Choosing a neighborhood to stay in for your time in New York is intimidating. New York City is huge…and expensive.
If you find a great deal on a room in Midtown, by all means, book it! But be warned that if it’s cheap it’s probably microscopic, time-worn, and facing a brick wall.
There’s more to New York than just Times Square. These are the best neighborhoods to stay in to get an authentic New York experience of your own.
Hotels
Yes, lots of us have moved away from staying in hotels in favor of home swapping and apartment rentals. But there’s still a time and a place for hotels. It’s simple to book, you know what to expect, and they’re run by professionals.
Brooklyn Heights
There are quite a few hotels in Brooklyn Heights. You have a selection of subway lines to choose from — and easy access to walk the bridges into Manhattan.
In Brooklyn, the Heights are an easy walk to Cobble Hill and Fort Greene. BAM and the Barclays Center are right there. Don’t forget to visit Brooklyn Bridge Park!
Downtown Jersey City
New Yorkers scoff at Jersey City, but that’s where they take all those pictures you see on the postcards. Plus, it’s an incredibly convenient location to take in the essential New York attractions.
If you’re feeling intimidated by the subway, save yourself a hassle and take the PATH train or the ferry instead.
Boreum Hill
Wedged between Park Slope and Carrol Gardens is Boreum Hill. Third and Fourth Avenues used to be kind of a wasteland, but now they’ve got a little collection of hotels. The subway is within a few blocks of all of them, as are endless numbers of bars.
Long Island City
Long Island City sounds like it’d be far away, but it’s actually across the East River from the Upper East Side. There are a ton of hotels off the 21st Street – Queensbridge subway stop. Long Island City has it’s own collection of cool spots to hang out and it’s got great connections to Manhattan and Greenpoint. 5Pointz might be gone (RIP) but there’s still MOMA PS1, Sculpture Center, and the Flux Factory.
Home swaps & rentals
No matter how cool the neighborhood, staying in a hotel is different. If you’re going to stay in someone’s apartment, here are some neighborhoods that are fun, convenient, and tourist-free.
Crown Heights
I’m not just saying this because this is where I spent most of my time in Brooklyn, because the neighborhood is nothing like when I lived here. Franklin is now lined with Brooklyn’s hippest bars. Even Nostrand has some great spots (and fantastic Jamaican food). Most of the action is north of Eastern Parkway.
The Brooklyn Museum is incredible. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is lovely, but don’t worry if you run out of time for it.
Greenpoint
You’re not going to find a cheap place in Williamsburg, but Greenpoint is a different story. You can get to NYC’s hipster center in a short walk (or one stop on the G) and access to Manhattan is also fast and convenient on the train or ferry.
Astoria
If you want to experience a bit of old New York, Astoria is the place. Mom and pop shops, elevated trains, and local spots. This is the spot to go for Greek food and tacos. It also has its fair share of cocktail bars these days.
If you’re a movie buff, don’t miss the Museum of the Moving Image.
Yorkville
The Upper East Side used to be a sleepy neighborhood of rich old people. The natural course of events has happened and turned Yorkville into an affordable corner of Manhattan with brunch spots on every corner.
Hoboken
Hoboken is incredibly charming. When you’re imagining an ideal version of Brooklyn, you’re probably picturing Hoboken. Really.
It’s a tiny city, with ferries at each end. Washington Street is the main attraction, besides the waterfront, and the PATH train will have you into Manhattan in 15 minutes.
USA is just one of those perfect vacation destination that everyone should visit once in the lifetime.
What a solid article. Great job summing up lots of neighborhoods. And I am super pumped you included Hoboken, as I called the “Mile Square” my home for 12 years. While they don’t have many hotels (especially affordable ones) they have tons of AirBnB options, and it is one of the coolest towns in America. Insider tip: Make sure you stay two blocks off Washington for less bar noise and cars. 🙂
Haha, yeah, I lived on Washington for a while and it could get pretty loud!
Home rentals are my favourite places to stay, as it feels more real than hotels. Crown Heights sounds like a cool area to stay in, I love Jamaican food! The Brooklyn museum sounds interesting too.
I have only been to NYC once, and the only place I knew before I went was Times Square – so as you can imagine I way over paid for my accommodations. I wish I had this list before I went. It’s perfect. And I think the Greek food in Astoria will be my next pick.
Wow, you’ve got a great list of places to stay, and almost all the places in your list are really interesting and charming with so much to offer, that I would definitely love and enjoy. The Brooklyn Heights, is something I should consider exploring and the Long Island City seems like a bit far, which offers an opportunity for a fun road trip. Thank you so much for sharing this, and I hope to get to NY City soon.
Haha, Long Island City is one subway stop away from Manhattan, so it’d be a very short road trip.
I have never been to NYC but it is on my bucket list. Thanks for sharing the list of places where one can stay. Since i aggregate Bed and Breakfast accommodations in India and like understanding and appreciating local culture. So i would go for homestays in NYC.
I can totally relate to this post! I find it easier these days than ever before to get great value travel.
NYC is my dream destination and I really hope to cross it off my bucket list, Cori! How long would you suggest staying there to explore it properly?
I used to live in NYC and I found Times Square very overwhelming. You’ve got a great list of places to stay in the city for some peace and quiet. I really like Brooklyn Heights, which is not too far from Manhattan. Plus in this area , you can get some pretty good city views!
This is such a helpful post because staying in New York is always depressingly expensive haha. I’d definitely consider staying in Hoboken or Jersey City next time…I’ll take a longer “commute” if the cost savings is significant!
This is great info! I plan on a taking NYC trip next year and will definitely be saving this for reference.
I have family friends who live in Nutley, NJ, so I typically stay with them when I want to visit NYC. It’s just so dang expensive! I have seen some amazing steals from AirBNB that friends have stayed at. I do think that it would be fun to actually stay in the city at some point!
I am well aware of the New York vs New Jersey thing and I never get why, afterall New jersey is no less good and way cheaper! Of course you are also right about the fact that all those postcard pictures are captured from Jersey! Thanks for putting up this guide, the next time I am in New York I won’t be confused anymore. 🙂
This is perfect! Everytime I’ve been to NYC it was either in college when my friends were interning and I could stay with them or for work where my accommodation was taken care of. We were thinking of taking a trip soon and were wondering where the heck we should stay that is also affordable! I think Astoria sounds like a fun area to stay and a great place to photograph!
Thanks for highlighting these neighborhoods! I think travelers think they HAVE to stay in Times Square when they head to NY, but there are so many more affordable parts of the city, and public transport is awesome so it’s super easy to get everywhere you want to go. Thanks for the run down of neighborhoods for more affordable accommodation 🙂
Very very helpful post. It is amazing how when we think of New York we tend to think Manhattan. But there are so many other areas that have convenient access and are just as good or better. Jersey city like you mentioned tends to be overlooked but I think it is a great option. I would love to spend more time in NYC and not in a hotel but in a rental or Airbnb in a neighborhood outside the city and live and experience life more like a local.
This is really helpful. I haven’t been to New York for a couple of decades and these days everyone just shouts AirBnB as if that, on its own, is any kind of recommendation! Great to see some actual recommendations I can look up and see which would be best for us.
I stopped working in NYC in 1998 when I moved out to Los Angeles, and I’m constantly amazed by how much certain areas have changed in that time! For instance, Brooklyn was just starting to really happen. BAM was a draw, but I think that was the only reason I ever went over there. Now, it’s a great place to be. The same is true of Hoboken. Thanks for breaking down this huge and fascinating (and ever changing) place! I’m going to have to try some of these other areas the next time I’m there!