NYC Life

Top Gardens in NYC To Visit This Spring & Summer

By Deirdre Sullivan May 4, 2021

Of course, there are plenty of public parks. Walking the High Line should be on your to-do list. But the many gardens in NYC are just so beautiful and therapeutic. These outdoor gems provide residents with a much-needed oasis. Below are 15 of our favorites, in no particular order. You’ll also find the median asking prices for renting and buying near each garden as of March 2021 (because you may want to live near one of these beautiful spaces).

Please note: Due to COVID-19, some gardens in NYC may require a reservation for entry, so check their websites.

East Harlem

237 East 111st Street

$2,400 base rent

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East Harlem

302 East 119th Street

$2,300 base rent

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East Harlem

340 East 105th Street

$2,295 base rent

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East Harlem

165 East 99th Street

$2,199 base rent

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East Harlem

2108 Second Avenue

$2,400 base rent

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East Harlem

340 East 105th Street

$2,500 base rent

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East Harlem

328 East 106th Street

$2,400 base rent

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East Harlem

407 East 117th Street

$2,446 base rent

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1

East Harlem

1908 Third Avenue

$2,476 base rent

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East Harlem

307 East 104th Street

$2,500 base rent

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East Harlem

1912 Third Avenue

$2,150 base rent

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East Harlem

315 East 108th Street

$2,375 base rent

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1. East Harlem: Central Park, Conservatory Garden

_{The Conservatory Garden in Central Park is six acre formal garden. (Getty Images)}

Located near the northeastern corner of Central Park in Upper Manhattan, the Conservatory Garden is the only formal one in Central Park. What exactly is a formal garden? It’s a structured garden with geometric shapes and, in many instances, a classic symmetrical layout.

The six-acre Conservatory Garden opened in 1937. It features tulips, lilacs, crabapple trees, and summer perennials in a beautiful trio of European-inspired plots. Not surprisingly, this specular place is a popular destination for small weddings. Heads up, literary buffs! Be sure to stop by the statue dedicated to The Secret Garden author Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Where: East Harlem near Fifth Avenue and 104th Street
Subway Info: East Siders take the 6 train, and West Siders grab the 2 or 3 trains
Median Asking Rent: $2,000
Median Asking Price: $800K — that’s a deal compared to Manhattan’s median, $1.4M

Murray Hill (Queens)

144-32 35th Avenue

$2,487 base rent

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Flushing

143-40 41st Avenue

$2,250 base rent

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Murray Hill (Queens)

147-11 34th Avenue

$1,831 base rent

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Flushing

137-35 Elder Avenue

$2,375 base rent

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East Flushing

164-43 Underhill Avenue

$1,995 base rent

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Flushing

37-33 College Point Boulevard

$2,050 base rent

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1

Murray Hill (Queens)

41-45 149th Street

$2,200 base rent

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Murray Hill (Queens)

147-20 35th Avenue

$2,250 base rent

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1

Flushing

143-40 41st Avenue

$2,225 base rent

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Flushing

143-50 Barclay Avenue

$2,350 base rent

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Flushing

33-24 Parsons Boulevard

$2,350 base rent

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Flushing

132-70 Sanford Avenue

$2,000 base rent

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2. Flushing: Queens Botanical Garden

^{May is always tulip time at the Queens Botanical Garden. (Getty Images)}

This 39-acre serene retreat is smack in the middle of Queens. It began as an exhibit for the 1939-1940 World’s Fair. As a matter of fact, the two blue atlas cedars at the garden’s Main Street entrance were taken from the original exhibit.

It is one of the most diverse gardens in NYC and has everything from an arboretum to an art gallery. So, in addition to the amazing horticultural, check out the Fragrance Walk and Woodland Garden.

Where: 43-50 Main Street in Flushing, Queens
Subway Info: Take the 7 from Manhattan to Main Street— afterward, hop on a bus or walk for 13 minutes
Median Asking Rent: $1,950
Median Asking Price: $764.4K

Bay Ridge

238 79th Street

$2,000 base rent

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Flatbush

35 Oakland Place

$2,500 base rent

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East Flatbush

342 East 55th Street

$2,000 base rent

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Midwood

1456 Coney is Avenue

$1,800 base rent

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1

Flatbush

270 East 31st Street

$1,995 base rent

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Flatbush

270 East 31st Street

$2,100 base rent

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Flatbush

2201 Beverley Road

$2,414 base rent

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Prospect Lefferts Gardens

183 Winthrop Avenue

$2,000 base rent

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Midwood

1362 East 4th Street

$2,500 base rent

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Prospect Park South

180 East 17th Street

$2,450 base rent

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Kensington

620 Beverley Road

$2,300 base rent

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Sunset Park

4724 Fifth Avenue

$2,000 base rent

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3. Brooklyn: Brooklyn Botanic Garden

_{Cherry blossoms abound each spring at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. (Getty Images)}

This 52-acre garden is home to the climate-controlled Steinhardt Conservatory. It houses plant life from three different temperate zones. Moreover, there are 15 other micro gardens, including one devoted to the fragrances and plants mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays. The biggest draw here in one of the top gardens in NYC is the Japanese Hill-and-Pond. Here visitors stroll through the cherry blossoms each spring. Looking to rent in the borough? Behold these affordable Brooklyn neighborhoods.

