East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem and El Barrio, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City roughly encompassing the area north of the Upper East Side, and East 96th Street and east of Fifth Avenue to the East and Harlem Rivers.[1] It lies within Manhattan Community District 11.[2] Despite its name, it is sometimes not considered to be a part of Harlem.[3] The neighborhood is one of the largest predominantly Latino communities in New York City, mostly made up of Puerto Ricans, as well as a rising number of Dominican, Salvadoran and Mexican immigrants.[4] It includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, in which the remnants of a once predominantly Italian community remain. The Chinese population has increased dramatically in East Harlem since 2000.

East Harlem suffers from many social issues, such as the highest jobless rate in New York City, teenage pregnancy, AIDS, drug abuse, homelessness, and an asthma rate five times the national average. It has the second highest concentration of public housing in the United States, closely following Brownsville, Brooklyn.[9] The area has the highest violent crime rate in Manhattan. Police services to the neighborhood are divided between the 23rd and the 25th Precincts.[11]

East Harlem is notable for its contributions to Salsa music and Hip-Hop.