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

Manhattan Valley

209 West 104th Street

$2,450 No Fee

Studio |

1

Hell’s Kitchen

533 West 49th Street

$2,750 No Fee

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1

Sutton Place

160 East 55th Street

$2,500 No Fee

Studio |

1

Carnegie Hill

123 East 90th Street

$2,395 No Fee

1 |

1

Hudson Heights

225 Bennett Avenue

$2,200 No Fee

Studio |

1

Hell’s Kitchen

613 Ninth Avenue

$2,995 No Fee

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

435 East 74th Street

$2,295 No Fee

1 |

1

Central Harlem

215 West 145th Street

$2,150 No Fee

1 |

1

Yorkville

1729 First Avenue

$2,475 No Fee

1 |

1

Gramercy Park

305 East 21st Street

$2,300 No Fee

Studio |

1

Hell’s Kitchen

350 West 55th Street

$2,595 No Fee

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1

West Chelsea

409 West 24th Street

$2,450 No Fee

Studio |

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

Flatbush

2337 Bedford Avenue

$2,625 No Fee

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1

Bedford-Stuyvesant

1516 Fulton Street

$2,800 No Fee

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1

Stuyvesant Heights

733 Madison Street

$2,600 No Fee

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1

Borough Park

905 43rd Street

$1,963 No Fee

2 |

1

Dyker Heights

6705 Twelfth Avenue

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

1

Park Slope

558 11th Street

$2,450 No Fee

1 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

84 Chauncey Street

$2,252 No Fee

1 |

1

Prospect Heights

755 Dean Street

$2,295 No Fee

1 |

1

Bedford-Stuyvesant

160 Quincy Street

$2,600 No Fee

2 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

261 Bainbridge Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Flatbush

1244 New York Avenue

$2,550 No Fee

2 |

1

Ocean Hill

17 Somers Street

$2,500 No Fee

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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

Sunnyside

43-17 48th Street

$2,100 No Fee

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1

Kingsbridge Heights

68 West 238th Street

$2,450 No Fee

3 |

1

Ridgewood

1822 Putnam Avenue

$2,350 No Fee

1 |

1

Astoria

31-67 37th Street

$2,299 No Fee

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1

Woodhaven

84-25 85 Road

$1,850 No Fee

Studio |

1

Astoria

34-46 Vernon Boulevard

$2,430 No Fee

Studio |

1

Astoria

23-20 Broadway

$2,000 No Fee

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1

Ozone Park

87-12 Pitkin Avenue

$2,050 No Fee

1 |

1

Astoria

25-26 44th Street

$1,899 No Fee

1 |

1

Astoria

31-60 29th Street

$1,700 No Fee

Studio |

1

Flushing

189-16 37th Avenue

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Astoria

33-78 11th Street

$2,350 No Fee

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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.