NYC Neighborhoods Forum

[Anonymous User]

my office is also right near grand central, wondering if i should go midtown east or east village

Neither. UES is the right answer.

now why on earth would that be that case. seems to be the furthest from anything good and not even cheaper than midtown east

[Anonymous User]

Where do people working in Hudson Yards live? UWS? West Village? NJ? Somewhere else?

[Anonymous User]

Potentially looking to move to NYC this summer for my job regardless of whether it is remote so I can get a feel of the neighborhoods. Anyone have any recommendation on where to live? Any advice would also be helpful if I'm lucky enough to get a full time offer after this summer and would be moving there next year!

A little info: in my 20's and would like to live in the fun/happening area, but would also be in a good area that I would have a reasonable commute to my office (near Diamond District/Times Square)

Adding some more info about me since some people asked: female, single, like to be active, enjoy a good social scene/nightlife, big foodie so somewhere with cool restaurants and food would be great, budget will be based off BigLaw salary of 190K (but probably around 3,500) and would like a 1 bedroom but would be willing to potentially compromise on that! Really just want to be in an area with a lot of young professionals/things to do! I definitely want to be in Manhattan though

You could consider Long Island City. It's just outside Manhattan (in Queens) but is a quick 10-20 min subway ride to midtown (shorter than from many other places in Manhattan) so you would have an easy commute to work and no problems going out to enjoy the city. The area has been developed a lot in the last few years with a lot of high amenity buildings/condos at a lower rent cost as compared to Manhattan.

I'm kind of shocked that none of these takes consider that post-COVID I don't think we're going into the office 5 days a week so I'd be much more concerned about liking your neighborhod...to me this makes living in BK with a big enough place to have a good remote setup even more crucial. I'm in Greenpoint and love it, it's also a ~15 minute drive from midtown east if you're ubering home which makes an absolutely huge difference if you're working late. The G isn't great, but that's usually just in the mornings and it's still less than 30 door to door.

Whatever you do don't live in UWS or UES, they're not terrible commutes but both neighborhoods are boring and they're not even that quick to get to more exciting neighborhoods.

[Anonymous User]

Where do people working in Hudson Yards live? UWS? West Village? NJ? Somewhere else?

Seconding this - what are the best neighborhoods in Manhattan that have a lot going on but manageable commute here?

[arwedgorella]

where to live if my firm is near Rockefeller center?

General advice for optimizing your commute is to see which subways stop at your office, and find a place near a station along that line. The B/D/F/M lines (do not ever call it the orange line) stop at Rockefeller Center.
Flatiron/Chelsea (around the 14th and 23rd street stops) are nice areas, but expensive. The West Village (around the W 4th st stop) is one of the nicest neighborhoods in NYC, but a nice one-bedroom apartment (elevator, dishwasher, washer/dryer, etc) will probably run you at least $5k/month. But if you're willing to live in a more bare-bones place, I don't think the WV can be beat in terms of neighborhood vibes, location/accessibility, and the food scene. East Village (near the 2nd avenue F stop) is fun but young. Less expensive than West Village but not cheap by any means. Awesome food scene, tons of bars, much of the neighborhood has a young/fratty vibe but you can easily avoid that. The EV gets cheaper as you go east, but then you also get further from the subway.
You could also go uptown and live on the UWS along the B/D lines, which is fun, lively, and very neighborhood-y (but also not cheap). The UWS also has Central Park.

If you want to save money, look into Forest Hills, Queens. It's a lovely neighborhood and it's right on the F so it's a 20-25 minute straight shot to Rockefeller Center.

[Anonymous User]

where to live if my firm is near Rockefeller center?

General advice for optimizing your commute is to see which subways stop at your office, and find a place near a station along that line. The B/D/F/M lines (do not ever call it the orange line) stop at Rockefeller Center.
Flatiron/Chelsea (around the 14th and 23rd street stops) are nice areas, but expensive. The West Village (around the W 4th st stop) is one of the nicest neighborhoods in NYC, but a nice one-bedroom apartment (elevator, dishwasher, washer/dryer, etc) will probably run you at least $5k/month. But if you're willing to live in a more bare-bones place, I don't think the WV can be beat in terms of neighborhood vibes, location/accessibility, and the food scene. East Village (near the 2nd avenue F stop) is fun but young. Less expensive than West Village but not cheap by any means. Awesome food scene, tons of bars, much of the neighborhood has a young/fratty vibe but you can easily avoid that. The EV gets cheaper as you go east, but then you also get further from the subway.
You could also go uptown and live on the UWS along the B/D lines, which is fun, lively, and very neighborhood-y (but also not cheap). The UWS also has Central Park.

