New York City is made up of five boroughs, each with countless neighborhoods that all offer their own unique culture and personality. When looking for a place to live, whether that be on or off campus, here’s the comprehensive guide of what to know about each area most NYU students live in.

West Village

Home to the iconic “Friends” apartment, as well as Carrie Bradshaw’s home from “Sex and the City,” the West Village is the posher, more refined version of its other village counterparts. Stretching from below 14th Street and Sixth Avenue to Houston Street until the Hudson River, the neighborhood is a criss-cross of intersecting streets that differ from the more uniform, grid-like parts of Manhattan. Arguably the epicenter of LGBTQ+ history on the East Coast, the West Village is home to the famous Stonewall Inn. The gay bar, which opened in 1967, served as a pivotal location in the gay rights movement during a six-day riot between the police and the bar’s patrons in the summer of 1969. Outside of its storied history, the West Village also has plenty of picturesque spots to visit, from the Whitney Museum of American Art, walkable piers that boast views of the Hudson River and exclusive restaurants like Via Carota you may never be able to get a reservation at.

NYU dorms: Greenwich Hall

Greenwich Village

While the city may be the overarching campus of NYU, its definitive home lies within Greenwich Village, which stretches from Third to Sixth Avenue between 14th Street and Houston Street. Framed by the marble arch overlooking Washington Square Park, the vast green space offers community and liveliness in warm weather. The village serves as an eccentric cultural heart for the city, with a plethora of live music venues. Whether it’s Le Poisson Rouge, Zinc Bar & Jazz Club or Comedy Cellar, residents can be easily entertained, and follow in the footsteps of greats like Bob Dylan who, like many other students, tramped the streets of the Village at 19.

NYU dorms: University Hall, Carlyle Court, Lipton Hall, Rubin Hall, Weinstein Hall, Paulson Center residence hall

Lower East Side

The Lower East Side is one of Manhattan’s oldest neighborhoods, which began with tenements in the early 19th century. Encompassing the area below East Houston Street to the Manhattan Bridge, and from Bowery to the East River, the area boasts some of the most iconic New York City food spots in the city: Katz’s Delicatessen and Russ & Daughters offer authentic New York staples like pastrami sandwiches and lox bagels, while Essex Market is home to great food spots like Don Ceviche and Mille Nonne. Students flock to the Lower East Side for its vibrant nightlife and lively dive bars: be sure to cram your way into Clockwork, Le Dive and Donnybrook for a good time. For any Tisch students or passionate cinephiles, the Metrograph theater offers the perfect spot to spend a rainy day in.

Chinatown

Known for its cheap eats, Chinatown is a bustling enclave of lower Manhattan and is one of the country’s oldest Chinese neighborhoods. Starting on Grand Street to East Broadway, and from Lafayette Street to Essex Street, the heart of the neighborhood is on Canal Street, where you will find busy markets and street vendors. Chinatown is no quiet neighborhood, but provides excellent affordable dining, with restaurants such as Yi Ji Shi Mo and Yunnan Rice Noodle House, and vendors selling cheap eats alongside the street. Living options are also reasonably priced, making it a prime living location for NYU students. While much of New York City’s long-standing cultural history has been altered by gentrification and modernism, Chinatown retains its authenticity through deep connections, creating a small yet inviting pocket of community.

NYU dorms: Lafayette Hall

Soho

Possibly the fanciest neighborhood on this list, SoHo is one of the most in-demand places to live in New York City. As the name suggests, it runs south of Houston Street to Canal Street, between Sixth Avenue and Lafayette Street. Known for its designer boutiques like Flying Solo, IF SOHO and art galleries like the EDEN Gallery and Georges Bergés Gallery, the area epitomizes elegance. While artistically saturated, the neighborhood has little green space and some of the most expensive rental prices among its cobblestone streets. However, residents will fall in love with the upscale and fashion-oriented area that puts its best creative foot forward.

NYU Dorms: Broome Street

Gramercy

Gramercy offers a quiet and residential offshoot to the north of NYU’s campus. From 14th Street to 23rd Street off of Park Avenue South, it’s more likely to see an older representation of renters rather than the young demographic that makes up downtown Manhattan. Here you’ll find upscale townhouses and Gramercy Park, a tranquil yet private green space in its center exclusive to residents. While somewhat exclusive, the neighborhood offers a recluse from the traditional busy environment that surrounds the downtown scene, but holds a swath of music venues, such as the Gramercy Theatre.

NYU Dorms: Gramercy Green

Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights 

Just off the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights offer the best residential proximity to Tandon students. Spanning from Brooklyn Bridge Park to York Street in the north, to Dekalb Avenue and Schermerhorn Street in the south, the area is very residential and offers unrivaled views of lower Manhattan. For commuters, the F and R trains offer less than 30 minute rides to stations near campus like Broadway-Lafayette Street, West Fourth Street and Eighth Street-NYU.

NYU Dorms: Othmer Hall, Clark Street

Bay Ridge

Bay Ridge is a cheaper Brooklyn alternative for Tandon students and Manhattan commuters. Situated in the southwest corner of the borough, it spans from 65th to 86th Street and has a very suburban feel. Via the R and N lines from the Bay Ridge Avenue station, it’s about a 45-minute commute to Eighth Street subway station in Manhattan, and a 35 minute subway ride to the NYU Tandon School of Engineering building on Jay Street. While New York City can seem overwhelming to most new students, Bay Ridge offers an inviting and authentic space away from the fast-paced Manhattan lifestyle.

Long Island City

Long Island City is the only Queens neighborhood on this list, but it’s closer to NYU than one might imagine. By taking the G and RNW trains, a commuter will find themselves on campus in under 45 minutes. Bordered by the East River and Astoria to the north and Newtown Creek to the south, its location in Queens offers another cheap option to NYU students looking for more affordable housing. While its production-focused history gives the neighborhood an industrial feel, new housing developments have recently added a modern touch, making the area a less hectic option that still retains the look of downtown Manhattan.

Contact Maggie Turner at [email protected].