As a former resident of Harlem I can tell you that the idea of making it a tech hub is brilliant.  The proximity to talented graduates, mentors and Columbia combined with low rent, low cost surrounding is ideal. However, what really does it in this case is the culture. This area has more culture than most other areas of town but has yet to see its cultural resurgence.  I hope this is it.  http://money.cnn.com/2014/07/21/technology/innovationnation/harlem-economy-tech/index.html