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Author Topic: NYC Neighborhoods  (Read 5520 times)

StillAWarrior

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NYC Neighborhoods
« on: June 03, 2021, 09:38:10 PM »
My daughter is moving to NYC next month and we’re looking for an apartment for her. We already nixed one that she almost signed when we did some more investigation into the neighborhood. If anyone has thoughts/suggestions, I’d be interested.

She’s thinking Brooklyn. In looking tonight, I felt like we were honing in the Prospect Park area. Seems like a pretty decent neighborhood.

I know very little about NYC so input is appreciated. I’m particularly interested in “avoid at all costs” tips.
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MuggsyB

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2021, 10:09:45 PM »
My daughter is moving to NYC next month and we’re looking for an apartment for her. We already nixed one that she almost signed when we did some more investigation into the neighborhood. If anyone has thoughts/suggestions, I’d be interested.

She’s thinking Brooklyn. In looking tonight, I felt like we were honing in the Prospect Park area. Seems like a pretty decent neighborhood.

I know very little about NYC so input is appreciated. I’m particularly interested in “avoid at all costs” tips.

My brother lived in Park Slope (Brooklyn) for 7 years and loved it.   It sure seemed like a fantastic area but I believe it's gotten crazy expensive.

JWags85

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2021, 10:29:18 PM »
My daughter is moving to NYC next month and we’re looking for an apartment for her. We already nixed one that she almost signed when we did some more investigation into the neighborhood. If anyone has thoughts/suggestions, I’d be interested.

She’s thinking Brooklyn. In looking tonight, I felt like we were honing in the Prospect Park area. Seems like a pretty decent neighborhood.

I know very little about NYC so input is appreciated. I’m particularly interested in “avoid at all costs” tips.

Where is she working?  If she’s gonna be in an office, is commute length important to her?

Brooklyn is very nice.  Places like Prospect Park and Park Slope aren’t “developing” any more.  They are as nice and as pricey as many parts of Manhattan these days.  Feel free to DM if you have more detailed questions

Hards Alumni

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2021, 06:13:46 AM »
The guy above me is probably your best resource, but a lot of Brooklyn is pretty gentrified at this point.  NYC is a pretty safe city overall nowadays.

If it was me, I'd worry less about neighborhood than being able to afford anything.

StillAWarrior

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2021, 07:24:13 AM »
Thanks for the responses, everyone.

Feel free to DM if you have more detailed questions

I'll take you up on that.

If it was me, I'd worry less about neighborhood than being able to afford anything.

Believe me, I am.
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mix it up

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2021, 08:47:19 AM »
My daughter lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and loves it. I've been there many times and I can see why. Safe, loads of shops, restaurants. Whole Foods down the street, lotta young people and close to the subway. Can be pricey though. She has a 2 BR w good size (for Brooklyn) kitchen and decent size LR. BR's are small and they pay $3200. I know, I know high rent, but that's life in the big city.

StillAWarrior

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2021, 08:59:51 AM »
My daughter lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and loves it. I've been there many times and I can see why. Safe, loads of shops, restaurants. Whole Foods down the street, lotta young people and close to the subway. Can be pricey though. She has a 2 BR w good size (for Brooklyn) kitchen and decent size LR. BR's are small and they pay $3200. I know, I know high rent, but that's life in the big city.

Thank you for the response. When we were searching last night we were zeroing in on the Prospect Park and Williamsburg areas. I set the filter on <$2100 for 2 BR apartments and there were a surprising number available at that price. Some better than others. We saw one she really liked just south of the park, but I'm learning that commuting is much easier north of the park.
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wadesworld

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2021, 09:00:36 AM »
My daughter lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and loves it. I've been there many times and I can see why. Safe, loads of shops, restaurants. Whole Foods down the street, lotta young people and close to the subway. Can be pricey though. She has a 2 BR w good size (for Brooklyn) kitchen and decent size LR. BR's are small and they pay $3200. I know, I know high rent, but that's life in the big city.

I've never considered living in NYC so I've never looked at rent prices, but if you told me 2 bedroom apartment in Williamsburg I would've guessed closer to $5,000/month.
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shoothoops

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2021, 09:24:40 AM »
My daughter is moving to NYC next month and we’re looking for an apartment for her. We already nixed one that she almost signed when we did some more investigation into the neighborhood. If anyone has thoughts/suggestions, I’d be interested.

