In case you missed it, the New York Times did a piece called “So You’re Priced Out.
Now What?”
They showed areas in which prices have stayed strong, or gone up signficantly in recent years, and offered suggestions of areas which might be more afforable.
The premise of the article is that there is an analogue to each area.
Side-by-Side Neighborhood Comparisons
Upper West Side = Prospect Heights
If you’ve ever walked in downtown Brooklyn, sometimes it feels like you could be anywhere in the united states.
I’ve been in downtown Louisville, and it feels pretty similar in the epicenter of each downtown.
Breaking out these neighborhoods of New York City in terms of look and feel is true.
That said, for the “vibe” reason,
you could easily be drawn to any of these locations.
And if you are looking to recreate a vibe in a different location with a lower price point, these comparisons are apt, to a degree.
The best of these is probably the Prospect Heights to Upper West Side.
The proximity to parks, building composition, general feeling of green, and from multiple conversations I’ve had with clients- at this point the neighborhoods feel very similar.
The worst of these is probably the SoHo/Ladies’ Mile.
This strip of
6th avenue in Chelsea is so commercial, it has none of the cobblestone feel of SoHo.
Perhaps they mean to compare the walking mall aspect of each- but I would argue no one is looking to live in SoHo, or the Ladies’ Mile for that matter, for that reason- are they?
The buildings are similar in some ways, with some manufacturing, specifically garments, that have an historical tie.
Unfortunately, Long Island City isn’t there in terms of services, and depending on where you look, it feels more like Hoboken, or the Upper East Side, in building composition.
It may be more convenient in some ways than Hell’s Kitchen, though!
Really?
Has Carroll Gardens gotten that expensive by comparison.
I would urge you to spend a TON of time searching in Carroll Gardens before giving up and trying to find an analogue.
And for that, I’ll make my bet on Prospect Heights.
Hell’s Kitchen is amazing, and
I might advise the Flower District before heading to Long Island, just to be sure.
If it comes down strictly to price, be careful of bidding wars from all the buyers who read this article in Crown Heights.
Bed-Stuy has some gorgeous homes for under $1mm.