If you want to save money, look into Forest Hills, Queens. It's a lovely neighborhood and it's right on the F so it's a 20-25 minute straight shot to Rockefeller Center.

I was also considering Hell's Kitchen and walks to work ...? I live in EV right now and really love it, but I think it might be time for me to move somewhere else when I start working

[Anonymous User]

To the people recommending West Village/Greenwich Village: are there any specific areas that are better than others? I assume proximity to Washington Square Park is a plus?

Also, how is the commute from WV/GV to Midtown or Hudson Yards?

[collegewriter]

where to live if my firm is near Rockefeller center?

Off the F! So many great neighborhoods. You could do Carroll gardens or cobble hill in Brooklyn if you have kids. Lower east side, east village and west village are all accessible. If you’re in west village you can take the express train.

[arwedgorella]

To the people recommending West Village/Greenwich Village: are there any specific areas that are better than others? I assume proximity to Washington Square Park is a plus?

Also, how is the commute from WV/GV to Midtown or Hudson Yards?

I live in GV right now so I can share my perspective. Close to WSP is a plus, but the blocks immediately surrounding WSP are nearly all NYU buildings/dorms. I would avoid Greenwich Village between WSP and Houston Street (ironically where I live now) - too loud, too many rowdy bars, and the apartments are generally cramped and dark. East of WSP is mostly NYU dorms/no-mans-land. North of WSP is fine - mixture of NYU dorms and expensive townhouses, but there are some nice pre-war co-ops along 5th Avenue. If you want less of an undergrad flavor, look west of 6th Avenue. I especially love the area between 7th Ave and Hudson St. Most of the West Village is pretty walkable to the major subway stations (West 4th and Christopher Street), but where you live will really depend on your budget, whether you're willing to live with roommates, and how many amenities you are willing to live without.

The commute is very easy. It's 10 minutes to Midtown via the subway. Hudson Yards might be harder since you'll have to transfer to the 7 if you're taking the subway. But it's a reasonable distance for a bike commute.

[Anonymous User]

I live in GV right now so I can share my perspective. Close to WSP is a plus, but the blocks immediately surrounding WSP are nearly all NYU buildings/dorms. I would avoid Greenwich Village between WSP and Houston Street (ironically where I live now) - too loud, too many rowdy bars, and the apartments are generally cramped and dark. East of WSP is mostly NYU dorms/no-mans-land. North of WSP is fine - mixture of NYU dorms and expensive townhouses, but there are some nice pre-war co-ops along 5th Avenue. If you want less of an undergrad flavor, look west of 6th Avenue. I especially love the area between 7th Ave and Hudson St. Most of the West Village is pretty walkable to the major subway stations (West 4th and Christopher Street), but where you live will really depend on your budget, whether you're willing to live with roommates, and how many amenities you are willing to live without.

The commute is very easy. It's 10 minutes to Midtown via the subway. Hudson Yards might be harder since you'll have to transfer to the 7 if you're taking the subway. But it's a reasonable distance for a bike commute.

I largely agree with this take. The MacDougal St area / scene (south of WSP) can be fun for going out, but I could never imagine living there — too loud and seen to many puddles of vomit there to even consider it. By contrast, the whole area in WV around Abingdon Square has a nice, chiller vibe and is close to the express 1/2/3 at 14th St.

Just to add my $0.02 as somebody in their late 20s who's lived various places in NYC over the last decade: contra most opinions in this thread, I wouldn't write off the UWS or UES. Sure, the Village might be perfect for that three-month semi-debauched SA experience, but the UWS/UES are, dollar-for-dollar, super nice and livable neighborhoods for settling longer term in NYC. Having the Park (and the Hudson River waterfront) to run, bike, and picnic in has singlehandedly kept me sane during COVID. And the "sleepiness" of UWS/UES is vastly overstated here — sure, the mid-60s around Lincoln Center is kind of dull, but there's a vibrant bar and restaurant scene in the mid-80s around Amsterdam (same goes for the UES, Yorkville vs. old money in the lower 60s). I think it's better to think in terms of "micro-neighborhoods" rather than painting giant swaths of the city with the same brush.