Where: 990 Washington Ave, Brooklyn
Subway Info: Take the 2 or 3 trains and get off at Franklin Avenue/Botanic Garden
Median Asking Rent: For the borough, it is $2,399
Median Asking Price: For the borough, it is $915K

4. Battery Park City: The Battery Gardens

^{Battery Park City’s glorious perennial garden is a treat for the eyes. (Getty Images)}

With 195,000 square feet of gardens, it is the largest perennial garden in North America. Located at Manhattan’s southernmost tip, the gardens have no fences or admission fees.

Be sure to check out The Bosque, which covers four acres and features more than 100 London plane trees. And, of course, you should also visit the Gardens of Remembrance, dedicated to 9/11 survivors. There you’ll see more than 100 different types of perennials. It’s like no other gardens in NYC.

Plus, the kids will love the SeaGlass Carousel.

Where: State Street and Battery Place, NYC
Subway Info: The 1, 4, and 5 trains will get you there
Median Rent: $3,995
Median Sales Asking Price: $970K

Inwood

520 West 218th Street

$2,500 base rent

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Hudson Heights

728 West 181st Street

$2,250 base rent

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Washington Heights

503 West 173rd Street

$2,300 base rent

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Fort George

552 West 184th Street

$2,500 base rent

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Washington Heights

79 Haven Avenue

$2,446 base rent

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Washington Heights

516 West 162nd Street

$2,350 base rent

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Hudson Heights

259 Bennett Avenue

$2,250 base rent

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Washington Heights

85 Audubon Avenue

$2,429 base rent

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Hudson Heights

689 Fort Washington Avenue

$2,500 base rent

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Hudson Heights

860 West 181st Street

$2,400 base rent

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Fort George

565 West 188th Street

$2,295 base rent

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Fort George

247 Wadsworth Avenue

$2,300 base rent

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5. Hudson Heights: Fort Tryon Park’s Heather Garden

^{The Heather Garden in Fort Tryon Park is an explosion of texture and color every spring and summer. (Getty Images)}

Voted as one of the best gardens in NYC, Heather Garden also is one of the most elevated gardens in the city.

Located more than 200 feet above the Hudson River, the garden transports you back to an English country estate. With three acres of sloping lawns and drooping elms, it is one of the most diverse gardens in NYC too. For instance, there are more than three dozen varieties of heaths and heathers, making it one of the largest collections on the East Coast. There’s more to love in Hudson Heights.

Where: 741 Fort Washington Ave, New York
Median Asking Rent: $2,000, way below Manhattan’s median asking, $2,750
Median Asking Price: $549K
Subway Info: Take the A train to 190th Street

Greenwich Village

93 Mac Dougal Street

$3,100 base rent

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Greenwich Village

234 Thompson Street

$3,395 base rent

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Greenwich Village

50 West 8th Street

$3,000 base rent

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Greenwich Village

224 Sullivan Street

$3,295 base rent

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Greenwich Village

52 West 14th Street

$3,400 base rent

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1

Greenwich Village

231 Thompson Street

$3,000 base rent

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Greenwich Village

52 West 14th Street

$3,400 base rent

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Greenwich Village

220 Sullivan Street

$3,445 base rent

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Greenwich Village

224 Sullivan Street

$3,395 base rent

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6. Greenwich Village: Jefferson Market Garden

_{The Jefferson Market Garden, is a tiny Greenwich Village oasis with a small lily pond. (Getty Images)}

Greenwich Village’s Jefferson Market was created back in the 1960s, after the demolition of a woman’s detention center. Today it’s a bright, cozy garden filled with witch hazel, snowdrops, and magnolias. Walk the circular garden and enjoy flowers blooming alongside a tranquil stone fountain.

Bonus points for pop culture fans: “Sex and the City” aficionados might recognize the garden as the location of Miranda and Steve’s wedding.

