I Ranked NYC's Neighborhoods from WORST to BEST!

[@HereBeBarr]

Watch These Next: I Found NYC's 15 Best Budget Meals- kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqfbhWWNrK-Kp5o and How To See NYC in 4 Days: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaS2kHmeipx-oZI

[@Fraga1964]

You should try Chris's redhots their in NJ and their open 7 days a week you should try it there there mostly a hot dog spot with different tops you can add on your hot dog

[@tellercruz9706]

The real Chinatown of NYC is Flushing nowadays. Surprised Flushing isn't on this list - it has the best Asian food in the entire city and home to Flushing Meadows Park.

[@eddiew2325]

people mostly think of manhattan or brooklyn as NYC

[@tellercruz9706]

@@eddiew2325 No, not really. There's only 2 airports in NYC and they're both in Queens. He has Jackson Heights and Astoria on this list in the top 5, and those are both in Queens.

[@carlosm.6348]

Same could be said for Arthur Ave in the Bronx

[@prestonradtke222]

About the financial district, it’s also much quieter because many traditional banks and firms have been moving their headquarters to Midtown in Midtown east in the past few years. Personally, I love it, it feels so old-school New York off the grid and lots of funky little winding streets

[@simonlegosson7082]

At first I thought this was some secret magnum opus he’d been working on and that he would review literally every neighborhood in the five boroughs

[@minor1822]

Same

[@HereBeBarr]

chapter 2-100 coming

[@simonlegosson7082]

@@HereBeBarr I’d imagine the views will be dropping off when you get to Staten Island though

[@Rossiegirl]

​@@simonlegosson7082 I never see any positive comments about SI anywhere!

[@schen5425]

Thought the same

[@brently1398]

Thanks. Perfect for those who like to explore the real NYC and its neighbourhoods, not just the usual tourist spots.

[@gawi4405]

This is literally just the tourist spots lol. Nowhere near all of the neighborhoods in NYC. Didn't mention a single neighborhood in the Bronx or Staten Island, only two in Queens, and the most insufferably "trendy" parts of Brooklyn.

[@tranan8838]

We live in Hell’s kitchen. Love it here. We also bump into Billy quite often 😁

[@scott5966]

Interesting list. I would not have included Times Square as a distinct residential area, although agree it is close to the bottom if you live there which I would avoid like the plague. I would have included Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Park Slope, Forest Hills, Riverdale, UES. Parts of the LES and Little Italy are basically the same these days and merge into Chinatown. I might have carved out NoHo maybe. Gramercy and Lower 5th/ Flatiron. All great in their own way. In truth, NoHo and the northern part of the LES have a vibe distinct from streets below Delancey.

[@jacks1105]

I just came back from NYC. I have been there for the second time and stayed in UWS, beautiful neighborhood but I have to say I fell in love with the Queens! Astoria, Flushing, Queensborow Plaza, so vibrant, made me feel like walking in a Spider-man movie! The food in Flushing was so good! I will surely come back, 3rd time is a charm!!!! 🥹 I ❤ NY Edit: Thank you so much for all your tips Jon, I visited Hoboken and it was so worth it!

[@stevenveganightowl12]

I'm a New Yorker, please don't include Hoboken, that's my secret hideaway! Haha..

[@jacks1105]

@@stevenveganightowl12 Hahaha 😂!Sorry about that but Hoboken and Jersey City have been slept on by tourists for too long! But I get it, for the people going there: be good tourists, don’t ruin the charm! 😉

[@matthewconstantine5015]

The last couple times I visited, my wife & I stayed in the Financial District and we loved it. It's clear that its in transition, post-Covid. But there's a lot of cool stuff and it's well connected. Last time we were there, we took ferries over to Brooklyn and Queens, which was also pretty great. I'll be curious to see what it looks like in 10 years.

[@jennifertarin4707]

I lived in Bed-Stuy, Clinton Hill and other neighborhoods in Brooklyn, but love Brooklyn Heights best of all. As for Manhattan, my favorites are Greenwich Village and the Upper West Side. They just have so much to see and do and ive never been nored in any of them.

[@artmaltman]

Fascinating! Do a followup w UES, Flatiron, Gramercy.

