What to Expect from Living in Manhattan?

Many people are fond of New York vibes of true business, an active lifestyle, and big dreams. Manhattan is the area where this atmosphere is present like nowhere else. Living in Manhattan, New York, is a challenge, and in this article, we describe the peculiarities of Manhattan neighborhoods more closely.

What is the borough of Manhattan and what about administrative divisions?

As most people know, New York City is divided into boroughs – administrative units that are characterized by geographic, historic, and cultural development. They often include areas separated from other ones geographically (by islands, for example). Thus, the Manhattan borough includes Manhattan island, part of the mainland area, and smaller islands nearby.

What is the borough of Manhattan and what about administrative divisions?

Neighborhoods are semi-official administrative borough areas that differ by diverse features. Most neighborhoods in New York formed historically during the colonization and post-colonial periods. Manhattan is among the oldest areas in NYC, so the neighborhoods here carry the most important milestones of the city’s history. Historical and cultural development explains a lot about the living conditions of modern neighborhoods, so if you want to discover the parts of Manhattan to find out the best neighborhoods to stay in New York, you should consider the most significant episodes and how they are reflected there nowadays.

The list of neighborhoods in Manhattan includes many points, so you cannot describe the entire area in a couple of words. This article helps you get acquainted with the best places to live in Manhattan:

• Washington Heights – the area in the North part of an island;
• Harlem – area in Manhattan historically populated by Black people;
• Hell’s Kitchen – the perfect neighborhood for a night party lifestyle;
• Gramercy Park – is among the richest Manhattan neighborhoods with a calmer atmosphere than the rest of the island has.

Outpost Club service offers great opportunities for renting private rooms in these neighborhoods. Learn more information below to find out the cost of living in Manhattan and its peculiar areas.

Get familiar with the Hispanic community in Washington Heights

The neighborhood covers a considerable area in northern Manhattan. The population of Washington Heights neighborhood historically consists of Latin Americans about half of the population in this region. Nowadays, you can find its representation in local restaurants’ cuisines. Mexican, Cuban, Venezuelan, or Dominican menus are the most widespread in this area. But if you prefer something different, Indian or Irish cuisines are available (not counting the omnipresent fast-food courts and pizzas) in this area of Manhattan.

Places to go in Manhattan are not limited to cafes and restaurants in this area. People can learn about the local culture and history in museums and galleries of neighborhoods. For example, The Hispanic Society of America museum uncovers the details of the history of Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American cultural progress.

Morris-Jumel Mansion communicates more information on how areas of Manhattan were established. The Met Cloisters museum offers a rich collection of pieces to the attention of visitors admiring European medieval arts. Whether you prefer arts or history, it will be a fascinating adventure of educating and a beautiful pastime.

Audubon Mural project counts 30 installations in the Manhattan area and is the best example of contemporary street art throughout neighborhoods. The Palace of Spiritual Arts will be great for those who look for entertainment and communication in the neighborhood, as it is open for performances and community meetings. Fort Tryon Park is convenient for those who strive for a calm walk over the area and a breath of fresh air in the megapolis. The High Bridge leading to the Bronx neighborhoods is the pedestrian bridge allowing you to enjoy the urban sights of Manhattan and the Harlem River.

Many other venues also deserve your attention, and some of them may become your favorite places to visit in Manhattan. Even though Manhattan is famous for its heavy traffic, the road junction of the area and the system of public transport help solve the related issues. Washington Heights has a connection between the two coasts of the mainland, where the tight net of roads allows for fast and easy river cross.

This area of Manhattan is more residential, and even though you can find many venues, cultural places, and other commercial establishments (mostly located on Broadway), the rent price is quite affordable here. With Outpost Club you can find private rooms in the Washington Heights neighborhood at the cost from $1390.

What to admire and be aware of in Harlem

Harlem is the area next to Washington Heights and is closer to upper Manhattan. For this reason, the main roads may be a little more loaded to move within a neighborhood. The characteristic feature that distinguishes the Harlem neighborhood from other areas of Manhattan is that this place is the cradle of the Black community’s culture in New York. That’s why this area is breathing with the peculiarities of African American mentality – from the music to the cuisines.

For instance, everyone knows that many jazz legends started their paths in the Manhattan area of Harlem neighborhood, and the best place to learn the history of Black music is The National Jazz Museum. Here, you will find literature, albums, pictures, art, and other pieces describing, analyzing, or presenting jazz in many other ways. If music is not your only interest, you can visit the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture – a library serving an area to collect and manage any information about African American society that contributes to American culture in Manhattan, its neighborhoods, and other locations nationwide. Hamilton Grange National Memorial would be interesting for those that are curious about the history of Alexander Hamilton’s life and Manhattan and New York's development. Apollo Theater and Harlem Stage - The Gatehouse is a modern venue with rich history, so you can enjoy contemporary performances on the walls that have seen the birth of the Black culture in this area of Manhattan.

After a cultural program (in this area, not limited to the abovementioned museums and libraries), you can go to discover soul food widely presented in the Harlem neighborhood streets. Modern American cuisine is also presented by multiple venues that correspond to some of the stereotypes about African Americans’ eating habits. Other cuisines (Italian, Thai, Chinese food) and bars are not excluded from the list of cozy and fun places in Manhattan.

People living in Harlem or wanting to move to this neighborhood of Manhattan should know the conditions which are quite common for many homes in the neighborhood. Since historically this area was inhabited by discriminated residents, some housing facilities were not properly maintained. As a result, some people suffer from poor housing which leads to health problems – among which asthma is the most widespread. This issue is one of those questions local governments try to deal with, but when you look for a room to rent, pay particular attention to housing maintenance quality. Outpost Club provides its customers with fully furnished apartments that have a decent state of every necessary amenity for comfortable and healthy living in the area. The price starts from $1390 per month and may range to higher points depending on the rent conditions, lease term, and availability.

Hell’s Kitchen – the West side of an epicenter of life

When asking themselves where to live in Manhattan, most people look for places with the pricing they could afford with some reasonable reserve they would need for some extra or urgent need. Tough, Hell's Kitchen neighborhood is not the case. The area lies in West Midtown – the center of Manhattan with all the main office buildings, popular venues, and New York landmarks that are so widely known thanks to popular culture. But it’s not the only reason for rental to be higher than an average level – another one is the lifestyle characteristic of this neighborhood. When the city falls asleep, Hell’s Kitchen wakes up to shake ‘em bodies in bars, dance clubs, and LGBTQ+ venues. What about the last point, it should be said that this neighborhood is an important center of this community development, so you will easily find an appropriate place to visit.

In addition to the main inclination to nightlife tendencies common for this area, you can also find nice brunch places in Manhattan located in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. So whether you work in the office or from home, you’ll have a chance to enjoy another cup of coffee with a more hearty accompaniment.

Foods and beverages, whether night or daytime, are not the only way to get acquainted with the neighborhood’s culture. Fine and Dandy gay-owned shop offers a collection of perfectly styled and often unique products of men’s clothing. Souvenirs available at Delphinium Home are highly appreciated by locals and traveling visitors of the area as it’s easy to find anything for anyone of any age.

Hell’s Kitchen also offers ample room for discovering pretty banal but almost default scenery areas. Thus, Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise available from the neighborhood goes around Manhattan island and opens a great view of the Statue of Liberty and other famous landmarks including famous bridges associated with NYC. Hudson River Park and Greenway offer a good area for leisure walks on the riverfront. On one of the Piers, you can find museums of military tech including the exhibitions at Intrepid (Space Shuttle Pavilion, Concorde G-BOAD, and Submarine USS Growler included). After all, if you want to plan your free time in Manhattan with more considerate entertainment and with a nature-like environment, Central Park areas are at your service.

Road junction allows people to get to any neighborhood of Manhattan (and to most areas of New York and New Jersey) pretty easily. Regarding the general quality and comforts of life you feel when moving to Hell’s Kitchen, the price starting from $1900 per private room is fair. Discover more details about the pricing changes at outpost-club.com.

Gramercy Park – lux and fancy

The last neighborhood we’d like to describe as the best place to live in Manhattan is Gramercy Park neighborhood. Compared to the other neighborhoods in Manhattan, Gramercy Park covers very little area. It includes only a couple of quarters of residential houses, but this region is considered a luxury and safe neighborhood in Manhattan, where fancy hotels and fashionable venues are located.

Gramercy Park area gathers most office workers of central Midtown when they want to make a break between the working “races” of a busy schedule. Irving Plaza is the most famous venue where nightlife develops near that neighborhood. The Stand NYC or New York Comedy Club places will be a good solution to rise your mood, or, if you’re a fan of arts and observing, your relaxation can happen at Fotografiska Museum – a gallery that offers not only visual but also flavoring aesthetics.

Those striving for areas of nature in the urban landscape will be glad to know that the neighborhood has two good parks to walk through. The only issue is that Gramercy Park, by which name the neighborhood is titled, is on private property. Luckily, there’s Stuyvesant Square Park located a little more to the South.

We mentioned that this area consists of luxurious residences and fancy venues – and it left an impact on rental prices. Private rooms in Gramercy Park start pricing from $3300 – which is considerably higher than in other areas mentioned previously.

Making up a bottom line, it becomes clear that the most affordable places to live in Manhattan are situated in the neighborhoods of Washington Heights and Harlem. The neighborhoods constituting the Midtown areas are significantly more expensive – and that’s easy to understand regarding the fact that this is the place where life in Manhattan is the most vivid.

Looking for an apartment or a room in such a big city as New York, most often people want to be in the epicenter of events, but all of us prefer to feel safe first. Gramercy Park is the best neighborhood from this point of view but is also the most expensive area. Learn more about houses, rooms, and rental conditions to calculate the perfect price for your case right on the outpost-club.com website.