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

Yorkville

1605 Second Avenue

$2,895 No Fee

1 |

1

Carnegie Hill

130 East 93rd Street

$2,654 No Fee

1 |

1

Upper West Side

35 West 89th Street

$3,000 No Fee

1 |

1

East Village

624 E 11th Street

$2,699 No Fee

Studio |

1

Turtle Bay

332 East 53rd Street

$2,900 No Fee

1 |

1

Upper West Side

790 Amsterdam Avenue

$2,315 No Fee

Studio |

1

East Harlem

2033 Second Avenue

$2,250 No Fee

1 |

1

Hamilton Heights

294 Convent Avenue

$2,000 No Fee

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

342 East 65th Street

$2,995 No Fee

1 |

1

Upper West Side

273 West 73rd Street

$2,975 No Fee

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

322 East 61st Street

$2,895 No Fee

Studio |

1

Turtle Bay

230 East 52nd Street

$2,900 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

Sunset Park

679 48th Street

$2,150 No Fee

1 |

1

Sunset Park

4819 Fourth Avenue

$2,150 No Fee

1 |

1

Williamsburg

100 Moore Street

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

1

Homecrest

1764 East 18th Street

$2,075 No Fee

1 |

1

East New York

581 Liberty Avenue

$2,600 No Fee

2 |

1

Williamsburg

216 Devoe Street

$2,600 No Fee

1 |

1

Prospect Lefferts Gardens

341 Midwood Street

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

1

Sunset Park

4423 Fifth Avenue

$2,360 No Fee

2 |

1

Homecrest

2249 Ocean Avenue

$2,170 No Fee

1 |

1

Bushwick

38 Cooper Street

$2,700 No Fee

2 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

735A Quincy Street

$2,699 No Fee

2 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

863 Hancock Street

$2,649 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

Jamaica

152-09 88th Avenue

$2,150 No Fee

Studio |

1

Astoria

31-57 36th Street

$2,395 No Fee

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1

Jackson Heights

30-35 70th Street

$2,000 No Fee

1 |

1

Soundview

1105 Morrison Avenue

$2,345 No Fee

1 |

1

Sunnyside

51-01 39th Avenue

$2,300 No Fee

Studio |

1

Fordham

2763 Morris Avenue

$2,300 No Fee

1 |

1

Kingsbridge Heights

3119 Bailey Avenue

$2,100 No Fee

1 |

1

Mott Haven

25 Bruckner Boulevard

$2,300 No Fee

1 |

1

Astoria

24-15 41st Street

$2,250 No Fee

2 |

1

Sunnyside

45-15 42nd Street

$2,400 No Fee

1 |

1

Lindenwood

149-37 88th Street

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

1.5

Middle Village

79-30 69 Road

$2,100 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.