Hi all,
I’m relocating to New York with my wife and would really appreciate some perspective from those who’ve made a similar move, as well as those who live in the city.
We’re currently based in a nice part of London (think leafy, residential, west-side area) and are trying to get a sense of which NYC neighbourhoods might best fit our lifestyle.
A few details:
- Not in our early 20s anymore, so not looking for a Murray Hill / frat-house vibe.
- Office will be in Midtown, and I’d like to keep the commute within ~30 mins door-to-desk, ideally on a direct subway line.
- Budget is around $5,500/month for a 2-bed apartment, preferably with in-unit laundry and a decent amount of space.
- We both like to stay active — running, gym, walks, that sort of thing — so being near waterfront paths or a park would be a big plus.
- Safety, convenience, and general quality of life matter more than nightlife.
From what I’ve seen online, areas like the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Gramercy, Greenwich Village, Brooklyn Heights, and Hoboken all seem like potential fits, but it’s hard to tell what living there actually feels like day-to-day.
Appreciate any thoughts — thanks in advance.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some neighborhood recommendations and insights tailored to your preferences:
Neighborhood Recommendations
Upper West Side (UWS):
Upper East Side (UES):
Gramercy:
Brooklyn Heights:
Greenwich Village:
Hoboken (NJ):
Additional Considerations
Final Thoughts
For a balance of safety, convenience, and an active lifestyle, Upper West Side and Brooklyn Heights stand out as top choices. Both offer excellent access to green spaces, a relaxed vibe, and a manageable commute to Midtown. If you prefer to stay in Manhattan, Gramercy or Greenwich Village could also work well for your needs.
Sources: Why You Should Leave NYC After Your Analyst Stint, Where to live in Minneapolis?, Why You Should Leave NYC After Your Analyst Stint, Where to live in Chicago as SA 2021, How does Hudson Yards end up?
$5.5k a month for a 2-bedroom? That's gonna be hard in the Gramercy, the Village, the UWS, at least if you want something halfway nice. They're not quite Mayfair-level expensive (that'd be SoHo, I'd say), but Gramercy is our equivalent of Chelsea (and it's also next to our actual Chelsea) so it's close. The Village = Camden. UWS = Richmond. May just barely be doable in Brooklyn Heights, worth a look, but that area's surprisingly expensive too.
You can probably find something in Downtown Brooklyn but I don't think you would like the vibe there, it's very commercial. Can't think of a good London equivalent because in London the high street at least is colocated with a lot of entertainment venues.
Hoboken or Jersey City might work, if your office is in the west side of midtown. If your office is near Grand Central you could even consider commuting in from somewhere a little upstate, though I understand that may not be preferable if you're living in NYC for the first time.
Williamsburg or Greenpoint might fit your vibe, if you are hipster-y people. I find that there's a lot of overlap between those and the outdoorsy type. I guess these would be NYC's equivalent of Shoreditch.
Think you could definitely find something in LIC, and if you live near the East River you could even take the ferry across to get to work. You would want to live near the river anyway since when you go further into Queens you don't get much in the way of greenery. Living in LIC would be like being in Bermondsey, there's not all that much in LIC itself but you get pretty easy access to other stuff.
And for a curveball option, try looking at Roosevelt Island. Not many people give it much thought, so you might be able to find some good deals there. The subway does stop there so you couldn't be stranded.
2 bedrooms in BK Heights are like 7k, but you might find a surprise...
One underrated option is Riverdale. There are plenty of 2BR’s with a lot of square footage for decent rent (for your budget you could probably lease something in a luxury building). Very safe neighborhood with solid options for dining, schools etc especially for family life if that’s on your radar.
Depending on which stop you’re closer to on the MTA is 23-28 minutes to Grand Central.
Some drawbacks would be you’d likely need a car to commute to anywhere else in the city or for grocery shopping etc.
Yeah Manhattan will be hard with the budget. Not sure how rents in Riverdale are now - it’s been like 10 years since I’ve moved away, but a 2 Bed should be in that range with good amenities. Wife will need a car for sure and may be good to have a second car for flexibility. That’s what my family did for part of our time there. In building parking for two cars may run you an extra $1k per month but I could be wildly off there.
Also very close to Horace Mann, Riverdale Country, and Fieldston.
am big fan of Riverdale - both Central Riverdale and Spuyton Duyvil area are in proximity to the retail areas and very commutable. Depending on where you are, there is a very reliable shuttle bus service that gets you down to the SD metro north station, then 23 mins to GCT. Have a few friends that go in 5x per week and they enjoy the commute and lifestyle.
If you had young kids Id sell you harder, but given you're 30ish with no kids i think you'll find the barlife/restaurant scene a bit lacking. They have 1-2 of everything which is sufficient for young families that already dont go out that much.
The big pros are that you'll get a lot for 5.5k a month (space, amenities, maybe parking) and the parks are a fantastic resource (VCP, Wave Hill, Inwood). It really is the best of both worlds - NYC vibes, diversity, but quaint greenery once you're off the main retail areas.
Upper East or West Side is the way. You'll either have the 1,2,3 or ACE on the West Side or 4,5,6, or Q on the East Side.