[Fletch23]

Not sure this will be a super popular take, but I would go with Kips Bay/Gramercy. Area has a definite neighborhood vibe and an underrated restaurant/bar scene. You’re definitely in the middle of everything. You’d have a 15 minute walk to work M-F, and a 15 minute walk south to the East Village restaurant scene on the weekends.

my office is also right near grand central, wondering if i should go midtown east or east village

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for the helpful info! What do people think about the Hoboken area if my office is around Grand Central? Would it be crazy? Would LIC or Brooklyn be much better if I'm not dead set on being in the city?

[Anonymous User]

Single WTC guy here - anyone have thoughts on Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Boerum Hill (and other hoods of a similar area/nature)?

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for the helpful info! What do people think about the Hoboken area if my office is around Grand Central? Would it be crazy? Would LIC or Brooklyn be much better if I'm not dead set on being in the city?

Can't comment on Hoboken, but as someone who lives in LIC, I love living there. Yeah, you're not in the middle of Manhattan within walking distance to restaurants, etc., but it's super easy to subway from LIC to anywhere pretty quickly (especially if you live near Queensboro Plaza, b/c you're within walking distance of the E, 7, N, R and W).

During the pandemic, it's also been a huge plus to have a bit more space when walking outside than I would have if I was in Manhattan/Brooklyn.

[nealric]

Single WTC guy here - anyone have thoughts on Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Boerum Hill (and other hoods of a similar area/nature)?

I used to live in Prospect Heights (small neighborhood between Park Slope and Crown Heights next to Grand Army Plaza) and commute to FiDi. I think it's a great neighborhood. Lots of cool restaurants and things to do, but quieter than most places in Manhattan. You can live near Prospect Park for a tiny fraction of what it costs to live near Central Park, but get many of the same park amenities. Good train selection so you can get to either lower Manhattan or Midtown easily (helpful if you ever change firms to one located in Midtown). Train connectivity is much less robust in the Southern end of Park Slope. Haven't shopped prices recently, but I had a nice 1.5 bedroom in a brownstone for $2k/mo- I'm sure it's increased since then.

Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy have changed a lot in the last 10 years since I lived in the area, so I hesitate to comment too much. I lived in Bed-Study when I was a summer (late aughts). It was fine, but food and grocery options were very limited (basically fried chicken take out and bodegas) and train connectivity was poor. A few years before I was there, it was not a safe neighborhood at all.

Know the true boundaries of neighborhoods when you shop. Listings and realtors will call anything in a 5 mile radius of Park Slope "Park Slope" - up to and including Crown Heights nad Bed Stuy.

[Anonymous User]

Thoughts on Long Island city? I know the neighborhood itself is kinda sterile but it’s so convenient to get to any fun place in NYC/get to work. Plus, it’s cheap and the apartments are newer/nicer.

[Anonymous User]

Single WTC guy here - anyone have thoughts on Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Boerum Hill (and other hoods of a similar area/nature)?

To put it reductively in terms of the people who live there, Crown Heights and Bed Stuy are the new East Village. Boerum Hill and Park Slope are West Village. I'm mid 20s in Bed Stuy. I have a great time.

[Anonymous User]

Thoughts on Long Island city? I know the neighborhood itself is kinda sterile but it’s so convenient to get to any fun place in NYC/get to work. Plus, it’s cheap and the apartments are newer/nicer.

See below from another anon (LIC = Long Island City). Just my personal taste but the sterility would kind of bother me.

Can't comment on Hoboken, but as someone who lives in LIC, I love living there. Yeah, you're not in the middle of Manhattan within walking distance to restaurants, etc., but it's super easy to subway from LIC to anywhere pretty quickly (especially if you live near Queensboro Plaza, b/c you're within walking distance of the E, 7, N, R and W).

During the pandemic, it's also been a huge plus to have a bit more space when walking outside than I would have if I was in Manhattan/Brooklyn.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have thoughts on Nomad?

[Anonymous User]

Single WTC guy here - anyone have thoughts on Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Boerum Hill (and other hoods of a similar area/nature)?

To put it reductively in terms of the people who live there, Crown Heights and Bed Stuy are the new East Village. Boerum Hill and Park Slope are West Village. I'm mid 20s in Bed Stuy. I have a great time.

I don't really know what that means. I've never even been to NYC and I'm not familiar with the neighborhoods except in extremely broad strokes.

[Anonymous User]

Single WTC guy here - anyone have thoughts on Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Boerum Hill (and other hoods of a similar area/nature)?

