
Museum of the City of New York
The Museum of the City of New York is at 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street. It tells the story of New York itself, through photographs, maps, objects and changing exhibitions. At the time of writing, it opens every day, from 10 am to 5 pm on weekdays and 10 am to 6 pm on weekends, with late opening on Wednesdays. Check its website for current hours and tickets before you go.
El Museo del Barrio
El Museo del Barrio sits at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street, according to the list of institutions on the Museum Mile page. It is dedicated to Latino and Latin American art and culture and is closely tied to the history of the neighborhood. Check its own website for opening hours and admission.
The Africa Center
At the very top of the mile, at 110th Street, is The Africa Center. Once a year, Fifth Avenue is closed to traffic for the Museum Mile Festival, a good day to walk the whole mile.
Central Park's north end: the Conservatory Garden and the Harlem Meer
Two places at the north end of Central Park are worth the walk from East Harlem.
The Conservatory Garden
The Conservatory Garden is Central Park's formal garden. According to the Central Park Conservancy, it covers six acres and is made of three distinct areas: the French-style North Garden, the Italianate Center Garden and the English-style South Garden. You enter through the Vanderbilt Gate, an ornate gate that once stood in front of Cornelius Vanderbilt II's mansion at Fifth Avenue and 58th Street. Spring brings tulips, lilacs and crabapple blossoms, summer brings perennials and autumn brings chrysanthemums, so there is something to see most of the year.
The Harlem Meer
A few minutes north, the Harlem Meer is the lake in the park's northeast corner, on the east side between 106th and 110th Streets. It is a good place to sit on a bench, watch the birds and finish the park part of the day.
La Marqueta and the historic heart of El Barrio
La Marqueta is a marketplace under the Metro-North Railroad's Park Avenue viaduct, between 111th and 116th Streets. Its official address is 1590 Park Avenue. In the 1950s and 1960s it was one of the busiest markets in the city, with more than 500 vendors. It is smaller today, but walking under the tracks still gives you a sense of how central it was to the neighborhood.
From there, the blocks between 111th and 120th Streets make up the East Harlem Historic District. Walk slowly: look up at the tenement facades, the churches and the murals, and peek into the community gardens when their gates are open.
Getting to East Harlem
The easiest way to reach East Harlem is the 6 train on the Lexington Avenue line, which stops at 103rd, 110th, 116th and 125th Streets. For this route, get off at 103rd Street: you are two minutes from the start. Metro-North trains run on the viaduct above Park Avenue, and city buses run along the avenues. From the Upper East Side, you can also walk up Fifth Avenue along Central Park, which takes you straight past Museum Mile.
Where to stop for coffee and a croissant
We are a family-owned French café at 129 East 102nd Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues. Perrine and Aurélien, who come from Évian-les-Bains in the French Alps, opened Frenchy to bring a French corner café to East Harlem. It sits right at the start of this route.
For breakfast, there are croissants, chocolate croissants and Danish from our pastry case, with espresso drinks, a café au lait or cold brew. Our croffles, croissant dough pressed in a waffle iron, are made to order all day. For the park, a croissant sandwich or a quiche travels well. You can see everything on our food menu and drink menu, and before you leave, the French grocery shelf has a few things from France to take home.
We are open Monday to Friday from 7 am to 5 pm and on weekends from 8 am to 4 pm. Come and see us at 129 East 102nd Street before you start the walk.
East Harlem FAQ
Is Spanish Harlem the same as East Harlem?
Yes. East Harlem, Spanish Harlem and El Barrio are three names for the same neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, north of the Upper East Side and east of Fifth Avenue. Spanish Harlem and El Barrio reflect the large Puerto Rican and Latino community that has lived there since the twentieth century.
Where does East Harlem start?
East Harlem starts around 98th Street, where it meets the Upper East Side. It runs north from there, with Fifth Avenue and Central Park on its western side and the East River on its eastern side.
What is East Harlem known for?
East Harlem is known for its Puerto Rican and Latino culture, its contributions to salsa and Latin freestyle music, its murals, La Marqueta under the Park Avenue tracks and the museums at the top of Museum Mile, including El Museo del Barrio and the Museum of the City of New York.
How do I get to East Harlem by subway?
Take the 6 train on the Lexington Avenue line to 103rd, 110th, 116th or 125th Street. The 103rd Street stop is the closest to Museum Mile, the Conservatory Garden and our café on East 102nd Street.
What is there to do in East Harlem in one day?
A good one-day plan is breakfast near 103rd Street, the Museum of the City of New York and El Museo del Barrio in the morning, the Conservatory Garden and the Harlem Meer after lunch, and La Marqueta and the historic district in the late afternoon.