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That depends on where you will be working. I assume you will be working in an area near Manhattan. I would find out which subways and other transportation are closest to your office and work from there. Some great neighborhoods include:
Queens: Astoria/Long Island City
Brooklyn: Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope of you are into the stroller scene
Hoboken/Jersey City: If you are looking to buy real estate, you may want to check into the NJ side- way less expensive and more space than Brooklyn. Also a lot of great places to rent and only one stop away from the City on the PATH train or a quick ferry ride.
Do you know where you will be working?
Do you know your budget?
I LOVE the area I live. I live on the edge of Gramercy and the East Village.
Gramercy is beautiful with all the parks and brownstones and the East Village is full of awesome restaurants and bars.
Plus it's very close to Union Square which has a ton of subway lines.
ETA - Oops sorry, just saw you said "around" Manhattan.
I lived in Astoria Queens for a year and loved it. Great restaurants and bars, easy access into the city on the N/Q line.
I also really like Downtown Brooklyn/Brooklyn Heights/Dumbo area. Lots of great apartments there and only 1 subway stop out of Manhattan (or you can walk across the Brooklyn Bridge).
FI and I are living in the Financial District and we love it. His lease is up in June so we are looking in the same area but closer to the South Seaport!
When I was contemplating moving there with my ex, we were looking at lofts in Brooklyn. I adore it there. The vibe is amazing.
My ex's Mum lived in mid-town at 53 and 8th or 9th... (can't remember.. the one with a ton of restaurants) and I loved it there too. Bonus there was you could walk to so much, yet come home from it all too when you wanted.
As a Brooklynite I can tell you that the nabes in BK that make sense depend on what you like:
Williamsburg - trendy
Greenpoint - less trendy and quite cheap but very close to Williamsburg
DUMBO - Right by bridges nice nabe, a bit smallish for my taste
Fort Greene, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights - pretty nabes, lots of brownstones, lots of restaurants and bars with different vibes depending on the neighbourhood.
*Special mention for Prospect Heights - it is nice in parts but still a bit up and coming so you gotta pick your spots.
All the neighbourhoods I have listed above are sound choices in Brooklyn. You should however be aware the in NYC, brokers often claim the apts are in one area when they are really in another. E.g they might claim an apt is in Williamsburg but it is really in Bushwick.
FYI - All the neighbourhoods mentioned are lovely but you should beware that they often turn out to be more pricey than an apt on the Upper East Side.
I lived in Brooklyn Heights right on the promenade. I miss it SO much and it was the best place I ever lived.
Upper West Side! I'm biased of course--I've lived there for the past 4 years. I love it though--it has an amazing neighborhood-y feel and has tons of cute stores and little cafes and restaurants. It's not super touristy and so it doesn't feel very crowded. Plus you have Central Park on one side and Riverside Park on the other, so you're never far from some green, open spaces.
Other areas in the city that are nice are the Village/West Village (but super expensive), and Gramercy (also expensive, unless you go pretty far east). I think that Chelsea can be pretty affordable, and there's a ton to do in that area, and it's close to a lot of trains. I would NOT want to live in the East Village or Lower East Side--way too many bars and drunken people walking around on the weekends, and it's just a grimy place IMO.
In Brooklyn, I love Brooklyn Heights--reminds me of a cross between the UWS and the Back Bay area in Boston.
In Queens, I grew up in Forest Hills, right by 71st Ave. It's like a mini-Manhattan--tons to do, lots of stores/restaurants, and you're steps from the E and F trains, which are express trains that get you into Manhattan in like 15 minutes.
@Oneeleven: That's like Hell's Kitchen area--also a good place to look actually. TONS of restaurants and tends to be pretty affordable, especially if you look on 9th or 10th Ave.
@nycbrde2011: I used to live in the FiDi! I love the Seaport!
If you want to be IN Manhattan I highly recommend the Upper East and Upper West Sides. These areas can be more more affordable then Midtown or Downtown (depending on the location obviously). I like that they are quieter and not as hectic and loud as some of the other areas. You feel a little bit removed from all the action - which to me is a good thing. If you want to go out a lot I recommend looking in Murray Hill or the village. Every nieghboorhood has it's own personality.
I'm bored so I'll give you a mini-breakdown of the areas.
Downtown
Financial District: Close to the water, lots of business shut down earlier, busy busy during rush hour, empty during "off" hours besides tourists. Good places to look: Battery Park City, South St. Seaport
Chinatown/Little Italy: You don't want to live here. Loud, tourist filled. Visit for lunch and that's it.
Lower East Side (LES): One of the city's newer "hip" hoods. Lots of bars, restaurants, etc. Very hipster.
SoHo: Great shopping, lots going on. Very hip and trendy. Very pricey - and apartments are generally really small for the price.
East Village: Artsy, great restaurants, cool bar scene, very NYU. Check out Stuy-Town, very cool place to live.
