Although NYC is comprised of five boroughs, Manhattan is the most iconic and recognizable when people think of the Big Apple. With a very rich history that acts as a cultural centerpiece for the United States, this is one of the most famous cities on earth.

Manhattan Apartments

While NYC has been depicted in many movies and books, the intensity can switch between the hyper-romantic depicted by Woody Allen to a cutthroat American Psycho within a couple hours. Just kidding. It’s always American Psycho since it was rated by Forbes as the 2nd most competitive city in the world for attracting corporations and citizens. It goes without saying this is one the United States most prestigious economic centers, however based on the coupling of several statistics, it also comes out as number one of the most economically powerful cities in the world.

While there are many myths about Manhattan, such as alligators in the sewers (which is true), the difficulty of apartment finding is very realistic. Chances are that the “spacious 2bd 2ba apartment with utilities includes and hardwood flooring on the Upper East Side with a breathtaking view of Central Park” listing you responded to on Craigslist received more than a hundred other responses (actually, that one probably got thousands). And, most likely, the pictures look way larger than the room actually is. But hey, that’s Manhattan for you. Basically, you have to be patient with apartment finding, consider any possible resources (friends, family, connections, apartment guides) and maybe even check out the obituaries. Or check out one of the other four boroughs (Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, or the Bronx) which are often overlooked.

However, Manhattan does have its share of amazing neighborhoods. Consider living in Carnegie Hill if you love being surrounded by beautiful architectural. Named for the mansion that Andrew Carnegie built in 1901, this Upper East neighborhood is one of the most beautiful and upscale areas with many excellent reviews and ratings by residents. With trees, brownstones and townhouses lining the streets, and grand old mansions (several that are now museums), that quintessentially New York image resides in this quiet area. Also, with both houses for rent and studio apartments in the many high-rise apartment buildings within Carnegie Hill, living options are plentiful. As one would expect, that means expensive (and very attractive) apartments for rent, but let’s be honest: it’s New York. Carnegie Hill is known for its family atmosphere and excellent schools helped by the fact that there are not any nightclubs or major tourist destinations nearby. Also, being located right next to Central Park means having easy access to the best amenities, thus perfect for pet owners looking for a pet-friendly area.

Those moving here fresh out of college ought to check out Murray Hill. Being a more affordable neighborhood, this is the area to find cheap apartments with all bills paid. The neighborhood is a mix of families and 20-somethings, so while most of Murray Hill is residential, areas such as Third Avenue and 34th street have a variety of bars, apartment towers with luxury apartments, and restaurants. Also, with Midtown neighboring Murray Hill and the Grand Central Terminal close by, commuting from this area to others is very easy.

The neighborhoods of Upper Manhattan such as Inwood and Harlem are definitely worth checking out. The apartments in these areas are notorious for being larger than the average shoebox that most apartments are. In fact, many of the homes for rent actually have multiple rooms! Even better is that uptown is much calmer than other areas of town and does not have nearly as many tourist destinations, however if you are looking for the nightlife scene, the cab rides to downtown are going to put a dent in your wallet. But that doesn’t mean that there are not awesome venues such as Shrine where you can see live music any night of the week. Also, with several parks such as Inwood Hills Park and Fort Tryon Park, you’ll learn that Central Park isn’t the only park worth seeing.

Average Apartment Rental Prices Nearby

Studio $2,219

1 Bedroom $2,641

2 Bedroom $3,322

3 Bedroom $4,055

Average rent on Backpage and Craigslist New York City-Manhattan, New York: $2,850

User reviews for apartments in New York City-Manhattan, New York

Rating: 3.9 out of 5 stars, 52 reviews

RentLingo User

queens

quiet and safe

Allison Pickens

Yale

Financial District

Amazing Japanese bakery on Murray St. -- would go there every Saturday morning. Also really close to 4 different subway lines.

N. T.

Tufts

Awesome location circa 2010

Great location with access to the Hudson River walkway and pan-city transportation.

T. D.

Fantastic neighborhood in NY

This area of the city is convenient to everything. Easy to get to midtown or downtown and tons of services within walking distance.

L. A.

Princeton

Loved the area

I loved living in this area - the best bakery in the city (Two Little Red Hens) is right here along with great grocery stores and great shopping. In addition it is easy to get around the city because of the 4,5,6. The only downsides were 2nd avenue subway construction and that it is not a great area to go out in. Lower rent more than makes up for that, though!

