Affording NYC Neighborhoods NYC Life Renting Tips and Advice for Renters

7 Affordable Queens Neighborhoods for Renters

By Deirdre Sullivan February 23, 2022

Savvy New Yorkers already know rent in NYC has been back on the rise, but the top question is, where can one find really affordable rentals? Honestly, you can find steep discounts in all five boroughs. However, if you’re looking to squeeze every penny from your rental dollars, there are several cheap neighborhoods in Queens perfect for budget-minded renters. We’re talking areas with a broad range of affordable units, typically for much less than similar Manhattan and Brooklyn apartments.

Elmhurst

42-54 Judge Street

$2,400 base rent

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Jamaica Estates

87-01 Midland Parkway

$2,200 base rent

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Richmond Hill

86-03 102nd Street

$1,850 base rent

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Jackson Heights

82-16 34th Avenue

$2,050 base rent

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Rego Park

65-60 Wetherole Street

$2,050 base rent

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Rego Park

64-00 Saunders Street

$2,300 base rent

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Ditmars-Steinway

20-61 49th Street

$2,100 base rent

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Elmhurst

42-45 Judge Street

$2,189 base rent

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Maspeth

62-17 60th Street

$2,499 base rent

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Astoria

31-30 34th Street

$1,800 base rent

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Astoria

31-48 29th Street

$1,595 base rent

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Ditmars-Steinway

45-02 Ditmars Boulevard

$2,400 base rent

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Not convinced? Here are the numbers: The median asking rent for Queens as of December 2021 was $2,300, which is a striking contrast to Manhattan ($3,500) and Brooklyn ($2,675) for the same period. Let’s take a closer look. Here are seven affordable Queens neighborhoods to consider — one even has a median asking rent of $1,785!

Table of Contents

Briarwood

86-45 139th Street

$1,995 base rent

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Briarwood

139-12 84 Drive

$2,500 base rent

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Briarwood

139-21 85 Drive

$1,825 base rent

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Briarwood

141-49 84 Drive

$2,200 base rent

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Briarwood

84-02 143rd Street

$2,000 base rent

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Briarwood

139-05 84 Drive

$2,095 base rent

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Briarwood

84-40 Daniels Street

$2,400 base rent

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Briarwood

139-65 Pershing Crescent

$1,950 base rent

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Briarwood

84-31 Van Wyck Expressway

$2,350 base rent

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Briarwood

141-31 Pershing Crescent

$2,175 base rent

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Briarwood

139-05 85 Drive

$2,400 base rent

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Briarwood

140-18 Burden Crescent

$2,300 base rent

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1. Briarwood: Extremely Affordable Queens Neighborhood

_{A midcentury apartment building in Briarwood with affordable, modern units. (From a listing: 82-41 135th Street #3F)}

Median Rent: $1,785 per month as of December 2021.
Subway Info: Express E and F trains service the neighborhood at Briarwood/Van Wyck; local F to Sutphin Boulevard and Parsons Boulevard. Expect a 45-minute commute into Manhattan.
Notable Attractions & Amenities: The area has a few parks, a local library, and many mom-and-pop shops.

Briarwood has a quiet, distinctly suburban feel, despite being bordered by both Grand Central Parkway and Van Wyck Expressway. When it comes to cheap neighborhoods in Queens, this area is the most affordable. Here, you will find large apartment complexes, many built in the 1950s, alongside stand-alone houses and duplexes on tree-lined streets. The area features a couple of public parks: Hoover-Manton Playgrounds, a central hangout for the community, and Briarwood Playground. Need a little help finding an apartment in the area? Here’s how to find the best rental for you on StreetEasy.

Flushing

36-40 Bowne Street

$2,290 base rent

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Murray Hill (Queens)

144-48 Roosevelt Avenue

$2,500 base rent

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Flushing

42-49 Colden Street

$1,921 base rent

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Flushing

45-38 161st Street

$2,500 base rent

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Murray Hill (Queens)

37-07 147th Street

$2,200 base rent

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Flushing

132-48 41 Road

$2,383 base rent

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Murray Hill (Queens)

151-10 35th Avenue

$1,879 base rent

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Murray Hill (Queens)

151-10 35th Avenue

$2,499 base rent

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Flushing

132-45 Maple Avenue

$2,100 base rent

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Flushing

132-25 Maple Avenue

$1,741 base rent

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Flushing

132-25 Maple Avenue

$1,999 base rent

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Murray Hill (Queens)

36-25 Parsons Boulevard

$2,300 base rent

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2. Flushing: Affordable Queens Neighborhood Brimming With Local Attractions

_{You’ll find new construction in Flushing with chic rentals as shown. (From a listing: 144-74 Northern Boulevard East #7J)}

Median Rent: $1,950 per month as of December 2021.
Subway Info: 7 train; the express 7 can get you to midtown in 30 minutes. LIRR to Penn Station takes 20 minutes.
Notable Attractions & Amenities: Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens Botanical Garden, Flushing Town Hall, Queens Historical Society, and Citi Field.