[@romaczech75]

I've lived in NYC for 24 years now & the first 4 were in Gramercy. I still miss it terribly, even to this day.

[@MRP3261]

Jon I live in Sheepshead Bay. The Neighborhood is safe. My pros in Sheepshead Bay is the fishing. The restaurants on Sheepshead Bay Road and also on Emmons Ave Rents are reasonable. Not many cons Sheepshead Bay. Dumbo ,Brooklyn Heights no matter what. I like Brooklyn Bridge Park. Any way cool video. 👍🏻

[@mellowslinky]

Brooklyn heights with those view and brooklyn bridge park takes the cake for me

[@jennifertarin4707]

I love the promenade and admiring the views of Lower Manhattan and looking north and seeing the Empire State Building.

[@diogoliv]

Hi Jon. We've been following your channel for years, and after watching dozens of your videos, we finally had the chance to visit New York. Your tips were super helpful (especially the food recommendations and your Holafly code), and seeing some of these places in person was just indescribable - I especially enjoyed wandering around Turtle Bay and Sutton Place. Keep up the amazing content - we’ll definitely keep watching, but now... while thinking about coming back! Thanks for keeping us "company"!

[@louisleoncini1033]

I remember when little Italy was 30 blocks long 60 years ago.

[@suefitz2498]

These recommendations are great,and they fit all the eateries you take us through most weeks. I feel like I know so much more about NYC since following you ❤❤❤

[@Self-funded50Cents]

Safety is priority for the basic human rights! If the safety is threatened in a neighborhood, other factors are not important anymore

[@redroseeeeeeeeeeeee]

Price is always most important for most people. One can only afford what they can afford.

[@Self-funded50Cents]

@@redroseeeeeeeeeeeee safety is also the main factor of the price of the houses in a neighborhood

[@sharifchi]

Thanks Jon! You're the reason I know my way around Manhattan when I come in for my visits! I need to focus more on Brooklyn ( Williamsburg & Park Slope) next year.

[@eu9910]

Jon, I noticed you don’t really mention Bedford-Stuyvesant much, if at all, in any of your videos. Where’s the love for Bedstuy? It’s such an iconic, historic, and beautiful neighborhood rich with culture. The brownstones in Stuyvesant Heights are some of the best in the city. I make sure to visit Bedstuy every chance I get when I’m in NY. I was a bit disappointed by the neighborhood picks and Manhattan-centric they were. To me, most of my favorite NYC neighborhoods are outside of Manhattan.

[@supernova8962]

What wrong with Jackson Heights...Red Light District , Late night Actions and discounted items on the streets. Can't go wrong in my book. HAHAHAHA

[@jagaruni]

Great list! I actually agree with almost every ranking. HK here. Was on there UWS and UES previously.

[@howardform]

You put a picture of Roosevelt ISLAND Subway Station when you at around 18:00 when you meant Roosevelt AVE. Roosevelt Island is in Manhattan. Roosevelt Ave in Jackson Heights is in Queens

[@bonniepwtf]

As always, interesting and nicely done ✔️

[@abrahamclott5604]

Tough job to combine most popular for both residents and tourusts. I'd think the Upper East Side would make the cut for both before some of those you included, such as Bushwick. For tourists, I don't see any omissions. For a list for potential residents, I'd leave off many of these and add Park Slope, Bay Ridge, LIC, Forrest Hills, Inwood, and Riverdale. I live on the UWS which I think is great both to live and for a hotel stay.

[@HereBeBarr]

Upper East Side def could have made it if i didn't fragment midtown so much (times square + hells kitchen).

[@crazeyjoe]

*I would also like to add some neighborhood that are off the beaten path... Flushing, Queens, Arthur Ave, The Bronx and Bay Ridge, Brooklyn!*

[@chiefenumclaw7960]

Red Hook

[@joeli4ani041]

UWS deserves more love, idk how midtown is in the top 10. Overall, great video!!

[@ZorimePati]

Cons- its Quiet, I see this as a win!

[@HereBeBarr]

also!

[@Castapher]

lol I think the same. It means you can sleep peacefully.