R. X.

Princeton, Stanford

Upper East Side by Central Park

Really pleasant neighborhood. Just a few steps from Central Park and 2 blocks from the 4/5/6 line. Great area for art lovers. Close walk to Guggenheim, Met and the Frick. One downside is the lack of weekend brunch options. Overall, loved the area!

S. P.

Stanford, Cornell

Everything you need nearby

Central Park and West Side Highway for running. Hell's Kitchen for food. Tons of subway lines. NYSC and Gold's Gym. Lots of companies and offices. Minus 1/2 star due to limited nightlife options.

Y. N.

Conn College

UWS is wonderful

Great restaurants and bars on amsterdam and columbus. A friendly, non-pretentious neighborhood with people of all ages. There isn't a scene. It is normal and sophisticated without being snotty. I loved living on the UWS. It is also great to have the park so close. Favorite neighborhood in the world.

P. R.

great access to transit

The best part of living around 23rd street is the quick access to a lot of subway lines. You can get anywhere in the city pretty fast. Also love the crosstown bus! It's a safe area to walk in any time of day or night. Madison Square Park is also excellent. There's a couple of good bars, clubs, and restaurants in the neighborhood, but most often you'll end up traveling to other neighborhoods to socialize.

A. S.

UChicago, Bain & Company

Great neighborhood, can walk everywhere, convenient to NYC

Great restaurants, lots of stores, many parks and so many friends waiting for you in this neighborhood. An incredible value when compared with what we found in NYC for the same price! Loved our apartment, especially the view right over the Hudson!

M. S.

Wisconsin, UBS

Urban but not über-urban like NYC

I lived in Jersey City for three years and loved it. The proximity to NYC was great, but it's also just a bit calmer than NYC itself. In retrospect, I think it's a great place to start a young family with Hamilton Park and Van Vorst Park beckoning as green space. More parks have opened since we left. Shopping was more than adequate -- Shoprite, Target, Home Depot, standard stores in the mall and plenty of small, local shops. It's a very mixed population in terms of race, nationality and income level as well, something that I value. And if you're looking for a church, I highly recommend the weekend services at OLC.

C. C.

Stanford, UVA

Great for couples, less great for singles

Reasonable prices, close to the park and river for running, solid bars and restaurants. A bit of a hike to get downtown if that's your thing.

K. A.

Wesleyan

Great for recent graduates

I lived in East Village right after college for 3 years and it was great. Lots of young people, great restaurants and bars. Relatively inexpensive compared to NYC prices. Highly recommend anyone looking to move to NYC.

S. '. C.

BC, Rutgers, NYU, Columbia

Alphabet City

It's a great area to live. It's one of the last places to have gentrified in Manhattan proper. Amazing places to eat and the subway is only about 9 min walk away.

H. L.

Stanford, UPenn, JPMorgan Chase

Boring building

The building leaves a fantastic first impression. The lobby is great as well as all of the shared space. Over time however, you realize that you are living in an old office building. It feels that way. There's no light whatsoever, there is nothing to do nearby in the evenings or on weekends. All of the added features (movie theatre, piano lounge, foozball, and ping pong) don't matter after the first week. It's quiet, but in a depressing way.

H. L.

Stanford, UPenn, JPMorgan Chase

Old building, but great location

Building is old, but the location is great. Close to Grand Central. Grocery store and dry cleaners are on the same block. Gym in the building. Very quiet.

J. G.

The Bronx High School of Science - #10 BEST NYC HS

#63 ranked nationally

J. G.

Stuyvesant High School - #9 NYC BEST HS

#58 ranked nationally

J. G.

Townsend Harris High School - #8 NYC BEST HS

#53 ranked nationally

J. G.

The High School of American Studies at Lehman College - #6 BEST NYC HS

#42 ranked natinally

J. G.

High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies - #5 NEST NYC HS

#25 Ranked Nationally

Jamaal Glenn

BK Heights - the BEST NYC neighborhood

Brooklyn Heights, specifically the 20 or so square blocks southeast of the promenade, has all the sophistication of Manhattan, some of the most beautiful brownstones in the world, all within a serenity found few other places in the five boroughs.

