Summer in NYC marks the start of park hangs, rooftop parties, and of course peak apartment hunting season. With many New Yorkers on the move, we at RentHop wondered: which neighborhoods are currently the hottest among prospective renters?
To find out, we analyzed millions of search queries on RentHop.com over three months this spring to see which neighborhoods have seen the most renter demand. We then compared results to the same period last year to see which hoods were getting “hotter” and “colder” in popularity. Read on to see our results.
Key Findings
- Astoria is currently the hottest neighborhood in NYC for prospective renters. It jumped from the 9th most searched last year to 1st in this year’s ranking.
- North Brooklyn neighborhoods, including Bedford-Stuyvesant, Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Greenpoint, have seen a significant spike in popularity over the past year, all breaking into the top 15 most in demand.
- Traditionally popular Manhattan neighborhoods, such as the East Village, Upper West Side, Greenwich Village, and Chelsea remain in high demand, however have seen their popularity dip slightly since last year.
The Hottest Neighborhoods in NYC Right Now
Astoria is the hottest neighborhood for NYC renters in 2023. It jumped 8 spots in our rankings this year to take top place. As rent prices across the city have skyrocketed, many New Yorkers have looked to Queens for more affordable prices and bang for their buck. Following behind are the Upper East Side in 2nd place, and the East Village, last year’s most searched, in 3rd place.
The most interesting trend of this year’s hottest neighborhoods list is the continued rise of Northern Brooklyn. Bed-Stuy is now the 4th most searched neighborhood for renters, Williamsburg is 6th, Bushwick is 7th, and Greenpoint took 14th. All four of these neighborhoods rose considerably in popularity since last year, with high rent prices and competition following as a result.
Other Neighborhoods That Have Increased in Popularity
Long Island City jumped six spots on our rankings. It is now the 18th most popular neighborhood in New York City.
Washington Heights rose eight spots to take 20th place, now ahead of SoHo and Tribeca.
West Harlem is now the 34th hottest neighborhood, up a considerable twelve spots in the rankings.
Dumbo rose five spots to take 37th place, ahead of Gowanus and Boerum Hill.
Neighborhoods That Are Trending Colder Right Now
As areas in Brooklyn, Queens, and Upper Manhattan have trended upwards with renters, traditionally core Manhattan neighborhoods have waned. Areas such as Greenwich Village (-8 spots), the West Village (-7 spots), Chelsea (-6 spots), and the Bowery (-6 spots) still remain in the top 25 most popular spots, yet have seen drops in popularity.
It’s important to note that, while we refer to these neighborhoods as being “cold”, many are still some of the most popular and sought after areas in NYC. However, trends show that many renters have begun looking elsewhere in search of cheaper prices, better amenities, and more space.
Methodology
To create this report, we analyzed every renter neighborhood search on RentHop.com between February 1, 2023 and April 30, 2023 and the same period in 2022. All searches were anonymized and not tied to specific individuals. We excluded all traffic that originated outside of NYC to provide a snapshot of where actual New Yorkers were searching, and created our rankings based on the total amount of searches for rental units in a neighborhood. To uncover popularity trends, we compared each neighborhood’s search volume to the same period last year.
Have questions or comments about this report? Reach us at press@renthop.com.