[@ZorimePati]

Okay after acually visiting Financial, the area can be a bit borring with the acceptions of a few places like Stone St. Bur what what really makes the city is the New Yorkers and the local bunisrs catering to the everyday residents

[@sakja123]

My Top 5: 1) UWS, 2) Park Slope, 3) UES, 4) Forest Hills, 5) Riverdale

[@TSNMLitoFightingGamesPassion]

As a Williamsburg resident, you are correct! But we have multiple train lines here and not just the L. There the G J M and Z.

[@FireFox173]

New Years Eve is the only day it's worth visiting Times Square, and that's just for the experience. One and done.

[@chrisjb308]

Great video Jon! very much used to be an avid watcher of your channel... just no time now as have a toddler! Hey obviously lots of debate to say the least. I find it very hard to leave out Park Slope and also Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens. Park Slope for my wife and I would be nearer the top. We lived in NYC for 2 years about 3 years ago (yes during covid). Lived in Harlem for 12 months then got very lucky with lower rent prices at the time and picked up a steal in Dumbo. Perhaps you've done this already... but we will need the next 20 ranked below this field!! Final thought... I have friends that would firmly have Greenpoint at the number 1!!

[@aleloco]

As a tourist, I loved being on Lower East Side at first and even returned to that same neighborhood 2 other times. Would return for sure!

[@onthemarginofgrace]

Understanding that this is a totally subjective list, as a native New Yorker I needed to add some notable neighborhoods that compete with any on this list: Long Island City- one train stop into midtown Manhattan, and the best views of NYC, bar none. Forest Hills- an actual tudor style village within the greater city of NYC, with the storied Forest Hills Stadium at its center. Rockaway- The end of the A-Train, the Atlantic Ocean and beautiful beaches on one side; Jamaica Bay national wildlife refuge on the other. All with a view of the Manhattan skyline in the distance!

[@fxlxpxk]

Where would you rank the Upper East Side then?

[@sandreenelliott9080]

Right! One of the most prominent wealthy residential community in NYC never made the list

[@undivided_unified]

thanks for keeping Arthur Ave off the list ... thats the last secret italian spot

[@tips4tourists790]

Hey Jon, awesome video as always. I will say that there are a few neighborhoods I would switch around in this video. I think it's worth mentioning that cost of living regardless is an issue for the city as a whole. This is only my own personal opinion, and I'm just speaking from my own experiences. First, I would note that Bushwick overall would be one of my top picks for the whole city. The way I see it, safety is more of an issue for the southern and eastern parts of the neighborhood. However, when it comes to the strips along Wyckoff Ave, Myrtle Ave and Broadway, the nightlife scene thrives and those are the areas that are right next to the subway. Yeah, the subway isn't the most reliable at night, but that kinda goes for the whole system. Plus, considering it is right next to the Queens borders with Maspeth and Ridgewood, there are a number of bus lines that lead to areas all over Brooklyn and Queens, minus the traffic due to the lack of cars at night. Plus, a ton of Latin American, halal and Carribean food options scattered throughout the neighborhood and into the surrounding areas. I found it surprising that Chinstown didn't crack the top 10. I guess livability is a major factor in the ranking. The tenements prove that much at least. Still, the food scene alone makes my mouth water whenever I hit up somewhere I haven't gone to before. You and Marco Lombardi put me on for my own $20 challenges. Plus, the overall location of half of the subway lines going through the area makes it so that I don't have to take more than 2 trains to get practicslly anywhere in the city. Then there is Astoria. Steinway St alone might contain the best strip of nightlife in Queens. Shisha lounge central and Queens hipster galore, amiright? Plus, it's a mini Jackson Heights ranging with options from all these countries 🇬🇷🇪🇬🇧🇩🇧🇷🇱🇧🇧🇦🇪🇹🇲🇽🇯🇲🇮🇹🇯🇵🇨🇴, to name a few. The food selection, number of parks, and housing compared to what you would get in Manhattan is stellar. Despite LaGuardia being nearby, I consider that a positive if I'm trying to fly out of there. Plus I'm probably biased because I went to high school there. Still, a pretty great list overall and I hope you intend on making a part 2 sometime in the future

