Harlem is known throughout the world as a center of culture, music, and African-American life. Today's Harlem, however, is a very different Harlem from that of 10 years ago, when many considered it too dangerous to visit with little to offer in the way of cultural attractions, business, or residential life. Renovated and new buildings are appearing throughout the area, joining such jewels as the Apollo Theatre, architecturally splendid churches, and cultural magnets like the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Black (and, increasingly, white) professionals and young families are restoring many of Harlem's classic brownstone and limestone buildings, bringing new life to the community.

Both residential and commercial rents have doubled as the neighborhood has become more desirable and more affordable relative to other parts of the city. Former President Bill Clinton's selection of 55 West 125th Street as the site of his New York office has also been an inspiration to businesses considering a move to Harlem, with new outposts cropping up by the likes of Starbucks, Old Navy, The Body Shop, MAC Cosmetics, and H & M.

The city's north-south avenues take on different names in Harlem: 6th Avenue is Malcolm X Boulevard (formerly Lenox Avenue), 7th Avenue is Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, and 8th Avenue is Frederick Douglass Boulevard; West 125th Street, the major east-west street, is called Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.