Where: Greenwich Avenue between Sixth Avenue and West 10th Street, Manhattan
Subway Info: The A, B, C, D, E, and F trains to West 4^th Street will get you close.
Median Asking Rent: $3,100 vs. $4,000 this time last year
Median Asking Price: $1.5M

West Farms

926 Bronx Park South

$2,150 base rent

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Fordham

2438 Morris Avenue

$1,525 base rent

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Mott Haven

224 East 135th Street

$2,464 base rent

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Mott Haven

224 East 135th Street

$2,420 base rent

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Mott Haven

224 East 135th Street

$2,192 base rent

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Mott Haven

224 East 135th Street

$2,468 base rent

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West Farms

2078 Vyse Avenue

$2,150 base rent

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Melrose

400 East 161st Street

$1,936 base rent

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Mott Haven

224 East 135th Street

$2,437 base rent

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Mott Haven

224 East 135th Street

$2,177 base rent

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Country Club

1130 Stadium Avenue

$2,250 base rent

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Riverdale

3615 Greystone Avenue

$2,250 base rent

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7. Pelham Bay: Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum

^{The lush garden at the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum is a bit of secret. (Photo by Richard Warren for Bartow-Pell Mansion)}

The garden surrounding Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum is considered one of the best gardens in NYC. And since it’s somewhat a “secret,” it doesn’t get too crowded.

Set in Pelham Bay Park, the largest public park in New York City, this space features a serene, terraced garden and a carriage house built in 1840. You can also participate in a bunch of activities, from historical lectures to theater performances.

Where: 895 Shore Road, Bronx
Subway Info: Take the 6 train to Pelham Bay Park Station
Median Asking Rent: $1,638 (the cheapest on this list!)
Median Asking Price: $300,000 (the cheapest on this list!)

8. Riverdale: Wave Hill Public Gardens

^{Wave Hill Garden is tranquil treat hidden in Riverdale, Bronx. (Photo by Barry Winiker)}

Head up north to Wave Hill, a tranquil escape in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. Set along the Hudson River, you’ll surprisingly find 28 acres of greenery. Managed by a gardener with a degree in fine arts, the Garden’s color palette makes it one of the best gardens in NYC.

The flower garden has everything from clematis hybrid and Tuscan kale to miscanthus cultivar. The herb and dry gardens have lots of bay laurel, rose-scented geranium, and shining sumac. So be sure to take some photos of one of the most spectacular gardens in NYC,

Where: 4900 Independence Avenue, the Bronx
Metro-North: Go to one of its two Manhattan stations, Grand Central and 125th Street, and get off at Riverdale — from there, it’s a short walk
Median Asking Rent: $2,233 in March 2021 vs. $2,400 same time last year
Median Asking Price: $399,000 vs. $380,000 a year ago

9. Inwood: Gardens of the Met Cloisters

^{One of the medieval gardens at the Met Cloister Museum. (Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)}

Set along the Hudson River, the Met Cloisters pays tribute to the architecture of medieval Europe.

The four-acre site displays about 300 species of flowers, from those grown during the middle ages to today’s modern plants. Head there in the winter, and you’ll find an indoor conservatory filled with spring flowers. Seriously, this is one of the best secret gardens in NYC — after your visit, have a picnic in Fort Tryon Park.

Where: 99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park, Manhattan
Subway Info: Take the A train to the top of Manhattan and get off at Dyckman Street — then walk up Riverside Drive and enter Fort Tryon Park.
Median Rent: $1,950
Median Asking Price: $434K

10. Midtown East: Greenacre Park

Yes, there’s a waterfall in Midtown East. Image courtesy of Greenacre Park)

It’s not every day that you get to see a 25-foot waterfall in midtown Manhattan. Greenacre Park truly is an oasis in that proverbial concrete jungle. So if you find yourself rushing around Midtown, grab a moment of relaxation at Greenacre Park and enjoy the honey locust trees, ivy hangings, and bright flowers.

There’s also plenty of outdoor seating (another NYC rarity) and a cafe.

Where: 217 East 51st Street, Manhattan
Subway Info: The E train will get you close, but you’ll need to walk a few blocks
Median Asking Rent: $2,800
Median Asking Price: $825K

11. Staten Island: Snug Harbor Botanical Garden

^{A visit to Snug Harbor Community Gardens is the ultimate day trip. (Photo by Lance Reha for Snug Harbor Botanical Garden)}

When it comes to the best gardens in NYC, the 83-acre Snug Harbor ranks right up there. It’s actually comprised of eight different gardens.

There’s an English-inspired white garden featuring snowdrops, lilies, and irises. There is a rose garden, with all the roses you could ask for, plus a serene reflecting pool. There even is a healing garden with expansive views of the wetlands. Plus, be sure to stop by the stunning Chinese Scholar Garden, inspired by the Ming Dynasty gardens. If you wind up falling in love with the area, here’s what to know about buying a house in Staten Island.