J. G.

#1 - Best High Schools in NYC: The Baccalaureate School for Global Education

Ranked #1 HS in NYC by US News: The Baccalaureate School for Global Education (BSGE) promotes intellectual and social development through the International Baccalaureate framework. Instructors at BGSE participate in professional development sessions regularly, and the school’s small class sizes help foster mentoring opportunities with students. Baccalaureate School for Global Education’s student body is a diverse mix of young adults from various neighborhoods in Queens. Students participate in service projects and can join a number of after-school clubs and activities, including athletics.

D. B.

RIT

Great getaway in the East Village

I lived in Stuy Town with my girlfriend, and we loved it. It was accessible to all the fun of the east village - bars, restaurants, etc. - and union square. It was also a quiet getaway from the rest of the city and a good value.

A. R. K.

Carnegie Mellon

RIvergate

Pros: Good, cost effective building, great view of the river, easy to find taxi (unless its raining) Cons: Right by FDR, so traffic can be loud; building only washes windows once a year, ten minutes away from public transportation

A. R. K.

Carnegie Mellon

420 West 42nd

Good building, great location for public transportation (can get to anywhere on manhattan) Traffic can get bad on weekends due to the lincoln tunnel

R. A.

Johns Hopkins, Stanford

Crazy convenient, very nice

Very convenient (<3 minute walk to > 6 subway lines) to get anywhere in the city. Very nice areas with spacious and nice apartments. Good shopping nearby, as well as restaurants. Somewhat light on the bar scene (grab the 123 further north.)

R. A.

Johns Hopkins, Stanford

safe area, poor subway, not fun

The area is very safe and parts are fairly upscale. The apartments are generally nice. The subway is a bit of a hike, and inconvenient. It is not in a fun area. Almost always need to grab the 456 downtown.

R. A.

Johns Hopkins, Stanford

safe area, mildly convenient, close to fun

Apartments in this area are generally nice and it is safe. Convenient to grocery and drug stores, but not convenient to the subways (only close line is the L). Not in the center of fun, but a short walk to the fun part of 2nd and 3rd ave. Also a short cab ride to Soho/EV.

Jessica Leigh

UNC

Park Ave in Hoboken

I loved that I was surrounded my recent college graduates and it was a easy walking distance to bars, restaurants and great nightlife. I I also appreciated that the bus stop was close by and ran frequently. The PATH was a good 14 block or 40 minute walk. The blocks are a lot longer then they are in the City, so that was a little disappointing because I was looking for something that would give me more then one way of getting into the city. The only thing I disliked was how far away the PATH was. In the Craigslist ad, it said walking distance to the PATH. It was a good 15 block-or 40 minute-walk and I didn't have the time or energy in the am to make that long trek. The blocks are a lot lengthier in Hoboken then in NYC, don't let the posts fool you.

B. N.

UPenn

Good location for those out of school

Great access to work if your office is in Midtown but has a lot going on compared to Murray Hill.

M. W.

great location

Lived here for two years - really miss it. Right in the heart of the west village and all its great restaurants and bars. Washington Square Park is only a few blocks away - maybe my favorite place in the city. Subway with express trains to midtown is one block away. Can't beat this neighborhood.

O. S.

Silver Towers

Great building, friendly staff and wonderful amenities. Also, the view is breathtaking! Published rent tends to be high, but try negotiating to get 2-3 extra months. The are itself is developing. As usual in Manhattan, lots of good restaurants and bars within walking distance (The Pony Bar is our favorite). Took a star off since the subway is rather far (10-15 minutes walk).

Samantha Shiells

UPenn

Clinton Hill A-Okay

Clinton Hill is a small neighborhood sandwiched between Ft. Greene and Bed Stuy. You're close to bars / restaurants in both Ft. Greene and Prospect Heights, and not too far from the Atlantic-Pacific subway stop. It's kind of like Ft. Greene Jr... not quite as nice, not quite as convenient, but a little bit cheaper. Highlights: Beny's, Hot Bird, Waverly Wu

P. S.

Columbia

Alright neighborhood

Lived here for a year. Good social scene for right after college, but restaurants aren't great and it's tough to get across town without a long walk or a cab.

P. S.

Columbia

Love this neighborhood

Great restaurants and social life, really pretty and relatively quite / calm area. Easy walk to Union Square to get around by subway. Highly recommended.

P. S.

Columbia

Good access to rest of city, okay neighborhood.

Great access via subway to the rest of the city, perfect if you work in midtown and want to go downtown for social events. Neighborhood itself is pretty nice, especially to the south and east (Madison Square Park / Flatiron), but north is pretty run down.