[@gavinurbano67]

W video John hope to see more rankings soon

[@IrelandFAI]

Great video

[@sailingsam3815]

Feel so lucky to have lived on upperwest side/Manhattan valley most of my life...😊

[@quiztopics7395]

Any list that does not include the Upper East Side is questionable…

[@tips4tourists790]

I don't disagree, but he left out a number of other spots too. He'll probably make a part two with areas such as there, Murray Hill, Flushing, Brighton Beach, etc

[@mingle27]

Every year I come back to New York in the end of october. So I'll be in town in just under 2 weeks. I have stayed in the financial district for the past 6 years. I think that it is wonderful, if you want to get away from all of the huge crowds of tourist on their first time I think it is a good place to stay. It's very easy to either take a walk across the Brooklyn bridge or take the ferry over to Brooklyn which I highly recommend and I think that it's a must. I believe that the area is just super beautiful and it's very easy to get to everything you want to whether you're a first-timer or it is a return visit.

[@Cruickskank]

I've been to NYC 5 times as a tourist and Hell's Kitchen is my fav place to stay. Such a good vibe, great food and very walkable to other popular areas 🎉

[@x-train]

I have a special soft spot for the upper west side. I loved living there in the early 2000s.

[@tomislavdonna5036]

Well done Barr❤😊

[@JordanPeace]

Pretty solid ranking, as someone who lived in Chinatown I agree with your overall pros and cons but would still rank it higher than some other neighborhoods (much safer than Harlem for a similar price, way cheaper and more well connected to most of Manhattan than UWS, way more culturally distinct and vibrant than Midtown, much less busy and noisy than East Village although at that point I think personal preference is the decider between those two neighborhoods)

[@adriannamatos865]

As a native New Yorker, the best neighborhoods to me are Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Park Slope. You can still find beautiful apartments near transportation for under $2500. Expats, don’t buy the hype for “trendy” neighborhoods.

[@Gerard_vincent]

Agree. Greenwich village is a great area. Great if you work remote. Had a friend who lived on Minetta st. ❤

[@drins120]

There’s a lot of missing neighborhoods here. All these neighborhoods listed seem like places tourists are willing to go to or are experiencing gentrification.

[@HereBeBarr]

I did a combo here of what tourists + locals most visit/move to.

[@scoutandscooter]

West 4th st. Station. 120% humidity, 110 degrees, year round.

[@edwardduarte7393]

LES in the house. Love the LES and East Village and Nolita is Nolita part of little Italy?

[@brianog5267]

Yeah upper east side? My daughter lives there… only place I’d really want her to live…. Wonderful(freaking expensive)!!!

[@ManChan-w5p]

Yeah not many subway lines just the 4, 5, 6 so it's exclusive so it usually won't get invaded by undesirables.

[@brianog5267]

Perfect

[@zeeshanshah6515]

Upper West Side but no Upper East Side?!

[@JV-ki5re]

You should do it on update in Coney Island and areas around

[@Thaeffintruth]

I feel like there's a lotttt of neighborhoods that couldve been added here (especially in Queens, Brooklyn, and northern Manhatta).... i wanna see some more about those too

[@kenpoultonjr]

UES not on here? Come onnn

[@lachlancampbell5679]

interesting list. never lived in ny but visited for a month. feel like bushwick could be a bit higher up on the list. your number one spot is kind of deserving really. maybe too posh for some people but it ticks so many boxes

[@richardkim9952]

18:47 that's the Roosevelt Island station, not the Roosevelt Avenue Jackson Heights station

[@HereBeBarr]

good catch!!

[@nathanbeaner928]

nothing wrong with Applebee's gotta have that blondie for dessert and gotta love there happy hr........ not sure about Times Square but in Az that be bomb pace to pre game

[@lichi1244eva]

I live in Clinton Hill, BK but if money were no object I'd live in either Battery Park City, Riverdale in the Bronx, Brooklyn Heights, Prospect Heights or on Harlem's Strivers' Row!

[@borisdethloff6504]

Top video full of 1st information 👍, especially for people like us playing with the idea of buying a holiday appartement in NYC within the next two years. A big Thank You !