To put it reductively in terms of the people who live there, Crown Heights and Bed Stuy are the new East Village. Boerum Hill and Park Slope are West Village. I'm mid 20s in Bed Stuy. I have a great time.

I don't really know what that means. I've never even been to NYC and I'm not familiar with the neighborhoods except in extremely broad strokes.

I can’t actually vouch for the accuracy of the analogy but generally, East Village signifies youth, cheaper, grittier bars and scene, more raucous and lively; West Village is wealthier, more expensive, more professional / P.M.C., more subdued, more self-consciously fashionable. That sort of dichotomy.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

Single WTC guy here - anyone have thoughts on Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Boerum Hill (and other hoods of a similar area/nature)?

I used to live in Prospect Heights (small neighborhood between Park Slope and Crown Heights next to Grand Army Plaza) and commute to FiDi. I think it's a great neighborhood. Lots of cool restaurants and things to do, but quieter than most places in Manhattan. You can live near Prospect Park for a tiny fraction of what it costs to live near Central Park, but get many of the same park amenities. Good train selection so you can get to either lower Manhattan or Midtown easily (helpful if you ever change firms to one located in Midtown). Train connectivity is much less robust in the Southern end of Park Slope. Haven't shopped prices recently, but I had a nice 1.5 bedroom in a brownstone for $2k/mo- I'm sure it's increased since then.

Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy have changed a lot in the last 10 years since I lived in the area, so I hesitate to comment too much. I lived in Bed-Study when I was a summer (late aughts). It was fine, but food and grocery options were very limited (basically fried chicken take out and bodegas) and train connectivity was poor. A few years before I was there, it was not a safe neighborhood at all.

Know the true boundaries of neighborhoods when you shop. Listings and realtors will call anything in a 5 mile radius of Park Slope "Park Slope" - up to and including Crown Heights nad Bed Stuy.

+1 I’ve been living in Prospect Heights almost 4 years. I love this area and am in Prospect Park multiple times per week.

[Madden_Arps]

Thoughts on buying something in the near-term? I have up to maybe $250k to put into a down payment and could swing a monthly payment of up $5k (with a little wiggle room) -- is something nice (2 beds, good area, doorman, etc.) attainable for that? A lot of places look like they fit the bill from a price stand point ($1-1.2MM) but have insane monthly maintenance fees (like $2-3k).

[notinbiglaw]

I live in GV right now so I can share my perspective. Close to WSP is a plus, but the blocks immediately surrounding WSP are nearly all NYU buildings/dorms. I would avoid Greenwich Village between WSP and Houston Street (ironically where I live now) - too loud, too many rowdy bars, and the apartments are generally cramped and dark. East of WSP is mostly NYU dorms/no-mans-land. North of WSP is fine - mixture of NYU dorms and expensive townhouses, but there are some nice pre-war co-ops along 5th Avenue. If you want less of an undergrad flavor, look west of 6th Avenue. I especially love the area between 7th Ave and Hudson St. Most of the West Village is pretty walkable to the major subway stations (West 4th and Christopher Street), but where you live will really depend on your budget, whether you're willing to live with roommates, and how many amenities you are willing to live without.

The commute is very easy. It's 10 minutes to Midtown via the subway. Hudson Yards might be harder since you'll have to transfer to the 7 if you're taking the subway. But it's a reasonable distance for a bike commute.

I largely agree with this take. The MacDougal St area / scene (south of WSP) can be fun for going out, but I could never imagine living there — too loud and seen to many puddles of vomit there to even consider it. By contrast, the whole area in WV around Abingdon Square has a nice, chiller vibe and is close to the express 1/2/3 at 14th St.

Just to add my $0.02 as somebody in their late 20s who's lived various places in NYC over the last decade: contra most opinions in this thread, I wouldn't write off the UWS or UES. Sure, the Village might be perfect for that three-month semi-debauched SA experience, but the UWS/UES are, dollar-for-dollar, super nice and livable neighborhoods for settling longer term in NYC. Having the Park (and the Hudson River waterfront) to run, bike, and picnic in has singlehandedly kept me sane during COVID. And the "sleepiness" of UWS/UES is vastly overstated here — sure, the mid-60s around Lincoln Center is kind of dull, but there's a vibrant bar and restaurant scene in the mid-80s around Amsterdam (same goes for the UES, Yorkville vs. old money in the lower 60s). I think it's better to think in terms of "micro-neighborhoods" rather than painting giant swaths of the city with the same brush.

I've been in NYC on and off for 20+ years. This is the correct response.

