Queens may be home to one of the world's coolest neighborhoods, according to a new study, but when it comes to the "most-dreamed about" spots across the five boroughs, a new StreetEasy report found a few others reign supreme.
StreetEasy, which bills itself as the city's leading real estate marketplace, used search data to determine which neighborhoods in three boroughs -- Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens -- saw the most searches so far in 2022.
It also looked at the most-searched neighborhoods from 2017 to 2022 to assess trends -- and sure enough, it found the most coveted neighborhoods have withstood the test of time. What makes them so desirable? They've got to have it all: location, walkability, subway access, parks, delectable restaurants and, of course, available apartment space.
Here's a breakdown of some of the topline findings by borough, according to StreetEasy.
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Manhattan
As StreetEasy puts it, "Who wouldn't want to live the boho-chic life in the West Village or Greenwich Village, be near the High Line in Chelsea, own a classic SoHo loft or have a shot at getting a key to Gramercy Park?"
The West Village has topped StreetEasy's most Manhattan-searched list for the last five years running, while Greenwich Village has stayed popular over the years. It costs a boatload to rent or buy in either, with median rents of $4,895 and $4,500, respectively, and median asking prices of $1.497 million and $1.595 million, respectively.
For 2022, here are the most-searched Manhattan neighborhoods and their respective median prices.
Brooklyn
Manhattan may have a corner on the dreamscape, but this borough, where some neighborhoods top Manhattan prices, has a special allure, combining old-school charm and modern appeal, StreetEasy found. Brooklyn is particularly well known for its gorgeous "brownstone belt," on which neighborhoods like Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill and Fort Greene, sit. And it's no surprise those are some of the most coveted neighborhoods in the borough.
But none of those four are No. 1 in 2022. That honor belongs to Williamsburg, StreetEasy found. Those waterfront high-rises are in consistently high demand. Greenpoint also made the top 5 this year for the first time.
In terms of five-year trends, no Brooklyn neighborhood has been searched on its platform more than Williamsburg, which took over the top spot from Park Slope somewhere in between 2018 and 2019. All five of those neighborhoods had median asking prices and rents above the borough median, but there are absolutely deals to be had.
As StreetEasy economist Kenny Lee pointed out, a typical starter home in Brooklyn with at least one bedroom offers more square footage per dollar than Manhattan, making it attractive to younger professionals. There are most certainly diamonds in the rough.
More Real Estate
Queens
It's got a number of popular neighborhoods -- and for the most part, those are still more affordable than hotspots in Brooklyn and Manhattan, StreetEasy says. The most-searched neighborhoods on its platform have rents under $3,000 and median asking prices below $1 million -- at least for now. Deals can be found even in Long Island City and Astoria.
Those two neighborhoods have topped the most-searched list for the last five years, with Sunnyside and Forest Hills showing solid staying power. Jackson Heights used to be on the list, and might be a good place to start your search if you're looking for a buzzy area with more affordability. Ridgewood is more expensive, but hey, it's supposedly really cool.