She’s thinking Brooklyn. In looking tonight, I felt like we were honing in the Prospect Park area. Seems like a pretty decent neighborhood.

I know very little about NYC so input is appreciated. I’m particularly interested in “avoid at all costs” tips.

Feel free to message me. (I have lived in Manhattan and Queens.) And, I have frequented various boroughs, and the Tri-State. Good luck.

StillAWarrior

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #9 on: June 04, 2021, 09:28:20 AM »
I've never considered living in NYC so I've never looked at rent prices, but if you told me 2 bedroom apartment in Williamsburg I would've guessed closer to $5,000/month.

Actually, I've been somewhat pleasantly surprised by the prices. It's considerably more expensive than my son was paying in SLC, but it's not that much higher. As I said, there was a surprising number of 2BR/1BA apartments available in the Prospect Park and Williamsburg areas in the $2000/month range. Some actually looked pretty nice. I think all those areas looks pretty good and now it comes down to price, amenities and commute.
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MU Fan in Connecticut

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #10 on: June 04, 2021, 09:30:55 AM »
And pricing and rents in NYC should look better and may be less than anything since March 2020 or earlier.  So many NYC people have left for Connecticut they're ridiculously way over-bidding for houses that the real estate prices are up 40% in some towns.

Billy Hoyle

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #11 on: June 04, 2021, 10:00:51 AM »
I lived on the Upper West Side and loved it. Older places up there. Safe, quieter at night, lots of things to do, and 2 blocks from the 1 train.
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wadesworld

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #12 on: June 04, 2021, 10:11:44 AM »
Actually, I've been somewhat pleasantly surprised by the prices. It's considerably more expensive than my son was paying in SLC, but it's not that much higher. As I said, there was a surprising number of 2BR/1BA apartments available in the Prospect Park and Williamsburg areas in the $2000/month range. Some actually looked pretty nice. I think all those areas looks pretty good and now it comes down to price, amenities and commute.

That's great.  Definitely would never have guessed SLC was more expensive than NYC.  I would've guessed 1) SF 2) NYC for most expensive housing.

And pricing and rents in NYC should look better and may be less than anything since March 2020 or earlier.  So many NYC people have left for Connecticut they're ridiculously way over-bidding for houses that the real estate prices are up 40% in some towns.

Didn't think about how the pandemic probably has affected housing in the NYC area.
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StillAWarrior

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #13 on: June 04, 2021, 10:19:47 AM »
That's great.  Definitely would never have guessed SLC was more expensive than NYC.  I would've guessed 1) SF 2) NYC for most expensive housing.

I apparently wasn't clear. I said NYC is considerably more expensive than SLC...but not as much as I expected. My son and  his roommate paid $1700/mo for a really nice 2BR/2BA apartment right downtown. They have since moved to the suburbs and are paying considerably less (on a per-person basis) for a house with a couple other guys.

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wadesworld

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #14 on: June 04, 2021, 10:27:00 AM »
I apparently wasn't clear. I said NYC is considerably more expensive than SLC...but not as much as I expected. My son and  his roommate paid $1700/mo for a really nice 2BR/2BA apartment right downtown. They have since moved to the suburbs and are paying considerably less (on a per-person basis) for a house with a couple other guys.

Oops, misread that.
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Disco Hippie

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #15 on: June 04, 2021, 11:19:19 AM »
Good Luck Still a Warrior!

I'm originally from the NYC Metro area (CT burbs) and moved back home after graduation in early 90's.  Lived in the city my entire adult life (first Manhattan upper east side, then Brooklyn Heights until moving back to the burbs 4 years ago.   Lived in Brooklyn Heights from 2002-2017.

Here are the best neighborhoods in Brooklyn in my opinion ranked in order

Brooklyn Heights  (By far the best, and safest but also most expensive along with Dumbo and not much going on for younger people so she may not be into it.  I wouldn't be at her age)

Cobble Hill
Adjacent to Brooklyn Heights just slightly further south.  Equally safe and almost as nice, slightly less expensive than Brooklyn Heights but not much.  More younger folks in 20's early 30's.

Carroll Gardens-
Just south of cobble hill.   More or less same neighborhood but further south.

Boerum Hill
East of Smith Street.  Very Nice, younger still, relatively safe.

Park Slope-
Very nice and safe.  Similar vibe to Brooklyn Heights but a much larger neighborhood and busier.  Also more in central Brooklyn so quite a bit further from Manhattan than the above neighborhoods. Not really a place for people in their 20's.

Dumbo-
Great views but very expensive and somewhat isolated and desolate especially at night.

Fort Greene-
Also nice and generally safe as long as you're south of Lafayette Ave. and West of Washington.

Prospect Heights-
Just northeast of Park Slope.  Lived there for 3 months after we sold our place in Brooklyn Heights and waiting to close on our house.   Very similar to Park Slope.  Safe with good housing stock.  Stay West of Washington Ave and you'll be fine.  East of Washington not so much.

Williamsburg-
Hipster Central.  Tons going on for young people.  Nowhere near as charming and more run down/industrial than the other neighborhoods but perfectly safe and very busy all the time.


Bushwick-
Also extremely hip with young people but more run down and less safe.  Much safer than it was in the 90's when no college grad would even think of living there.  Many do today, but I still say avoid it if you can.

All that said, I am of the strong opinion that Manhattan is where it's at. Especially for younger people moving from another part of the country.  Why move to NYC to live in the BK??  Live in Manhattan for a couple of years then migrate.   Many of the neighborhoods in Brooklyn aren't even any cheaper than Manhattan anymore.  Perhaps slightly more room for same money but difference is negligible.

Feel free to PM me with questions.
« Last Edit: June 04, 2021, 11:22:24 AM by Disco Hippie »

Disco Hippie

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #16 on: June 04, 2021, 11:34:06 AM »
Thank you for the response. When we were searching last night we were zeroing in on the Prospect Park and Williamsburg areas. I set the filter on <$2100 for 2 BR apartments and there were a surprising number available at that price. Some better than others. We saw one she really liked just south of the park, but I'm learning that commuting is much easier north of the park.

That's absolutely true.  North and West of Prospect Park much better.  I wouldn't venture south and definitely not East of Prospect Park. 

StillAWarrior

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #17 on: June 04, 2021, 11:57:19 AM »
Good Luck Still a Warrior!

I'm originally from the NYC Metro area (CT burbs) and moved back home after graduation in early 90's.  Lived in the city my entire adult life (first Manhattan upper east side, then Brooklyn Heights until moving back to the burbs 4 years ago.   Lived in Brooklyn Heights from 2002-2017.

Here are the best neighborhoods in Brooklyn in my opinion ranked in order

Brooklyn Heights  (By far the best, and safest but also most expensive along with Dumbo and not much going on for younger people so she may not be into it.  I wouldn't be at her age)

Cobble Hill
Adjacent to Brooklyn Heights just slightly further south.  Equally safe and almost as nice, slightly less expensive than Brooklyn Heights but not much.  More younger folks in 20's early 30's.

Carroll Gardens-
Just south of cobble hill.   More or less same neighborhood but further south.

Boerum Hill
East of Smith Street.  Very Nice, younger still, relatively safe.

Park Slope-
Very nice and safe.  Similar vibe to Brooklyn Heights but a much larger neighborhood and busier.  Also more in central Brooklyn so quite a bit further from Manhattan than the above neighborhoods. Not really a place for people in their 20's.

Dumbo-
Great views but very expensive and somewhat isolated and desolate especially at night.

Fort Greene-
Also nice and generally safe as long as you're south of Lafayette Ave. and West of Washington.

Prospect Heights-
Just northeast of Park Slope.  Lived there for 3 months after we sold our place in Brooklyn Heights and waiting to close on our house.   Very similar to Park Slope.  Safe with good housing stock.  Stay West of Washington Ave and you'll be fine.  East of Washington not so much.

Williamsburg-
Hipster Central.  Tons going on for young people.  Nowhere near as charming and more run down/industrial than the other neighborhoods but perfectly safe and very busy all the time.


Bushwick-
Also extremely hip with young people but more run down and less safe.  Much safer than it was in the 90's when no college grad would even think of living there.  Many do today, but I still say avoid it if you can.

All that said, I am of the strong opinion that Manhattan is where it's at. Especially for younger people moving from another part of the country.  Why move to NYC to live in the BK??  Live in Manhattan for a couple of years then migrate.   Many of the neighborhoods in Brooklyn aren't even any cheaper than Manhattan anymore.  Perhaps slightly more room for same money but difference is negligible.

