NYC Neighborhood Comparison
Manhattan
Queens
For buyers focused on affordability, Long Island City has the lower median sale price at $950K vs $1.2M in Central Harlem.
Investors analyzing rental yield will find Long Island City offers a stronger rent-to-price ratio based on current market data.
Commuters have more transit options in Central Harlem, which is served by 10 subway lines compared to 7 in Long Island City.
| Metric | Central Harlem | Long Island City |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $1,200,000 | $950,290 |
| Median Condo Price | $1,200,000 | $950,290 |
| Median Co-op Price | $270,000 | $640,000 |
| Median Rent | $3,350 | $4,595 |
| Active Listings | 371 | 309 |
| Rental Inventory | 600 | 1057 |
| Days on Market | 101 | 89 |
| Price Cut Share | 10.8% | 7.1% |
| Monthly Sales Volume | 13 | 21 |
| YoY Price Change | N/A | -1.0% |
| YoY Rent Change | -4.3% | +0.9% |
| YoY Inventory Change | -13.5% | +41.7% |
| Subway Lines | 1 2 3 4 5 6 A B C D | 7 E G M N R W |
Central Harlem is the cultural and historic soul of Upper Manhattan. Known for its grand boulevards like Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd and its rich jazz heritage, the neighborhood offers an active urban lifestyle. The real estate market is a mix of beautifully preserved 19th-century brownstones, value-driven HDFC cooperatives, and a surge of modern luxury condominiums that offer contemporary amenities near the 125th Street retail corridor.
View Full Market ReportLong Island City sits directly across the East River from Midtown Manhattan, reachable in one stop on the 7 train. LIC has added more than 12,000 residential units since 2015, transforming former industrial blocks into a corridor of glass-tower condos, converted loft co-ops, and rental high-rises along the waterfront. Gantry Plaza State Park, MoMA PS1, and the Hunters Point Library anchor the neighborhood’s cultural identity. Median condo prices run roughly 30-40% below comparable Manhattan waterfront units, drawing both first-time buyers and investors looking for appreciation in one of the city’s highest-growth zip codes.
View Full Market Report125 St (1 2 3 4 5 6 A B C D) — 0.3 mi
135 St (2 3) — 0.4 mi
Hunters Point Av (7) — 0.2 mi
Court Sq (7 E G M) — 0.2 mi
Long Island City (E G M R) — 0.6 mi
Queensboro Plaza (7 N W) — 0.6 mi
Listing data is derived in whole or in part from the RLS at REBNY (Real Estate Board of New York) Internet Data Exchange (IDX) database. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Milton Coste | Keller Williams NYC are marked with the RLS logo. The information provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Data is refreshed every 15 minutes per REBNY IDX requirements.
From the 2008 financial crisis through the 2020 pandemic, the NYC metro Case-Shiller composite fell about 25% peak-to-trough between 2007 and 2012, then fully recovered by 2017 and gained another 15% through Q1 2020. Central Harlem and Long Island City both tracked this broader NYC arc, with annual closing volume contracting sharply in 2009 and again in Q2 2020 before normalizing.
Central Harlem tracked the more resilient Manhattan price path with a 10% to 15% peak-to-trough decline, while Long Island City moved closer to the broader NYC metro pattern of a 20% to 25% retracement before recovering through 2017.
Source: Per Case-Shiller Home Price Index, NYC metro subset, 2008-2020, cross-referenced with StreetEasy historical price data series.
| Metric (2026) | Central Harlem | Long Island City |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $1,200,000 | $950,290 |
| Median Rent | $3,350/mo | $4,595/mo |
| Year-over-Year Price Change | N/A | -1.0% |
| Average Days on Market | 101 days | 89 days |
| Distance to Nearest Subway | 0.27 mi | 0.17 mi |
Table values reflect current 2026 market conditions. Historical 2008-2020 commentary is sourced from Case-Shiller NYC metro composite and StreetEasy historical series.
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Data updated:
