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Another study has come out with a list of the best neighborhoods to live in New York City, and we’re a bit stunned by its findings.
Little Italy, Kips Bay, the Theater District and Hell’s Kitchen took the top four spots in this report, making us scratch our heads. Are we missing something?
Niche, formerly known as College Prowler, is a ranking and review site that aims to help students families find schools and neighborhoods in cities across the U.S.
“For over a decade, families, homebuyers, and professionals have turned to Niche as a trusted resource, and we remain committed to helping people discover the best places to live with confidence,” said Luke Skurman, CEO and founder of Niche, in a statement.
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The best neighborhoods to live in NYC in 2025
- Little Italy
- Kips Bay
- Theater District
- Hell’s Kitchen
- Morningside Heights
- Chelsea
- Upper West Side
- Murray Hill
- midtown
- East Village
- Prospect Heights
- Battery Park City
- Greenwich Village
- Gramercy
- Brooklyn Heights
- Clinton Hill
- Tribeca
- Nolita
- Financial District
- Upper East Side
- Soho
- West Village
- Noho
- Downtown Brooklyn
- Riverdale
You can see the whole ranking here, as well as other lists based on neighborhoods best for families, the most diverse neighborhoods and the best neighborhoods to buy a house.
What makes these the best neighborhoods
Niche looked at records from the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the CDC, as well as resident reviews to determine affordability, the local housing market, neighborhood diversity, area public schools, walkability, and more. You can see its full methodology here.
I think its very worth mentioning that a majority of the best neighborhoods on this list are in very expensive areas of Manhattan and the most expensive parts of Brooklyn that benefit from having wealthy residents and developers who pour funding into these areas.
When it comes to why Little Italy was named the best neighborhood to live in NYC, Niche says it comes down to its public schools, the easy commute, health and fitness abilities, outdoor activities, its nightlife, the diversity and its family-friendly nature.
“Living in Little Italy offers residents a dense urban feel and most residents rent their homes,” the report states. “In Little Italy there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals and retirees live in Little Italy and residents tend to be liberal. The public schools in Little Italy are highly rated.”
Here, the median home value is $814,686 and the median rent is $1,762 per month.
It says it’s also the best neighborhood for young professionals in NYC as well as the sixth-best place to raise a family.
Nine months ago, a resident of Little Italy wrote on the site:
“I like how there’s a ton of parks and stores to go too. The parks are never too far away either. There’s a ton of walking space and also, mini-parks to sit down and enjoy the trees and scenery. What I would change is the type of stores we have in the neighborhood.”
Kips Bay was listed as the second best neighborhood, thanks to its public schools, nightlife, diversity, commute time, family friendliness and health and fitness opportunities.
Here, the median home value is $1 million and the median rent is $2,853 per month.
“After living in this area for about two years now I have fallen in love with the Kips Bay Area more so than when I first moved during the height of the Covid 19 pandemic,” a resident wrote in 2023. “There of course is a lot of gentrification that I don’t like seeing by ways of tearing down all mom and pop shops and the rich kids and adults come to take over apartments that were priced reasonably for other people in the high rises across the street.”
That’s enough to lose points in our book. But the resident continued:
“I never feel unsafe in this neighborhood but do in my apartment because of some of the conservative mindsets of others and tactics they try to use. There is always some form of entertainment that could be had whether it’s going to the theatre a few blocks up or heading out to target to pick up a few quick items. The trains are super close by and the bus is as well even if the mta has its moment of tardiness. Nothing is far outta reach either and since I’m a walker it’s only a 30 min walk to the west side and if you’re feeling super lazy then a taxi is going 15.”
Finally, the third best neighborhood to live in NYC is allegedly the Theater District. That’s right. If you’re as surprised as we are, here’s why it made the cut—its public schools, its nightlife, its diversity, its family friendliness, its commute time, its options for outdoor activities and its health and fitness access. Huh?
The median home value here is $1.8 million and median rent per month is $2,540. That’s pricey.
The only review was left by a commuter to the Theater District—not a resident—who said that the area is the “center of New York City for me.”
“It is where I work and play. Home to a great number of restaurants, bars, and, of course, Broadway, this neighborhood is home to a thriving LGBTQ community,” they wrote.
While it does indeed have those things going for it, we have to beg to differ that it is a “best place to live in NYC.”
Time Out’s best neighborhoods in NYC
If you ask us, the report is missing out on a lot of neighborhoods that are beloved by their communities for a lot of the same reasons Niche looks at—and more.
Particularly, we know that neighborhoods like Astoria, Ridgewood, Long Island City, Greenpoint, Fort Greene, Bay Ridge, Clinton Hill, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Flatbush are great places to live and offer a lot to their residents. We’ve named a few of these as the coolest places to live, from Astoria to Flatbush, based on our own surveys taken by residents.
What do you think of Niche’s findings?