Where: 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island
Ferry Service: The best to go is the Staten Island Ferry from Whitehall Terminal on the southern tip of Manhattan — afterward, grab a bus to Snug Harbor
Median Rent: $1,848
Median Asking Price: $658K

12. Brooklyn, Green-Wood Cemetery

^{You’ll discover century-and-a-half-old trees, glacial ponds, and foot paths in Green-Wood Cemetery. (Getty Images)}

One of New York City’s most historic cemeteries has 478 acres of tranquil nature, complete with cherry trees, bamboo, flowering dogwood, and fruit flowers. It is considered a “living cemetery” because while it memorializes the dead, its purpose is to bring life to the art and history of New York City.

It’s the resting place for several famous figures, including Leonard Bernstein, Charles Ebbets, and Horace Greeley.

Where: 5th Avenue & 25th Street, Brooklyn
Subway Info: The R train is your best bet
Median Asking Rent: For the borough, it is $2,399
Median Asking Price: For the borough, it is $915K

Astoria

25-38 37th Street

$2,500 base rent

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Ditmars-Steinway

21-21 38th Street

$2,400 base rent

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Astoria

27-05 Astoria Boulevard

$2,400 base rent

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Astoria

33-54 28th Street

$2,055 base rent

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Ditmars-Steinway

20-24 24th Street

$2,475 base rent

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Astoria

26-25 3rd Street

$2,299 base rent

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Astoria

26-24 9th Street

$2,200 base rent

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Astoria

30-14 29th Street

$2,250 base rent

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Astoria

25-20 47th Street

$2,500 base rent

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Astoria

30-49 Crescent Street

$2,499 base rent

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Astoria

32-42 33rd Street

$2,350 base rent

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Astoria

32-57 35th Street

$2,500 base rent

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13. Astoria: The Noguchi Museum Garden

^{The gravel garden at The Noguchi Museum. (Photo by Nicholas Knight for The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum)}

An inconspicuous brick building in Long Island City houses a tranquil garden designed by acclaimed sculptor Isamu Noguchi. The serene space pays tribute to Japanese gardens. Many of the manicured trees and shrubs are sourced from Japan.

While you are there, check out the 27,000-square-foot museum, as well. It showcases more of Noguchi’s artistry, including his marble and granite works. There’s more to discover in Astoria, Queens.

Where: 9-01 33rd Road, Queens
Subway Info: Take the N, W trains to Queensboro Station, then hop on a bus to Vernon Blvd/36th Ave
Median Asking Rent: $1,900 (that’s $100 less than the borough median, $2,000)
Median Asking Price: $749.5K

14. Belmont: New York Botanical Garden

Need another reason to visit the New York Botanical Garden? You can zip over to Arthur Avenue for lunch. (Getty Images)

There are 250 acres of stunning nature – smack in the middle of the Bronx. The New York Botanical Garden is a year-round arboretum that always has different events and curated displays.

Check out the collection of birch, dogwood, and holly, and bursts of color in the conservatory’s orchid collection. Or head to the forest and take part in a weekly bird watch. Better yet, enjoy a relaxing canoe ride down the Bronx River.

Where: 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx
Metro-North: Grab a commuter train at Grand Central or 125th Street and get off at Botanical Garden Station
Median Asking Rent: $2,100 — expect a lot of square footage for your rental dollars!
Median Asking Price: For the borough, it’s $475K

Long Island City

36-06 30th Street

$3,000 base rent

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Hunters Point

43-22 Queens Street

$3,425 base rent

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Long Island City

41-21 24th Street

$2,910 base rent

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Long Island City

41-42 24th Street

$3,471 base rent

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1

Long Island City

41-15 24th Street

$3,199 base rent

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Long Island City

41-15 24th Street

$3,438 base rent

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1

Hunters Point

22-44 Jackson Avenue

$3,484 base rent

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Hunters Point

22-44 Jackson Avenue

$3,494 base rent

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Hunters Point

22-44 Jackson Avenue

$3,346 base rent

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Hunters Point

22-44 Jackson Avenue

$3,499 base rent

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Long Island City

38-05 27th Street

$3,300 base rent

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Hunters Point

1-15 57th Avenue

$2,811 base rent

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15. Long Island City: Brooklyn Grange Farm

^{Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm in Long Island City. (© Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm)}

On top of Long Island City’s Standard Motors Building is a rooftop soil farm. It is one of three sister farms throughout the city. Collectively, Brooklyn Grange produces over 80,000 pounds of organic produce per year which you can find at these locations or purchase right on-site.

With farm tours, workshops, even yoga on the roof, the Grange Farm promotes sustainable living and local ecology. Be sure to check out the friendly chickens and take an urban agriculture workshop.

Where: 37-18 Northern Blvd., roof
Subway Info: Take the B to the M or the 3 to the N
Median Rent: $2,900
Median Asking Price: $1.1M

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