NYC Boroughs

New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States with a population of about 8.3 million. It consists of 5 boroughs—The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. In this module, you will learn more about each of the 5 boroughs. If you are looking for an apartment yourself, you may even decide which one you’d like to live in!

Manhattan The most well-known borough, Manhattan is the cultural and commercial heart of New York. It is also the most expensive and densely populated (1.6 million residents). The housing options here vary widely in terms of price, convenience, size, and safety. It is hard to find a really good bargain in this borough – many people have to seek housing outside Manhattan. However, in general, the rents are lower the further uptown you go. Neighborhoods like Washington Heights, Harlem, and Inwood are the most distant from downtown Manhattan but also tend to be much less expensive. It is possible, though, to find some reduced rent or no broker’s fee apartments downtown near the World Trade Center. One major advantage is that most of Manhattan is easily accessible through public transportation.

Brooklyn Brooklyn is the most populated borough with nearly 2.5 million residents. It is a very diverse borough, with 1/3 of its residents being foreign born! While some neighborhoods can be just as expensive as Manhattan (such as Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights), others are more affordable. In recent years, many students, artists and young professionals have moved to the neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Fort Greene, Bedford- Stuyvesant, and the Prospect Park area. Other neighborhoods you may wish to consider include Prospect Heights, Windsor Terrace, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Clinton Hill, Cobble Hill, and Bay Ridge. Many neighborhoods in Brooklyn are only a short ride away from downtown Manhattan, but others can require a more extended commute.

Queens Queens is the most international borough, with 44% of its 2.2 million residents born outside the US! Queens is largely composed of residential, ethnically diverse, family-oriented neighborhoods. It is also one of the most affordable boroughs (rents are significantly lower than in Manhattan and even some parts of Brooklyn, though some Queens neighborhoods like Astoria are becoming more expensive). Popular neighborhoods include: Astoria, Flushing, Jackson Heights, Rego Park, Elmhurst, Long Island City, and Woodside. Queens is easily accessible from Manhattan, but unfortunately it is not well connected to Brooklyn. The G line (subway) links Brooklyn and Queens but often has delays. Also, it is also a good idea to be extra careful about your safety on the G line at night. Bus lines between Queens and Brooklyn are often more direct than the subway.

The Bronx The Bronx is a largely residential area with 1.3 million residents. It is also home to diverse communities. Because of its distance from central Manhattan, rent is much more affordable. The Northwest Bronx can be a good area to look for housing, and the Fordham University and Italian Belmont areas are also popular with young people and students. The borough is well linked to Manhattan through public transportation but quite a distance from lower Manhattan and the other boroughs. However, you may decide that the extra commuting time is worth the money you save on rent each month.

Staten Island The smallest borough with fewer than 500,000 residents, Staten Island has a quiet, suburban atmosphere set away from the hustle of New York City. The commute to Manhattan can be rather long, but the lower rent is definitely attractive. Still, lower Manhattan is only 30 minutes away via the Staten Island Ferry (free)! To get around Staten Island itself, there is a bus and a limited subway system.

Nearer New Jersey Affordable housing options are also available across the Hudson River, a short distance from Manhattan in New Jersey. Several areas especially attract students, young professionals, and artists – including Hoboken and Jersey City, which are easily accessible via PATH trains. Before you decide to live in New Jersey, however, you may wish to consider the higher transportation fees you need to pay to commute into the city, and whether you would feel too far removed from city life in New York.

How Can I Check If a Neighborhood is Safe? There are websites which you can use to help determine if a neighborhood which you are considering staying in is safe. - a website which gives neighborhood overviews as well as safety ratings by neighborhood - a website which allows you to narrow crime searches by ZIP code, giving a chart that compares the area's crimes statistics with those of the country in general Google also offers safety maps by neighborhood: – Manhattan - 4&msa=0&ll= , &spn= , – Brooklyn - b1&msa=0&ll= , &spn= , – Queens – 38&msa=0&ll= , &spn= , – Bronx - &msa=0 – Staten Island – 86&msa=0 …Red areas indicate areas which you should be very cautious in.

Questions?