Feel free to PM me with questions.

Thank you so much for the information. I really appreciate it.

Interesting to hear you say that about Manhattan. Unfortunately, in my ignorance, I really pushed her away from Manhattan thinking it would be too expensive. Should be a lesson about offering opinions when I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. They definitely are smaller than in Brooklyn, but doable. I've suggested that she at least consider Manhattan again. Does Manhattan have that same "neighborhood" feel as some of Brooklyn areas with restaurants, groceries, etc.?
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Disco Hippie

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #18 on: June 04, 2021, 12:34:11 PM »
Yes absolutely, but with even more grocery and restaurant options.   Obviously Manhattan is more dense and with the exception of the West Village, most Manhattan neighborhoods are much less brownstoney than most Brooklyn Neighborhoods, with more high rises, but there's tons going on all the time.

You can't go wrong with the Upper East (Below 96th St) or Upper West Side but tons of young people gravitate to the Murray Hill neighborhood (East 30's) these days.  My 23 year old niece just got an APT there in Feb and her roommates moved here from AZ and CA.  Chelsea (West 20's is also good.   Pretty much anywhere in Manhattan below 96th St will be ok, and even Upper West is fine up until 116th or so.   The West Village will be prohibitively expensive but East Village and Lower East Side less so. 


shoothoops

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #19 on: June 04, 2021, 02:11:40 PM »
Thank you so much for the information. I really appreciate it.

Interesting to hear you say that about Manhattan. Unfortunately, in my ignorance, I really pushed her away from Manhattan thinking it would be too expensive. Should be a lesson about offering opinions when I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. They definitely are smaller than in Brooklyn, but doable. I've suggested that she at least consider Manhattan again. Does Manhattan have that same "neighborhood" feel as some of Brooklyn areas with restaurants, groceries, etc.?

Different neighborhoods within Manhattan have different feels, people, atmosheres, amenities etc...from one another. I am someone that can overlap those different things. I know some people who either choose a neighborhood or refuse a neighborhood based on these things. By this I mean I have some friends who absolutely refuse to live in a certain neighborhood. And I have other friends who will almost only choose that same neighborhood. And, some prefer a variety, more like what I did. So, her likes, wants, needs, type of person she is, type of atmosphere she is are all factors for her decision.

It's not uncommon for new to NYC, or even new to Manhattan young people to move around a few times to find their niche and comfort zone.

There are a variety of good choices/places to live within NYC.

Blue Horseshoe

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #20 on: June 04, 2021, 03:23:06 PM »
In 2014 I moved to the UES from Wicker Park in Chicago. The biggest adjustment was how expensive everything was. At first I was skeptical of the neighborhood, but really grew to love it. The 2nd Ave subway extension finally opened and made getting anywhere in the city quick and easy.

It is much more quiet than Brooklyn and downtown, but UES is close to Central Park and easy to get around via a bunch of Subway lines. Crime is up (everywhere), but I always felt safe at every hour. The apartments are in better condition and you should be able to get more space with a better layout.

Last June we asked our landlord about keeping our rent steady and a short term lease (rents generally go up every year). They declined so we moved to Hoboken for more space. Since then, the rent dropped $700 and it was empty for about 6 or 7 months. I think recently there are more signs of life in Manhattan, but rents haven't been this low in years.

StillAWarrior

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #21 on: June 04, 2021, 03:33:53 PM »
Anyone have thoughts about or experience with Sunset Park area?
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Hards Alumni

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #22 on: June 04, 2021, 04:10:45 PM »
Anyone have thoughts about or experience with Sunset Park area?

The girl that gave us the Tenement museum tour several years ago lived there and loved it.

Big help, I know.

Disco Hippie

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #23 on: June 04, 2021, 04:36:01 PM »
Anyone have thoughts about or experience with Sunset Park area?