[@iamalanabroad]

Village yay!!

[@JoseFlores-kl6jm]

As always Jon, thank you for making these videos. There are still so many neighborhoods that I need to explore in NYC.

[@jimleung1300]

You never mentioned The Bronx or Staten Island.

[@kylef84]

Fort Greene needs some love

[@HereBeBarr]

Great neighborhood :) Just doesnt' have the tourist stuff. I wanted a combo of tourism/local.

[@barbaramuzychka3836]

so the Bronx and Staten Island are not part of NYC?

[@Allenryan819]

I’m Williamsburg, but I have one tiny critique there the also the J M G trains as well the L is not the only train. And I’m surprised no park slope?

[@wakebake8912]

Where's long island city, and downtown brooklyn?

[@richardyoung871]

In this video Jon explains the best and the worst parts of living in NYC, but the majority of the places he talks about, by large is Manhattan, but the majority of people can't afford to live there,and 2nd he mentioned a couple of places in BROOKLYN, which I don't care for, and 3rd he mentioned only two places, ASTORIA, which I don't care for because it has very limited subway service and JACKSON HEIGHTS, near all subway lines at 74th street at BROADWAY AND ROOSEVELT AVENUE, but I have lived in ELMHURST for over 35 years, very quiet, clean, and a large diversity of people but the majority of my working experience has been in MANHATTAN, and I don't like noise, drugs, crowds, people in general but I like to be near shops, and restaurants, but I am very picky where I go, and I don't care for late night people either, and I don't like a lot of noise, but my father once told me that IF YOU LIVE IN MANHATTAN, YOU WILL PAY MANHATTAN PRICES,and where I am from in Honolulu Hawaii, in the valley it's extremely very quiet and the people are very respectful of each other, but that's the price you pay to live in a city, but when you consider that there's 8.5 million people in NYC and 17.0 state wide,it's very understandable, as I consider NYC a MECCA of the entire world, all countries are represented here, like going to the UN,and QUEENS is very diverse in cultures and people but very interesting video.

[@whitbydude]

Surprised your neighborhood Park Slope wasn’t on the list!

[@HereBeBarr]

I did a combo of tourist/local picks. Park Slope doesn't hit the tourists.

[@simonlegosson7082]

@@whitbydude park slope is a really nice neighborhood though

[@whitbydude]

@@simonlegosson7082 indeed, beautiful brownstones, close to Prospect Park

[@venom5809]

Yeah I own a building out there, I was curious what his thoughts on the area were but he skipped it.

[@leboucherdeberlin]

what about West Village ???

[@badtzmaru-x3j]

i think Hudson Yards should be considered its own neighborhood. same with Flatiron. both have become differentiated enough from surrounding areas. also where’s Murray Hill? :-)

[@richardsanty9063]

Upper East Side Is My Favorite.

[@TheSilentWhales]

Awesome.

[@yass123]

Thank God you listed all touristy neighborhoods😂

[@adambuesser6264]

What are some NYc's best and most affordable towns/suburbs? Not just the city.

[@mikeb.joseph1866]

No Bronx, Westchester, Staten Island, Long Island 😢

[@cruxiql]

westchester and long island isnt NYC. and why would a tourist go to the bronx

[@mikeb.joseph1866]

@cruxiql exactly what someone NOT from NYC would say

[@cruxiql]

@@mikeb.joseph1866 1. im from NYC 2. its just true? long island and westchester isnt NYC. also the bronx has nothing in it that tourists would want to go to. they want to go to times square, rockefeller center, empire state building, etc. not the bronx

[@mikeb.joseph1866]

@cruxiql The point is that NYC is NOT just Midtown Manhattan & gentrified areas of BKLYN. Believe it or not, The Bx does have good neighborhoods & places to visit & eat. Can't judge a whole borough because of 2 or 3 bad areas that are constantly highlighted by news & social media. The Bronx has the Botanical Gardens, Bronx Zoo & Little Italy just to name a few. Queens is probably the most diverse place on Earth.

