Finding a home in New York City can be a daunting task. With five boroughs, more than 250 neighborhoods, and 8.5 million people, the city offers something for everyone. To narrow your search for a neighborhood that best fits your budget and lifestyle, you’ll first need to choose a borough.
Borough
New York City comprises five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Each one has its pros and cons, depending on what your needs are. For example, Manhattan’s business districts might appeal to professionals, while its dense population (1.6 million people in 22 square miles) might turn off some people. Alternately, Staten Island has just 500,000 full-time residents and a plethora of single-family homes spread out over 59 square miles. Staten Island also boasts more than 10,000 acres of green space.
The most effective way to get a sense of each borough’s personality is to visit, noting factors like the accessibility of public transportation, walkability, amenities, and attractions. You can also read local publications to get a sense of each place. NYC & Company, the city’s tourism agency, offers thorough guides to each borough, which can be hugely helpful to newcomers to the city.
Neighborhood
After narrowing your search to one of New York City’s five boroughs, you’ll want to choose a specific neighborhood. Each of the city’s hundreds of neighborhoods has a distinct personality, and research can help you find the perfect fit. Consider your specific needs (a high-quality elementary school, proximity to your job, an immigrant community) to create a list of your ideal neighborhoods.
Location, Space, Price
Most New York residents choose a house or apartment based on a combination of these three factors. With some of the highest rents in the world, the city forces many people to choose based on price alone. However, with patience and diligence, you can hopefully find a space that ticks more than one box.
Before you begin your search, you should consider which of these factors is your top priority. If you focus on space and price, you’ll likely be able to find something suitable, but you may have to search for neighborhoods a bit out of the way. Similarly, if you’re committed to a particular location, you’ll likely need to be more flexible with your budget or space requirements.
Online sites like StreetEasy allow you to search for apartments by criteria like the number of bedrooms, square footage, or location. Think about your current needs, as well as how they might change in the near future. Do you plan to start a family in the next several years? Do you anticipate changing jobs? It might be impossible to predict what you will need in the future, but giving it some thought will help you find a place that will work for you.
Public Transportation
Most New Yorkers rely on public transportation to get to work and school, to go shopping, and generally to move about the city, and the average one-way commute time is about 36 minutes. If you want to avoid a long commute, look for neighborhoods close to subway lines, keeping in mind that some parts of the city are not accessible by subway. For example, the subway doesn’t reach certain areas of Brooklyn and Queens, while Staten Island has just one rail line and unreliable bus service.
Other areas (downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan) have major subway hubs, making them perfect options if you want easy access to the entire city. You could also consider Citi Bike, which offers thousands of bikes and stations in every borough except Staten Island.
Walkability
Even with good access to public transportation, you’ll walk a lot if you live in New York City. When choosing a neighborhood, consider where you’ll be walking on a daily basis. If you plan to walk to work, school, or restaurants, check the WalkScore in your preferred neighborhood. In Manhattan, the area around Union Square has easy walking access to shops and restaurants, while Brooklyn Heights and Prospect Heights rank among Brooklyn’s most walkable areas. In the Bronx, Concourse and East Tremont score high, with more affordable price tags than Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Access to Nature
If access to green spaces is important to you, factor the concentration of parks, gardens, and rivers into your home search. While an apartment bordering Central Park is likely out of reach for most budgets, the city has numerous smaller but equally attractive outdoor spaces. The Bronx’s Pelham Bay Park is the largest, with a wildlife sanctuary, horse stables, and beaches, as well as proximity to affordable neighborhoods like Morris Park.
The Bronx’s Van Cortland Park has multiple hiking trails, while Prospect Park is home to large swaths of old-growth forest. In Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, you’ll find numerous parks with waterfront views. Visit the NYC Parks Department’s website to learn about outdoor spaces across all five boroughs.
Noise Levels
Think about what level of noise you can live with. You might research the number of noise complaints in neighborhoods you are considering, in addition to looking at nearby major roadways and planning construction projects. Living near a busy road might not be a dealbreaker for you, and if you’re willing to tolerate some noise, you might have more affordable options available.
Wherever you choose to live, try to visit the area multiple times and at different times of day. What seems like the ideal location on a weekday morning might be a nightmare on the weekends. Rest assured that the perfect home does exist, and you can visit any part of the city.
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