Not ideal.  It's really far from Manhattan and just not the type of neighborhood that a young presumably single, college educated professional in their 20's would likely want to live in.  It's Historically a blue collar neighborhood populated mostly by Asian and Latino immigrants.   Nothing wrong with that at all and the neighborhood has some of the best Chinese and Mexican restaurants in the entire city which we used to go to from time to time when going to the Costco there.  I can't speak to it's safety.  It's probably fine, but not as good as the other neighborhoods previously mentioned.   It's sort of similar to Bushwick in that regard but Bushwick will have much more younger folks for sure and it's closer to Manhattan on the L train just east of Williamsburg.  There's nothing wrong with Sunset Park per se, and it's definitely been less susceptible to hipster gentrification than other Bklyn neighborhoods closer to Manhattan.  There has been some in its northern quadrant close to Park Slope, just not as much.  Also beware of Brokers using the term South Slope for what is really Sunset Park.

Mutaman

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Re: NYC Neighborhoods
« Reply #24 on: June 04, 2021, 06:07:57 PM »
Rents are way down throughout the city as a result of the covid and as an effect of the Rent Reform Law of 2019 which ended vacancy destabilization.

Manhattan Hits a Virus Milestone: Median Rent Below $3,000
By
Stefanos Chen
The New York Times
3 min
View Original

Soaring inventory and discounted rents in Manhattan have pushed the median to the lowest price in nearly a decade.
Prices will likely continue to drop in Manhattan’s rental market because of surging inventory and at least temporary changes to renter habits brought on by Covid-

For the first time in nearly a decade, the median asking rent for an apartment in Manhattan has fallen below $3,000 a month, as vacancies soar and tenants reorder priorities amid the coronavirus.

The third quarter also marked the first time in which Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens all recorded year-over-year rent declines since 2010, according to a new report from the listings website StreetEasy. The median monthly rent fell to $2,990 in Manhattan, down 7.8 percent; $2,599 in Brooklyn, down 2.5 percent; and $2,200 in Queens, down 2.2 percent.

“This is the first of many milestones to come, in terms of Manhattan’s rental market being turned on its head,” Nancy Wu, a StreetEasy economist, said about the declines, noting that prices will likely continue to drop because of surging inventory, and temporary, if not fundamental, changes to renter habits.

Of all the boroughs, Manhattan has the highest share of affluent, mobile renters, many of whom chose not to renew leases during the pandemic, and the once reliable stream of newcomers, who paid a premium to be close to Midtown offices, has slowed, Ms. Wu said.

Last month, there were nearly 16,000 listings available for rent in Manhattan, a 14-year record and more than triple the inventory in the same period last year, according to a recent report from the brokerage Douglas Elliman.

StreetEasy observed a similar surge in new listings this quarter, which helped to push the median discount on Manhattan rentals to 9.1 percent off the initial asking price, up from 3.9 percent this time last year. That translates to a median $272 monthly discount.

It’s likely that the actual price cuts are even deeper, because landlords hardly ever disclose the final negotiated rent, said Bill Kowalczuk, an associate broker with Warburg Realty. In the absence of a treatment or vaccine for the virus, those cuts are expected to deepen, he said, despite landlords’ reluctance.

“I don’t think they can believe this is actually happening,” he said. “‘How could I have gotten $5,000 two years ago, and now no one even wants it for $3,500?’”

While inventory has also climbed significantly in Brooklyn and Queens, prices there have not fallen as dramatically — and in some cases, prices are flat or rising, because of a dearth of affordable options elsewhere in the city.

In the third quarter, Brooklyn rents dropped, year over year, for the first time in a decade. Yet the 2.5 percent price decline was modest, spurred by discounting in expensive northwest neighborhoods, like Williamsburg, while rents held steady in less affluent parts of the borough, like East New York.

Even with considerable price cuts, the discounting will mean less for the tenants who need it the most. Mr. Kowalczuk warns that common concessions, like two or three months of free rent on a one-year lease, are a temporary perk, and new tenants should carefully consider if they can afford the unmitigated rent the following year.

And the coronavirus has made clear that rent relief is not proportional to need. In a StreetEasy analysis of neighborhoods with the fewest Covid-19 cases, rents in wealthy neighborhoods, like SoHo in Manhattan, dropped 4.3 percent from February to September. In the hardest hit neighborhoods, like Corona in Queens and Pelham Parkway in the Bronx, rents actually rose 0.2 percent.

Despite the considerable discounting in Manhattan, which is expected to persist for months or longer, breaking the $3,000 threshold remains mostly symbolic, since citywide, the median rent was $1,467 a month, according to the New York University Furman Center.

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10/23/20
« Last Edit: June 04, 2021, 06:30:34 PM by Mutaman »