[@cruxiql]

@@mikeb.joseph1866 ok, and im not arguing with that. what im saying is, if you're a tourist coming for a week, you're going to want to do the MAIN things that everyone else does. not go to random places that no other tourists really go to. thats why, for example, midtown manhattan is jampakced with touritsts and none of them ever go to the bronx

[@TB4585]

where's brownsville? thats the best outta all them

[@Thismaybetheyearidissappear]

Overall good list. Didnt mind number one. However, Dumbo was wayyyyy too high. And putting it over williamsburg… that was a choice.

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

Have you talked about the best of the less popular neighborhoods?

[@leoabel]

Have you been to Long Island City?

[@SeaBassTian]

Did I miss it or did you entirely skip Park Slope? It's like the UWS of Brooklyn, with easy access to Prospect Park and the endless brownstones. If I'm not mistaken, you live there now, no? I would easily rather live there than most of the other nabes on this list!

[@HereBeBarr]

I picked a combo of areas that had interest to tourists + locals. Why I skipped almost all of Brownstone Brooklyn + LIC. Upper East is the one I arguably should have included that i'm getting most flak for haha.

[@ATribeCalledTrill]

lol no love for Coney Island I see

[@dutchmazz]

🎡🎢👍

[@metfan4evr]

So you rated Jackson Heights at 3 and left off the upper east side. You've got to be kidding.

[@SavaNedev]

not a single had "cost of living" as its pro hahahaha

[@georgiasmith7615]

What about Greenpoint? Or are you incorporating that into Williamsburg? The studio price for Williamsburg is a bit misleading because it actually doesn’t have that many studios except for new buildings and lofts. Way more 1 bedroom railroad style places. Whereas a lot of Manhattan neighborhoods have more studios. I think actually the average price of a 1 bedroom in Williamsburg is less than a studio.

[@HereBeBarr]

Greenpoint i basically combined with Wburg.

[@carlosbarross]

What about forest hills?

[@acarpio3]

No UES?

[@pyroboi9401]

what about crown heights?

[@knlei1]

LES is #2? wow hahah

[@venom1575]

Hi... have you been in bangladesh recently?

[@clifford7594]

Why you gotta have worst? Oh. Right. Negative algorithms keep KZbin churning.

[@mitchellhughes5180]

How do people live in New York? I mean I love it but how do people have the money?

[@MrGlassFr]

How about the bx☠️

[@vivajay]

Wait great food and prostitution!?! How is Jackson Heights not #1!?!

[@JB-mf9ob]

L train complaining is so funny. It has so much more to do with the people that live in Williamsburg than anything particular about the L train. That thing being that heavy L train users are new comers and very online. The L train is consistently one of the most reliable lines. Being reliant on one subway line is common in most neighborhoods that are not in manhattan. It’s also not the only subway line in the neighborhood. The JZM and G also go to Williamsburg. The concentration of very online trust fund newcomers in Williamsburg leads to a lot of online complaint about the L by people who don’t realize that that they think are L problems are just things everyone using subway everywhere in the city experiences. Whenever you read a “oh the L train 🤣” comment online you know immediately who wrote it.

[@jenniferbostic7918]

Dumbo is really a non-neighborhood. Zero charm, hardly any shops or restaurants. Definitely missing the West Village-which is by far better than Brooklyn Heights-and Gramercy Park. Also, the Upper West Side is one of the best and most "NYC" feeling neighborhoods. Amazing architecture, history, and people. It's where the majority of movies have been filmed in NYC, and where the most celebrities choose to live.

[@agentul009]

Hi Jon. Do you know if Harlem is safe for tourists? I've seen that the hotels/apartments are much cheaper compared to Midtown Manhattan, Soho or Financial District. Another great video btw, very insightful.

[@HereBeBarr]

I'd use the same common sense in Harlem as a tourist i'd use in just about any other neighborhood.

[@agentul009]

@@HereBeBarr Thank you for your response. I appreciate it.

[@Jayswingler530]

You missed supposedly voted coolest neighborhood in the world fort greene brooklyn

[@Citygal01]

Crown Heights/Bed stuy, for minorities ❤ parades, museums, parks, block party galore

[@kaceecruson9532]

Pro: Top gay nightlife... didn't expect that.. lol