West Village: Lots of bars, less "artsy" then the East side. Beautiful brownstones. Very very pricey.
Union Sq: Nice area. Lots of shopping. Pricey (big surprise).
MeatPacking District: Clubbing headquarters. If that's you're scene it'd be a cool place to live, personally it's not my scene.
Midtown
Gramercy: Residential for still being a downtown area. Nice restaurants, Madison Sq Park is nice. If you work in Midtown you'll have a really short commute!
Murray Hill: Murray Hill is a very young neighborhood. Lots of young-single-20-somethings. Big bar scene. Apartments aren't cheap but a lot of people cram into a 1-bedroom (turn it into a 2 or 3 bedroom) and make do.
Midtown: Say from 34 - 59th St - personally I wouldn't live here at all. Very busy. Lots of offices, not residential. Too hectic and crazy for my taste. There are some nice buildings though so maybe someone else will have a better expeirence.
Uptown
Upper East Side: East of Lexington Ave you can find a really great deal. Also lots of great restaurants along 2nd Ave. Close to Central Park and a good mix of city life + quieter not so crazyness.
Upper West Side: Really fun place to be (if I do say so myself!). Close to the Park. Charming buildings. Good restaurants and a nice general attitude among the residents.
Harlem and beyond: Honestly I don't have enough experience with these areas to comment.
Outer-Boroughs (some good places to consider)
Brooklyn Heights
Park Slope
Astoria
Long Island City
Hoboken
Cobble Hill
Hope that all helps!!
I was born and raised in South Brooklyn, not far from Coney Island, and I still have a soft spot for that area (best pizza in the world) but not great for commuting to Manhattan. Long train ride.
I'm in Hells Kitchen in Manhattan now and I like this area. It's pretty quiet and walking distance to everything. I had to see a LOT of crap apartments before I found mine. Be careful, a lot of brokers try and sell you stuff that is either above the port authority or Lincoln Tunnel.
In Queens, I love Astoria/LIC and it's really great for commuting in and out of Manhattan. Plus they have not one but two great beer gardens (and many many nice restaurants.)
Honestly, I really think you need to just go out and explore each area and really take a good look when you see a place. They are so funny with their words/ads. "Up and coming area" is a classic term that brokers like to use. They'll use it on the best and the worst areas lol.
Good luck!
I have experience with the area above Harlem!!
Inwood/Washington Heights is fantastic. Mostly residential with families, and the further up you go the more greenery. There's no shortage of dog parks, etc. Plus the Cloisters are up there. Lots of wooded space.
And the apartments? They're BIGGER and CHEAPER. People really underrate living in the heights and above. They're scared of the commute for some reason. That's just stupid. It's 15-20 minutes on the A-train (express) when headed to mid-town. YES when the train is running local it's a pain, but every train runs local at some point. And it's a pain to get out to Queens or Brooklyn at these times as well, so I hate it when people stick up their noses at upper Manhattan in favor of riding all the way out to Forest Hills or something.
Give upper Manhattan a chance. Sure I'd love to live at 72nd and Central Park West, but right now I can't afford that. So if you're looking for some bang for your buck, check out what's north of 170th!
You guys are stinking awesome! I'm so glad that I posted this here. It's hard to know what's good and bad. Thank you so much!!! yay! Now I can start the search with confidence!
You got a ton of great advice so Ill keep mine brief - I lived UES for 4 years. Just recently moved to Hoboken. Weehawken has some great house rentals as well. Ive never lived in any of the other areas, but if you are looking for IN nyc, I loooooved the UES. Neighborhood-ish, cheaper than a lot of other areas, and bigger apts (from my experience.) Good luck!
I can also vouch for Astoria - lived there for 3 years, loved it. Great restaurants and 15 minutes to Midtown.
I live further out in Queens now in Forest Hills - 18 minutes on LIRR and about 35 on subway. Very residential, mostly large Tudor single family homes and co-ops if you're looking for something a bit more suburban within NYC.
@MissHoneyBun: Yay, Inwood/Washington Heights! Woot, woot.
I have lived in Washington Heights for the past five years and love it. Our apartment is BIG and cheap (relatively) and it is such a short commute to midtown (about 25 minutes for my husband to get to work).
It is definitely a great area to have a dog, too-- there are tons of parks.
If you do decide to check out the area, I would recommend trying to live west of Broadway-- in my experiences the apartments are a bit nicer than the ones east.
@plantains: Echoing this, take a look at this
I live in Brooklyn (Crooklyn is what my friends in TX) call it. Ha ha. I love my apartment and have been here for 7years and shall miss it when I live. I like the neighborhood. It's Crown Heights/Prospect Heights. It's 11 mins on the 4/5 to the City AND I have the 2/3/4/5 and the Shuttle to the A/C/Q It's very up and coming and rents are rising exponentially. Walking distance to Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn Main Library, the Brooklyn Museum and Prospect Park (by the same guys who did Central Park) I can't say enough about Brooklyn. Oh, and if you come here, you can swell the population. Do you know that Brooklyn, if considered a city in its own right would be the third or fourth most populous city in the country.