No shot he finds anything for $5.5K unless he goes super east or is in a transit deadzone. Could maybe slum it in lower east Harlem.
$5.5 near midtown will give you a flex 2BR. Like basically a place with a living room that you could turn into a partial bedroom meaning you will have basically no living room.
My client just moved to Williamsburg because his Upper West side 3bd went to 16K a month, everything we saw when looking with him over a lunch was 10K plus for even 2bds, if you wanted a room that could actual be used as a room. The flex stuff is ridiculous, they had one 3 bed where the living room/kitchen they had a staged bed in and then a hallway as a nursery. 15.5 a month
Gramercy, murray hill
Also dont dont Jersey City. Hoboken is okay but lacking what Manhattan provides
Moved here from a similar part of London ~3 years ago with my wife, both in our early 30s. Also work in Midtown. Also live in a 2-bed in Manhattan. You’re going to be in for a shock about how expensive everything is here. You’ll be forced to spend a higher % of your net salary than you’re used to. It’s going to be hard to rationalise until your first bonus comes through.
Download StreetEasy and browse neighborhoods to get a more realistic sense of value. You might get a good deal on a new build in FiDi, Battery Park City, West Chelsea / Hudson Yards on a 12-18 month lease, which gives you 1-2 months free (“net effective rent”). But for what you’re looking for, expect to pay at least another $1k / month or more for the privilege of living in Manhattan.
As you’re into running, those locations easily allow you to run up and down the west side highway along the river, up to Riverside Park in the UWS before cutting across to Central Park. Highly recommended.
Chelsea gets a bit sketchy if you go too far east, closer to Penn Station. However, the west side along The High Line that runs down to Chelsea Market and the Meatpacking District is ideal. Plus you want to be closer to the Hudson anyway: west better than east for running.
UWS and UES are great locations too, as others have suggested. You’re probably too old for areas like SoHo (not just Murray Hill). West Village is cool but overpriced. Tribeca is nice and is possibly the best connected place to live in the city, since so many subway lines run through it. Hell’s Kitchen and Lower East Side are cheap for a reason - avoid.
Consider looking at Astoria. Not as high end as the places you mentioned, but has an easy commute to Midtown and you can actually find a nice place for $5.5k. Great food, very down to earth (if that's what you're looking for), greenery in general is just okay but if you're close to Astoria Park there's a lot of green space and you're by the water.
Check out FIDI (The Financial District) & Brooklyn. Those are going to be your best bets. Highly recommend FIDI.
Note that the stereotypes that people on the Internet spread about NYC neighborhoods typically lag reality by a few decades.
Many of the neighborhoods that get badmouthed are actually smart places to live, since there is an irrational rent discount (due to lower perceived status) and they can still be very central.
Thanks for the non answer chatgpt
Just not Gen Z, my friend.
Can you up that monthly rental budget?
I have a 1,300 square foot, 2 bed and 2 bath apartment in FiDi / TriBecca area. Almost top floor with clear views to the water. Luxury building. Current tenant moves out Dec 31.
8.5k a month.
I have rented to a WSO user before if you’re interested and wanna chat with him.
You have a wife man, don’t make her live in a 5.5k apartment. I can also have the apartment furnished and no security deposit if you have good credit.
Born and Raised in NYC - UES and UWS, and Hoboken are you best bets. If you are active Central Park just can't be beat. Hoboken you can get a nicer place, but little far away with slightly less convenient transportation.
I'd go up on the west side if you don't want roommates.120-135 is bad, but near the river is fine further north. I've had family who lived in Broboken. I'll also second Astoria. I can't vouch for Roosevelt Island. You're stuck with one subway line. There's a reason I picked to buy in Astoria.
I do disagree about Chelsea. The worst part of midtown east is 8th ave right near Penn
Also, a ton of the NYC housing stock is old. be prepared for laundry in the basement.
yeah would stay close to broadway/riverside past 110th. UES past 96th is a good value too.
Jersey City/Hoboken checks off most of the boxes. You save on the city tax, good waterfront, safe. Main complaint that people have is that it is away from the night life, which you don't really care about.
The only downside is that the commute will likely be more than 30 mins depending on where you are in midtown, have to make some compromises.
I lived in NJ in one of these areas below:
Jersey City Heights / Weehawken / Union City = each being about 30-35 min commutes via the local bus line (always on time) to Port Authority, followed by connecting to the subway. You'd be able to get 1,000 sqft, 2 bed / 2 bath with a backyard (possibly) and garage / driveway for ~$3500 - all within walking distance of some nice parks, etc.
I had all of this for less than $2k a couple years ago for ~900 sqft + basement and backyard but no driveway for my car.
If your job pays for commute after late night, then even faster / better to Uber back home as taking Port Authority bus after 11pm is a nuisance...
AVOID hoboken = NYC prices, floods ALL the time, and you'd be living in an area full of single folks with one of the highest concentrations of bars per capita in the U.S.
$5.5K for a 2 bedroom with all those amenities...no shot. If you're worried about commute but want cheap lodging, check out LIC. For reference, I (and my fiance) live on the UES in a 2 bedroom, with no laundry, in a doorman building, for $8K.
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