Flushing is a dense and vibrant area with sleepy pockets of single-family homes as you move away from the center of Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street. Unlike other cheap neighborhoods in Queens, here you will find Flushing Meadows Corona Park, one of the largest in the city with not one but two lakes. Flushing also boasts the Queens Botanical Garden created for the 1939 World’s Fair; the Flushing Town Hall, which holds concerts, including the Louis Armstrong Jazz Jams; and the Queens Historical Society.

Kew Gardens

119-40 Metropolitan Avenue

$2,325 base rent

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Kew Gardens

83-35 Lefferts Boulevard

$2,300 base rent

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Kew Gardens

116-40 Parklane South

$2,200 base rent

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Kew Gardens

119-21 Metropolitan Avenue

$1,750 base rent

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Kew Gardens

119-21 Metropolitan Avenue

$2,000 base rent

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Kew Gardens

119-21 Metropolitan Avenue

$2,200 base rent

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Kew Gardens

119-21 Metropolitan Avenue

$2,200 base rent

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Kew Gardens

85-31 120th Street

$2,000 base rent

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Kew Gardens

123-33 83rd Avenue

$1,975 base rent

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Kew Gardens

83-80 118th Street

$2,275 base rent

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Kew Gardens

83-19 118th Street

$2,250 base rent

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Kew Gardens

83-67 116th Street

$2,456 base rent

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3. Kew Gardens: A Hidden Village in Central Queens

Median Rent: $1,999 per month as of December 2021.
Subway Info: Express E and F; expect a 40-minute commute into Manhattan. LIRR to Penn Station takes less than 15 minutes.
Notable Attractions & Amenities: Forest Park, Ralph Bunche House, and it’s a short 15-minute drive to JFK.

Kew Gardens is a little-known gem with a small-town feel. You won’t find this in any of the other cheap neighborhoods in Queens: The main street, Lefferts Boulevard, runs over the only “working bridge” in New York City, meaning the bridge itself is home to local mom-and-pop shops and eateries, some of which have been operating on the bridge for decades. Apartment buildings — many with spacious square footage and 10-foot ceilings — blend seamlessly with Tudor duplexes and two-story houses with deep lawns, including the landmarked Ralph Bunche House.

Out of all of the cheap neighborhoods in Queens, Kew Gardens was one of seven planned communities, which may be why the area has winding streets, towering oak trees, and plenty of lush greenery. It also shares a border with Forest Park, one of the largest parks in the borough, with hilly hiking paths. With plenty of housing stock, easy transportation to Manhattan, and a small-town vibe, Kew Gardens is the best combination of urban and suburban worlds.

Forest Hills

110-45 Queens Boulevard

$2,400 base rent

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Forest Hills

67-30 Clyde Street

$1,750 base rent

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Forest Hills

76-66 Austin Street

$2,108 base rent

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Forest Hills

110-33 72nd Avenue

$1,950 base rent

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Forest Hills

67-12 Yellowstone Boulevard

$2,449 base rent

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Forest Hills

111-14 76th Avenue

$2,375 base rent

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Forest Hills

107-19 70th Avenue

$2,000 base rent

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Forest Hills

105-49 63rd Avenue

$2,100 base rent

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Forest Hills

96-13 Metropolitan Avenue

$2,500 base rent

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Forest Hills

112-19 Jewel Avenue

$2,500 base rent

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Forest Hills

71-19 Nansen Street

$1,950 base rent

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Forest Hills

25 Burns Street

$2,000 base rent

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4. Forest Hills: A Neighborhood Brimming With Big City Amenities

^{Forest Hills is known for its broad range of housings types. (From a listing: 109-19 72 Road #6)}

Median Rent: $2,100 per month as of December 2021.
Subway Info: E, F, M, R; express trains are a 30-minute commute into Manhattan. LIRR to Penn Station takes 10 minutes.
Notable Attractions & Amenities: Forest Hills Stadium, Forest Hills Gardens, and two murals paying tribute to the Ramones.

Yes, Forest Hills is one of the cheap neighborhoods in Queens that made this list! Something about Forest Hills seems to foster talent because the list of celebrities who hail from here is a mile long: From legendary punk band the Ramones and folk music duo Simon & Garfunkel to actor and comedian Awkwafina and fashion designer Donna Karan, to name a few! The area is bisected by Queens Boulevard — with apartment complexes on the north side and multimillion-dollar homes of Forest Hills Gardens to the south. In between, running parallel to Queens Boulevard, is the main thoroughfare Austin Street, where you’ll find plenty of food including local favorite Nick’s Pizza alongside chain stores like Sephora.

