The city’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has solidified new preferences for where New Yorkers wish to live. StreetEasy’s list of NYC neighborhoods to watch for 2022 reflects these new trends, leading to a list somewhat different from years past. Last year, Brooklyn dominated the list. It does this year, too — but the borough’s popularity has spread even further, to the neighborhoods next door to last year’s entries. For example, this year we see Gowanus instead of Park Slope.  

Manhattan Rentals Under $3,000 on StreetEasy Article continues below

South Harlem

215 West 116th Street

$2,862 No Fee

2 |

1

Chinatown

73 Mott Street

$2,400 No Fee

1 |

1

South Harlem

274 West 115th Street

$2,500 No Fee

1 |

1

Upper West Side

856 West End Avenue

$2,195 No Fee

Studio |

1

Upper West Side

148 West 73rd Street

$2,800 No Fee

1 |

3

Kips Bay

228 East 26th Street

$2,900 No Fee

1 |

1

West Village

108 Charles Street

$2,650 No Fee

Studio |

1

Lenox Hill

310 East 74th Street

$2,800 No Fee

Studio |

1

Lower East Side

40 Rivington Street

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

1

Morningside Heights

1272 Amsterdam Avenue

$2,350 No Fee

Studio |

1

Greenwich Village

173 Sullivan Street

$2,695 No Fee

Studio |

1

East Harlem

105 East 116th Street

$2,350 No Fee

1 |

1

We define our NYC neighborhoods to watch for 2022 as the areas that saw the greatest surge in interest among buyers, renters, and sellers in 2021, gearing them up for continued interest this coming year. To create this list we ranked the areas based on an index of three factors: increases in sales prices, rents, and user searches year-over-year.

Downtown Manhattan’s Amenities Draw New Yorkers Who Can Afford Them

The hottest neighborhoods in Manhattan are also among the most expensive. Topping the list is SoHo, joined by Greenwich Village and Flatiron. Now that shopping, restaurants, and nightlife have reopened, living in — or close to — neighborhoods with a lot going on has become important again. At least, to those New Yorkers who can afford to.

Note: A proposal that would rezone SoHo to expand housing opportunities for New Yorkers is currently under review by the City Council.

“Cool” Brooklyn Neighborhoods Are Cool Again 

All the fun of pre-pandemic New York is not limited to Manhattan, of course. The neighborhoods in Brooklyn that have always been hot or up and coming are once again the top neighborhoods for 2022. Dumbo and Fort Greene are relatively easy to access from Manhattan’s office centers, and provide a diverse range of restaurants and nightlife that help make NYC the greatest city in the world. Interestingly, Bushwick ranks higher this year than Williamsburg, which didn’t even make our top 10. (On last year’s list, Williamsburg came in at number 7, while Bushwick was 9.) Bushwick has similar transportation options but is farther from Manhattan. 

Brooklyn 1-2BR Rentals Under $2,800 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Bay Ridge

469 76th Street

$2,500 No Fee

1 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

914 Jefferson Avenue

$2,350 No Fee

1 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

1875 Atlantic Avenue

$2,475 No Fee

1 |

1

Crown Heights

641 Saint Marks Avenue

$2,412 No Fee

1 |

1

Crown Heights

641 Saint Mark’s Avenue

$2,538 No Fee

1 |

1

Sheepshead Bay

2785 East 15th Street

$2,458 No Fee

2 |

1

Brighton Beach

3017 Brighton 12th Street

$2,417 No Fee

2 |

1

Williamsburg

29 Skillman Avenue

$2,675 No Fee

1 |

1

East Flatbush

1257 New York Avenue

$1,900 No Fee

2 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

1074 Putnam Avenue

$2,295 No Fee

1 |

1

Brighton Beach

3017 Ocean Parkway

$1,800 No Fee

1 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

686 Lexington Avenue

$2,699 No Fee

2 |

1

Working from home has changed where people decide to live in order to save money or gain space. The New Yorkers who wish to live in, say, Bushwick or Gowanus may be seeking the creative vibe SoHo once had in terms of food, nightlife, and even people watching. Before COVID, these beloved Brooklyn neighborhoods were gaining traction. Gowanus and Red Hook, though, are a difficult commute for anyone who does not have easy access to the G or F trains. In fact, Red Hook was one of the only neighborhoods on our list where rents fell year-over-year. But sales prices rose so significantly — 21%— that the neighborhood still made our list.

Another interesting note: Gowanus was recently approved for a massive rezoning plan. The plan will add 8,500 new apartments to the neighborhood by 2035, including 3,000 affordable units. 

New NYC Neighborhoods to Watch in the Bronx and Queens

Many of the hot NYC neighborhoods on this list are also expensive. But two have median asking rents below $2,000: Kew Gardens Hills in Queens, and Fordham in the Bronx. These are also the only two areas on our list outside of Manhattan or Brooklyn. With plenty of green space and parks nearby, these neighborhoods are great options for New Yorkers who do not need to commute to Manhattan and are looking for more space. 

Bronx & Queens Rentals Under $2,500 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Maspeth

66-17 52nd Avenue

$1,999 No Fee

2 |

1

Astoria

12-14 31st Avenue

$2,499 No Fee

1 |

1.5

Astoria

29-26 30th Avenue

$2,350 No Fee

1 |

1

Ditmars-Steinway

20-16 47th Street

$2,100 No Fee

1 |

1

Parkchester

1519 Metropolitan Avenue

$1,899 No Fee

1 |

1

Woodside

63-11 Queens Boulevard

$2,000 No Fee

Studio |

1

Fresh Meadows

196-18 67th Avenue

$2,250 No Fee

1 |

1

Ditmars-Steinway

21-14 21st Avenue

$2,300 No Fee

1 |

1

Oakland Gardens

61-43 224th Street

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

1

Oakland Gardens

61-43 224th Street

$2,100 No Fee

1 |

1

Rego Park

68-28 Alderton Street

$2,000 No Fee

1 |

1

Ditmars-Steinway

32-13 Astoria Boulevard North

$2,275 No Fee

1 |

1

It’s no surprise that these are also university neighborhoods, now that campuses are open for in-person classes. Fordham is home to Fordham University, and Kew Gardens Hills is a stone’s throw away from Queens College. According to a report by the NYC Comptroller’s office, the reopening of in-person learning coincided with an improvement in net residential migration to the city.

How We Did It

We identified our 10 NYC neighborhoods to watch for 2022 using an index of three key performance indicators: annual change in median asking rent, annual change in median sale price, and annual change in user searches that include a given neighborhood on StreetEasy.