@bRooklynRocks: Hey neighbor!
I second the Prospect Heights rec! I love my 'hood. It's close to everything and I never have a problem getting home because of all the different public transportation options.
@bRooklynRocks: OMG. I'm from Texas and all my Texas friends who live in NY totally call it Crooklyn!
I love both places I have lived!
I used to live in Windsor Terrace in Brooklyn. Its just south of Park Slope, and I was literally 5 blocks from Prospect Park, which I love!!
I have a friend who lives in Park Slope and loves it, and other friends who live in Carroll Gardens and love it! Both have a lot of bars and restaurants nearby. Its hard to get them all to leave on the weekends, because there is so much to do there!
Right now I am living on the (Upper) Upper East side, in the low 90's. It is super convenient for me to get to work, but the trains get pretty crowded. The good part is our management company. They are fantastic!! I had heard it was such PITA to find an apartment, and seriously, they were a breeze. We signed a lease a whole month before we had to move in, which is virtually unheard of in the city! We also have a TON of storage room. You can PM me for the name, if you would like.
I have also heard that Long Island City is a good place to live, Astoria, and I also wouldn't count out Hoboken or Jersey City. My friends have gotten nice places there too!
So ladies my company set me up with a realtor. I'm seeing places in Astoria, Brooklyn Heigths, Chelsea, and a place on the upper west side. I will let you know how it all goes. thanks again!
I am an UWS'er through and through. Moved here almost by accident, I wanted the UES, but the places I saw were terrible in my price range so my broker suggested the UWS. I was like "There is a WEST side?" because I had only heard of/been to the upper east.
It was totally fate, this might be my home forever. IMO it is the best neighborhood to live in the city. You are right in between two parks, there are a ton of great restaurants and shopping. And I think (and a lot of people agree with me) that the transportation is better here.
There are a lot less high rises though. I feel like the rentals are mostly brownstones and a few newer high rise buildings, but depending on your price range you might be in a walk up building. Although I've lived in a brownstone for 6 years and I love it, so it's not so bad.
Definately Astoria or LIC for an easy commute and good neighborhood with lots to do. I am in New Rochelle (and dont pay NYC tax!) and i work in midtown. I take the metro-north which isnt as easy as the subway but its not a bad commute. Good luck!
similar to MissHoneyBun's upper manhattan suggestion-- hubs and i just moved from uws to the border of morningside heights and harlem, and it's awesome, i love it! MUCH cheaper than uws and much more space! the neighborhood is mostly students and faculty, and while there are fewer businesses around there are still some great little restaurants closeby. and the fairway at 130th is amazing for grocery shopping.
if i wasn't in grad school/tied to campus, we would have looked to brooklyn, like williamsburg/greenpoint/park slope/brooklyn heights/dumbo ish, or we have friends in hoboken who love it.
When I worked in mid-town, I lived in Brooklyn and loved it! I have lived in Park Slope and Prospect Heights. Great areas. There's alot of great areas in Brooklyn. I was able to get more space for a better price when compared to Manhattan. The commute into mid-town was fairly quick and easy during the week. I live in LA now and sometimes wish I could jump on a train and zone out for 20 minutes and then be at work. :) The freeway traffic here kills me.
@katsupgirl: @bRooklynRocks: That is such a beautiful neighborhood! I'm about 20 minutes walking from there, but FI and I make the walk because we have friends in the neighborhood, love the Museum and the Park, and especially, TOM'S. Please tell me you've been there?
I live in Clinton Hill in Brooklyn, and FI and I have been here for the past 4 years (WHAT. WOW! Haha!). We've really seen the neighborhood change and grow, and love love love this area. When we first moved in, there wasn't a lot of options of places to eat or buy some coffee, but more and more stuff is popping up! Honestly though, if I had my choice, I would actually move (even though I love my hood and apartment) to the heart of Fort Greene. Probalby just off Dekalb Ave, near Fort Greene Park. I LOVE this area. And great access to a lot of trains! That is one downfall of Clinton Hill.
Good luck with your search. It can be daunting, but if something clicks for you, go with it!
I live in Long Island City and love it! Before that lived in Chelsea. Loved that even more, but I don't miss the $3,000/month rent. Now that I am all married-up we are looking to buy a house in Rockland County. Keep us posted on your new digs and obviously come back with any questions.
Don't forget Hell's Kitchen, Sunnyside (Queens), and LES/East Village!
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Contemplating a move for work to NYC. Although I know my way around Manhattan, I'm unsure of the areas surrounding it and where I would want to rent if I chose to move. Can you help out? Thanks in advance!