What different parts of New York City are like to live in — character, transport, green spaces, housing and honest trade-offs.
New York City is described here by its districts and the localities inside them. This page currently covers 5 districts and 3 localities.
There is no “best neighbourhood”: what suits you depends on your work, budget, family and lifestyle. We describe places — we do not score them.
Larger pins are districts, smaller ones localities. Every place is also listed below.
Map of neighbourhoods in New York City
District
New York City's most populous borough, with 18 subway routes, Prospect Park and miles of waterfront. Rents are lower than in Manhattan on average but vary widely between neighborhoods; about a third of residents were born abroad.
District
The densest and most expensive borough for renters, with the shortest average commutes, the most subway lines and Central Park. Recent movers paid a median of about $3,290 a month in 2024; most households rent and relatively few have children.
District
The borough with the highest share of foreign-born residents (47.5% in 2024), a high homeownership rate for New York City, JFK Airport, Flushing Meadows Corona Park and the Rockaway beaches. Recent movers paid a median of about $2,360 a month in 2024.
District
The least populous and most suburban borough, where two-thirds of households own their home and many families live. It is linked to Manhattan by the free 24-hour Staten Island Ferry and has its own railway, but commutes are the longest in the city.
District
The borough with New York City's lowest median rents and incomes, the largest share of households with children after Staten Island, and the city's biggest parks, including Pelham Bay Park and Van Cortlandt Park.