Urban Digs has a review of the Harlem real estate scene. The conclusion is, of course, that it's "Hot, Hot, Hot."

How hot is "Hot, Hot, Hot" you ask? For starters, check out UD's Google Map mash up of new and planned developments. Central Harlem is nearly blanketed, and a strong current runs up the middle of Manhattan from there.

But real estate assessments do not live on development maps alone. So, UD then supplies a few facts and figures to give the map some context. While some of those elicit eye rolls (A new bank and CVS? In Manhattan? No. Way.), others will probably cause your next sentence to begin with "I should have..."

I'll give you a couple teasers, and encourage clicking thru for the rest:

· Harlem real estate price appreciation far outpaced that of NY City, with a 300% increase in the 90s, vs. 12% in New York City overall.

· The median value of all owner occupied housing in Harlem rose 295% from 1995 to 2000 vs. 12% for New York City as a whole.

· The Harlem population grew 8.4% during the decade of the 1990s, vs. 3.3% for Manhattan overall. Households grew even faster at 10.2%.

· Why Harlem is Hot Hot Hot [Urban Digs]