K. C.

Harvard, Stanford

Great spot to live at

Great neighborhood just a bit of a walk from the subway.

Michael Ruderman

Brown, McKinsey & Company, Stanford

Awesome area!

The LES is such a cool area with so many amazing bars, restaurants, and shops. It's also convenient to public transportation if you don't mind the FJ line. Try Clinton St. Baking Company. Don't be fooled by how this neighborhood looks by day. At night, this place is amazingly fun and hip and worth the rent you're going to have to shell out.

Katie Weisner

UVA

Is the park worth it?

Loved (LOVED) the proximity to the park, ease of getting to any subway line, and the walk to work (even though it was through Times Square). However, the lack of "neighborhood charm" - e.g. non-Starbucks coffee shops, fun places to go out, and the fact that I had to take cabs every time I wanted to meet up with my downtown-living friends ultimately drove me to SoHo.

V. S.

Harvard, McKinsey & Company, Stanford

West Village rocks!

The West Village is amazing if you love quiet, narrow streets, low-rises and lots of cute cafes and restaurants. But you pay a price for it! Rents are high, apartments are small and often walk-ups.

Evan Charles Moore

VEVO, NYU, Universal Music Group, Stanford

Fun but very busy and crowded

Thompson st. is relatively quiet compared to the rest of Soho, but you'll still have hordes of tourists walking around on the weekends. There's a neat old Italian community in this area. When you walk around, look up and you'll see old ladies sitting on their fire escapes next to Italian flags. Apartments are small and typically old. Soho is fun but I much prefer the East Village.

Evan Charles Moore

VEVO, NYU, Universal Music Group, Stanford

East Village? Go farther East!

I lived here for two years and it was by far my favorite spot in Manhattan. You're a little further from the subway but the apts are bigger. You're right next to the river which is a great place to run. Ave C is totally safe (seriously, I did the research and more crimes occur in the middle of the village).

Jamaal Glenn

One of Harlem's hot spots

One of Marcus Samuelsson's (Iron Chef, Top Chef Masters) restaurants. The New York Times calls it "culinary mosaic of Southern, Swedish and Ethiopian comforts." Wonderful ambiance. A bit pricey. One of the "cool" new places to go in Harlem.

Khary Francis

Harvard, Stanford

Brooklyn Heights is closer than you think

I loved living in Brooklyn Heights. Just two stops outside of Manhattan on the 2,3,4,5,N or R it was super east to get to the West or East side and even the Lower East Side. The famous Brooklyn board walk made for excellent runs with an amazing new park right under the Brooklyn Bridge. It didn't hurt that the Brooklyn Bridge was nearby, again making for excellent runs. Montague street itself is full of great restaurants. It's no wonder the post-MBAs at my firm like to live our here.

E. M. S.

UCLA

Nice entry to Manhattan

This is a great place to live if you're new to NYC because it feels sort of like a smaller community and is surrounded by acres of parkland. Yeah, the subway access isn't the greatest but the apartments are huge!

Jamaal Glenn

Living Near B'Way has its Pros & Cons

Pros - I lived here on the corner of Broadway & 102nd. The location is super convenient. Businesses and restaurants are literally feet away and the subway stop was less than half a block. Also, all else equal, rents are cheaper the closer you are to broadway (vs apts west of broadway) Cons - Broadway is loud. The farther west you go the more quiet it is. This means that having your windows up while watching tv will require you turn the volume up loud on your tv.

E. M. S.

UCLA

Central hub for NYC access

I loved living in this area because you have incredible access to so many subway lines, especially if you live on the southern end of Tribeca. My commute to midtown was 20 minutes, I could be at Columbia in 30 minutes, or Brooklyn in 15.

Jamaal Glenn

Best Chinese Food in New York

Tang Pavillion - an upscale Chinese restaurant. Hands down the best Chinese in NYC (maybe in all of the USA) -- they deliver pretty fast also

Jamaal Glenn

If you can help it, live Near the express subway stops

Gentrification in Harlem happens near the Express subway (A, D) stops. In West Harlem, that means 125th & 145th streets. This is where you'll most of the new residential buildings and most of the newere business and restaurants. Also, If you live anywhere downtown, living near an express stop cuts your commute time significantly. All else equal its better to go farther uptown if it means living near an express stop (145th St > 135th St)

K. F.

Harvard

friends live here. good spot - easy metro access to most of the city.

K. F.

Harvard

a friend lives here. seems like a good spot

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