What you actually want to do is identify the subway station nearest to your work and see what lines go there (probably 1/2/3) and look up luxury apartments near the stops, preferably express stops but doesn't really matter if you stay in Manhattan, and just pick one in an area you like.

If you want the semi-debauched village experience, you still can. Just uber home.

My personal recommmendation is Battery Park for people working near WTC. Although that area has been described as "sterile" but being able to walk home for "lunch" is helpful for a lot of "semi-debauched" things. Midtown... lots of walking distance options. Bryant Park is walking distance to every subway line (except JZ/L) and relatively puke free.

[Anonymous User]

I live in GV right now so I can share my perspective. Close to WSP is a plus, but the blocks immediately surrounding WSP are nearly all NYU buildings/dorms. I would avoid Greenwich Village between WSP and Houston Street (ironically where I live now) - too loud, too many rowdy bars, and the apartments are generally cramped and dark. East of WSP is mostly NYU dorms/no-mans-land. North of WSP is fine - mixture of NYU dorms and expensive townhouses, but there are some nice pre-war co-ops along 5th Avenue. If you want less of an undergrad flavor, look west of 6th Avenue. I especially love the area between 7th Ave and Hudson St. Most of the West Village is pretty walkable to the major subway stations (West 4th and Christopher Street), but where you live will really depend on your budget, whether you're willing to live with roommates, and how many amenities you are willing to live without.

The commute is very easy. It's 10 minutes to Midtown via the subway. Hudson Yards might be harder since you'll have to transfer to the 7 if you're taking the subway. But it's a reasonable distance for a bike commute.

I largely agree with this take. The MacDougal St area / scene (south of WSP) can be fun for going out, but I could never imagine living there — too loud and seen to many puddles of vomit there to even consider it. By contrast, the whole area in WV around Abingdon Square has a nice, chiller vibe and is close to the express 1/2/3 at 14th St.

Just to add my $0.02 as somebody in their late 20s who's lived various places in NYC over the last decade: contra most opinions in this thread, I wouldn't write off the UWS or UES. Sure, the Village might be perfect for that three-month semi-debauched SA experience, but the UWS/UES are, dollar-for-dollar, super nice and livable neighborhoods for settling longer term in NYC. Having the Park (and the Hudson River waterfront) to run, bike, and picnic in has singlehandedly kept me sane during COVID. And the "sleepiness" of UWS/UES is vastly overstated here — sure, the mid-60s around Lincoln Center is kind of dull, but there's a vibrant bar and restaurant scene in the mid-80s around Amsterdam (same goes for the UES, Yorkville vs. old money in the lower 60s). I think it's better to think in terms of "micro-neighborhoods" rather than painting giant swaths of the city with the same brush.

I've been in NYC on and off for 20+ years. This is the correct response.

What you actually want to do is identify the subway station nearest to your work and see what lines go there (probably 1/2/3) and look up luxury apartments near the stops, preferably express stops but doesn't really matter if you stay in Manhattan, and just pick one in an area you like.

If you want the semi-debauched village experience, you still can. Just uber home.

My personal recommmendation is Battery Park for people working near WTC. Although that area has been described as "sterile" but being able to walk home for "lunch" is helpful for a lot of "semi-debauched" things. Midtown... lots of walking distance options. Bryant Park is walking distance to every subway line (except JZ/L) and relatively puke free.

I'm the '$0.02' anon quoted above. Just want to clarify — I hope I didn't come across as a killjoy. If somebody's idea of living in New York consists of a bohemian experience in East/West Village, then by all means they should LARP that dream for a while before moving on. My point was just to push back on the misconception that the only fun / good neighborhood for young people is the Village (or some specific place in Brooklyn), and that other neighborhoods are filled exclusively with stroller-pushing 40-year-olds.

Just a word of caution about "luxury" buildings. I've lived in a luxury building with a rooftop pool and the whole nine yards; I've also lived in barebones doormen buildings and in non-doormen walk-ups. It's a spectrum obviously. Sometimes "luxury" doesn't really mean anything except for glossier marketing materials, newer appliances, and higher rent. The things that actually make a tangible quality-of-life difference (e.g., will the super be responsive when something breaks?) often do not correlate whatsoever with luxury vs. non-luxury.

I think people should be honest with themselves when considering luxury buildings: will you actually use that rooftop pool? How much of a premium are the luxury amenities worth to you? I know that I'd rather pay less rent and have more to save and more to spend on eating out, etc.