Working in New York City goes hand in hand with a soul-crushing commute. Bitterly sharing MTA horror stories is standard water cooler conversation in offices across the island. Add sky-high rent prices to the mix, and it’s easy to see why so many young financial analysts burn out on Manhattan in their first few years.
Depending on your priorities, you’ll have a different idea of the best places to live in Manhattan — or you may want to check into the best neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Whether you prioritize convenience, trendiness or comfort, you can find the right place to live for your commute to Wall Street.
Where to live for Wall Street workaholics
For the brand-new analyst who struggles to tear himself away from his desk even after a 12 hour day — or the Wall Street veteran who’s come to terms with being a workaholic — living in the Financial District itself is the only logical option. If you call the Financial District home, you’ll be one of the lucky few New Yorkers without a daunting commute, but there are other benefits to Wall Street living.
Wall Street apartments are generally found in luxury high rises, which means the best amenities Manhattan real estate has to offer: in-building gyms, gorgeous roof terraces, doormen and the works. The Financial District is also in the middle of a regrowth period as a residential neighborhood, and is developing a small but enticing restaurant and nightlife scene as new establishments tend to stay open later and cater to the weekend brunch crowd instead of just 9-to-5ers. Battery Park nearby offers a welcome respite from hectic downtown life.
But Midtown life isn’t for everyone. Streets mobbed with tourists will certainly grow old (even though there are plenty of quieter blocks, especially during off hours), and it can get claustrophobic to live and work in the same area. While the entertainment scene is getting better, it’s still not terribly exciting in comparison to other neighborhoods.
Ultimately, keep in mind that — especially as a new face on Wall Street with punishingly long hours — you’ll be going to work way more than you’ll be going out, and it’s worth it to sacrifice a convenient social life for an easier commute. When you’re only able to get a few hours of sleep a night, getting to sleep in an extra 30 minutes makes all the difference. On the rare night that you’re off work and have the energy to go out, you can always take a cab (and maybe even expense it if you’re savvy).
Where to rent for the work-to-live crowd
Are you the kind of banker who sees yourself living in the East Village? Maybe you’ve managed to strike the rare work-life balance of a Wall Street professional, or maybe you’re willing to sacrifice an hour or two of commuting time a day to live in a place you really love. If you consider yourself more a live-to-work than work-to-live kind of young professional, you’ll likely want to eschew the Wall Street condos and look outside the confines of the Financial District — and the East Village is a great option for you.
This thoroughly gentrified, timelessly hip neighborhood features great coffee shops, tapas bars and a thriving live music scene left over from its days as a starving-artist hub. Though it’s got endlessly more personality and charm than the Financial District, the East Village is only a short commute away from Wall Street.
Across the East River
Brooklyn is just across the East River from the Financial District, but it can offer a whole different vibe. Anyone who needs a break from the fast pace of live in Manhattan will enjoy the more laid-back lifestyle in Brooklyn Heights, with its tree-lined streets, ivy-covered rowhomes and quaint side streets. Ideal for bankers ready to start a family, Brooklyn Heights is a great neighborhood to put down roots; many homes here offer access to parks and the waterfront, as well as beautiful skyline views.
Your commute will still be relatively painless from Brooklyn Heights. The Brooklyn Bridge deposits you right in the heart of the Financial District, and the proximity to the Borough Hall subway station serving a number of lines into Manhattan makes travel easy on public transit.
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