Additionally, the historic Forest Hills Stadium, formerly a tennis arena, became a prime music venue in the 1960s, hosting performances by greats such as Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan. It was restored in 2013 and once again plays host to headliners like Drake, Ed Sheeran, and Mumford & Sons. In a nutshell, Forest Hills is a self-contained town, offering everything you could possibly want in a big city.

Rego Park

65-60 Wetherole Street

$2,050 base rent

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Rego Park

64-00 Saunders Street

$2,300 base rent

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Rego Park

61-15 98th Street

$1,600 base rent

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Rego Park

65-20 Booth Street

$2,495 base rent

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Rego Park

65-20 Booth Street

$1,895 base rent

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Rego Park

97-12 65 Road

$2,311 base rent

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Rego Park

97-12 65 Road

$2,423 base rent

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Rego Park

98-51 65th Avenue

$2,300 base rent

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Rego Park

63-60 102nd Street

$2,500 base rent

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Rego Park

61-45 98th Street

$2,500 base rent

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Rego Park

65-04 Booth Street

$2,135 base rent

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5. Rego Park: A Cheap Neighborhood in Queens With Many Shopping Options

^{Many apartment buildings in Rego Park have generous floor plans. (From a listing: 98-76 Queens Boulevard #3A)}

Median Rent: $2,200 per month as of December 2021.
Subway Info: Local M, R. Expect a 45-minute commute into Manhattan; switching to an express train may cut down commute time.
Notable Attractions & Amenities: The Crescents, an area known for its Tudor-style homes and large lawns.

Upon coming out of the subway, Rego Park’s main artery of Queens Boulevard looks to be dominated by large shopping centers. But while at first glance it may seem like the land of big box stores, Rego Park, like the other cheap neighborhoods in Queens on this list, has many other attractions. For example, the neighborhood is quiet off the main commercial strip, and recent developments mean there are plenty of new apartment buildings, ranging from swanky to modest. There’s also a historic area, known as The Crescents, which was named for the shape of its streets.

Although green spaces seem scarce, large parks like Flushing Meadows and Forest Park are not too far away. Rego Park is also known for its vibrant eateries and community centers. And here’s a fun fact: The neighborhood’s name is a shortened moniker of the original real estate developer, the Real Good Construction Company. And to many residents, that’s just what Rego Park is: a real good place to live.

Middle Village

62-50 83rd Street

$2,500 base rent

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Middle Village

61-56 84 Place

$1,900 base rent

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6. Middle Village: A Neighborhood With a Quaint Vibe

^{Sizable apartments abound in Middle Village like this 2-bedroom unit with a private roof deck. (From a listing: 78-04 67 Drive #2)}

Median Rent: $2,300 per month as of December 2021.
Subway Info: Only the M to Metropolitan Ave. Expect a 45-minute commute into Manhattan.
Notable Attractions & Amenities: Juniper Valley Park, St. John Cemetery, All Faiths Cemetery, and Mt. Olivet Cemetery

Located just below Rego Park, Middle Village is a serene, residential neighborhood — possibly because it is surrounded on three sides by cemeteries. (One of these, the St. John Cemetery, is the final haunt for infamous mobster Lucky Luciano.) When it comes to different home types in cheap neighborhoods in Queens, here the housing consists of predominantly squat, one-to-two-story homes and duplexes, which means you can see the sky for miles and miles — a rare perk in New York City. And there’s the lovely, sprawling Juniper Valley Park on the north side with tree-lined walkways, meadows, tennis courts, and playgrounds.

Ridgewood

462 Seneca Avenue

$2,500 base rent

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Ridgewood

53-68 Metropolitan Avenue

$2,200 base rent

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Ridgewood

63-59 Forest Avenue

$2,500 base rent

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Ridgewood

1663 Decatur Street

$2,400 base rent

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Ridgewood

923 Onderdonk Avenue

$2,500 base rent

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Ridgewood

62-41 Forest Avenue

$2,288 base rent

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7. Ridgewood: Best Kept Secret for Affordable Rentals

Median Rent: $2,546 per month as of December 2021.
Subway Info: L, M. Expect a 40-minute commute into Manhattan.
Notable Attractions & Amenities: Many historical landmarks, including Vander Ende-Onderdonk House

For an idea of what Park Slope was like before the median asking rent shot up to the $3,000s range, head to Ridgewood. Sure, it’s not the most affordable on the list for cheap neighborhoods in Queens, but it’s still notable when compared to other boroughs and Queen’s own Long Island City. Central Ridgewood’s historic district, designated in 2016, runs 40 blocks and comprises some 990 buildings: mostly tan, stone rowhouses with stoops. You can also expect to find mom-and-pop shops and a diverse range of local eateries featuring cuisines from across the globe.

While you will find rental buildings here, many available units are found in multi-family homes. The only real con is the lack of green spaces. But promising developments in the industrial section of Ridgewood may incorporate more greenery. Till then, you’ll have to hang out on your stoop. Good luck with your apartment search!

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