City real estate is hot, but the hottest properties are not in Midtown Manhattan and Brooklyn — neighborhoods that normally heat the sector.

Many young professionals, with prime earnings years ahead of them, are moving to upper Manhattan and nabes in Queens.

The hot metro-area neighborhoods for these up-and-comers are Manhattan’s central Harlem and Lincoln Center, along with Astoria and Middle Village in Queens, according to a study conducted by a real-estate Web site.

These areas have many people checking out properties, and the properties are turning over at a faster pace and at higher prices than in the rest of the region.

“Each locale on this list is emblematic of the key trends driving housing this year — healthy local economics, job opportunities and affordability,” said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist for Realtor.com, which conducted the study.

He says these communities are attracting those with substantial household incomes, often $100,000 or more. Those moving there value demographic diversity as well as reasonable prices.

“For first-time homebuyers,” Smoke said, “these communities provide great opportunities to enter the housing market, build a career, and raise a family; older generations are able to build wealth and enjoy a variety of lifestyles.”