Moving to NYC: A Look at the Different Boroughs

No matter what kind of person you are, you can probably find something to love about New York City. The famous “Big Apple” is one of the most popular and well-known cities in the world. You can find all sorts of attractions, food, entertainment, and sights. New York City is huge, so if you are interested in moving there, chances are you’ll find a place that’s right for you.

In this case, it’ll be one of the five boroughs into which the city is divided. However, if your aim is to move you should know that there are big differences between each of the boroughs. With that in mind, today we will discuss with you the five boroughs that comprise New York City.

A Look into the Five Boroughs

New York City, or NYC as it is often called, is divided into five different boroughs. These are Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx. While NYC is most often associated with Manhattan, each of the boroughs has its own set of quirks and particularities that you’ll want to know before you plan a move there. They have different housing markets and rent costs, transportation access, and even their own cultural differences.

Now, let’s go through all of them and figure out which works best for you:

Manhattan

When you think of New York City, what comes to mind? The Empire State? Times Square? Broadway? If you answered yes to any of these, then you are thinking of Manhattan. Manhattan has a population of 1.632 million people. This island is easily the most popular part of New York City, and it is not hard to see why.

Interesting Facts

1. The Empire State Building is so large that it has its own zip code. Zip code 10118 belongs to the famous tower, which houses over 150 businesses.
2. There’s an incredibly peculiar building at 33 Church Street that is 29 floors high, and yet doesn’t have a single window. This building used to be the AT&T Long Lines building, and it looks like some dystopian location.
3. The cost to rent a hot dog stand outside of the Central Park Zoo can be as much as the cost of buying a house elsewhere. It has been mentioned that these spaces can go as high as $289,500. That’s one pricey hot dog.

Pros

Manhattan is a really cool and exciting place to live in. If you move here you’ll have quick access to some of the most interesting entertainment and dining options, as well as plenty of bars. Popular bands play here often, with large industry conventions, tradeshows, and concerts happening here. Transportation access is readily available, which makes commuting easy and quick.

Cons

All of these amenities and popularity come at a cost. Being the center of attention, Manhattan is extremely pricey when it comes to the housing market. It’s practically unaffordable for middle-class families, and anything within a reachable price range will most likely have a very reduced size. The people of this borough are always on the move, which makes life very fast-paced and public transportation very crowded.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the most populated borough out of the five. It has 2.59 million people. While it used to be much more affordable than Manhattan, housing prices have started to rise significantly in the last few years, to the point that some call it the “New Manhattan”. It’s not all bad though, here you’ll be able to find everything from artisanal stores, to meetup groups of all sorts.

Interesting Facts

1. While New York City isn’t exactly known for its beaches, Brooklyn has plenty of them. In fact, the borough has 30 miles of shoreline.
2. The famous Coney Island attraction, the Cyclone Roller Coaster, has been around for 90 years. It was first opened back in 1927, and it is so significant that it was added to the National Register of Historic places in 1991.
3. Due to the redevelopment efforts done in Brooklyn, a lot of people in their 20s and 30s have moved to this borough. This has made it so the average age of Brooklyn residents is between 34 and 35 years old.

Pros

If art, food, and culture are your thing, Brooklyn is the place to be. The same applies to fans of the nightlife, with plenty of bars to visit and sights to see. Public transportation is also readily available.

Cons

Like with Manhattan before, the increasing popularity of Brooklyn has made it so the housing prices continue to rise steadily. While public transportation is available, some routes might take particularly long times, such as the F or R trains.

Queens

With 2.287 million people, Queens is the 2nd most populated borough in New York City. It is also incredibly diverse in terms of ethnicities and cultures. This brings a lot of options when it comes to dining, with almost every form of cuisine being represented somewhere.

Interesting Facts

1. The name isn’t just a curious occurrence; this borough is actually named after a queen. Specifically, Queen Catherine of Braganza, the wife of King Charles II.
2. An island used to be located off of the Rockaway beach, but after a category-two hurricane in 1893 the landmass was completely submerged, resorts and all.
3. The first road made is located in Queens. This would be the Long Island Motor Parkway, located in Hollis Hills Queens.

Pros

Queen is far more affordable than Manhattan or Brooklyn while maintaining a similar level of fine dining and drinking options, as well as arts and entertainment. It is also very culturally diverse.

Cons

Queens is very large. In fact, it is the biggest borough, and that can make it difficult to traverse. The problem is compounded if you live in the northeastern area of Queens, where there is no subway access. If you need to commute, Queen might not be the best option.

The Bronx

The Bronx has a population of 1.435 million strong. While this borough has had a rough reputation, it has started to turn around in recent years thanks to revitalization efforts. You’ll find a lot of friendly people here, and a sense of community.

Interesting Facts

1. The Bronx is the birthplace of hip-hop. The genre was brought to life by DJ KoolHerc who combined Jamaican style DJing with Soul and Funk.
2. The Bronx has the largest collection of art deco buildings in America, with most of them being located at the Grand Concourse.
3. The Bronx is also home to the largest zoo in the United States. The Bronx Zoo has 265 acres. It would take you more than a day to visit all of the exhibits in this zoo.

Pros

Out of the five options, the Bronx is one of the most affordable boroughs. At least for now, as the prices have started to rise in recent years. There is a strong sense of community among the people of the Bronx, and it has plenty of parks, beaches, and places of culture to visit.

Cons

While the situation has definitely improved with time, security can still be an issue in some neighborhoods of the Bronx. Transportation can also be tricky, with fewer options than other boroughs. Here, you might need to have a car to get around.

Staten Island

With a population of around 474,000 strong, Staten Island might be the smallest of the boroughs but it still has plenty of people. While the vibe of this borough might not be what people have in mind when they think of NYC, there’s still plenty to see. It also has very affordable properties.

Interesting Facts

1. Staten Island has a lot more parks than your usual city. 170 to be precise. It is considered the greenest borough because it has 12,300 acres of protected land.
2. While Staten Island is the third-largest borough, it is the least populated one. All other boroughs go above 1 million people, but this one is under 500 thousand.
3. Staten Island is home to a thriving Italian population. The borough has a large Italian community, with lots of great places to eat food as if it were brought straight from Italy.

Pros

Staten Island is very affordable when it comes to housing, and much more relaxed since it is away from the noisy city. It also has a lot of vintage homes with multiple bedrooms available, excellent for big families. The ferry to and from Staten Island is free to take.

Cons

If you are interested in the fast-paced life of New York City, Staten Island might burst your bubble. Transportation can also be a bit of an issue, with the only way in and out of the island being the ferry and a railway with an unreliable schedule.

Wrapping Up

We hope you’ve enjoyed this overview of the lovely New York City and all the boroughs that reside in it. If you know someone that could make use of this information, go ahead and share. Sharing is caring. If you are planning to move to New York City yourself, make sure you work with a company that knows it inside and out. Like Three Movers does. Contact us today if you want to get a move to or from New York City going.