Luxury 2BR 2 bathroom apartment, Harlem

Dr. Haydée Brown, 34, orthopedic surgeon; Ken Madrigal, 39, personal trainer; and their 14-month-old son
Rent: $3,500, including heat and hot water
Broker: Monique Nelson, M. Nelson Realty LLC (347-268-6638, mnelson@MNelsonrealty.com)
Broker’s fee: 12.5 percent of annual rent ($5,250)
Deposit: $5,250
Moved in: March 2011

GOING BACK HOME: “We lived in subsidized Hospital for Special Surgery housing at 71st Street between First and Second for five years, but I always knew I wanted to move back to Harlem—I grew up in a brownstone in Sugar Hill. Eventually we plan to buy a brownstone in Harlem, but this is a segue toward that. I really wanted to be in a more diverse neighborhood, and a lot of my friends live here too.”

THE SEARCH: “At first we were looking at duplexes within brownstones, so that we could have a backyard, and Monique has a lot of exclusives on brownstones. What I liked about her was that she got exactly what we were looking for. We once looked at a brownstone apartment that was gorgeous, but it was $3,800, and it was on a street with several abandoned building and two group homes. I know Harlem is gentrifying, but you can’t charge me that much to live on a block like that. Monique wouldn’t have shown that apartment to me because she’d have known I was uncomfortable living on a block like that with my son.”

THE APARTMENT: “Ultimately we picked the apartment at the Lenox [at West 129th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue)] because of the amenities: the doorman, the gym, the shared roof deck. We thought it would be a good transition before brownstone life. It’s a roughly 1,800-square-foot duplex, kind of like a blank canvas, but it has all the condo-level finishes as opposed to brownstone finishes.”

THE NEIGHBORHOOD: “I love all the new bars and restaurants in the area. I’m kind of obsessed with Red Rooster Harlem [310 Malcolm X Blvd (Lenox Ave) between 125th and 126th Sts; 212-792-9001, redroosterharlem.com], and it’s right here. We also love the sense of community. When I walk to my car in the morning, everyone says good morning—you don’t get that on the Upper East Side.”