Every year, around 150,000 people move to New York City to pursue the life of their dreams. Not everyone chooses to move to Manhattan. In fact, a growing number of people skip Manhattan entirely and spend most of their time in Brooklyn. Brooklyn has become such a popular borough that the real estate prices have ballooned to the point where a few of their neighborhoods have cracked the top 100 most expensive zip codes in the United States.
Still, there are plenty of people who want to live in Manhattan proper. Does that sound like you? If you’re debating which borough to move to and you can afford the rent, living in Manhattan is a great option. It might not be cheap, but there are plenty of benefits to living in the heart of NYC.
Transportation
The NYC subways are one of the oldest public transportation systems in the world. It shuttles millions of passengers every day across every borough except Staten Island. Across the four boroughs, there are a total of 472 stations, with 121 residing in Manhattan. While this number might be lower than Brooklyn, you can catch pretty much every train line except for the G train. More importantly, there are multiple transfer points where you can switch trains to get cross-town if necessary. If you ever need to go to any of the boroughs, it’s easy to catch a train.
Commuting Times from Major Manhattan Neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Avg Commute to Midtown (mins) | Avg Commute to Downtown (mins) | Nearest Subway Line(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper West Side | 8 | 20 | 1, 2, 3, B, C |
| Upper East Side | 10 | 25 | 4, 5, 6, Q |
| Midtown West / Hell’s Kitchen | 5 | 20 | A, C, E, 1, 2, 3 |
| Chelsea / West Village | 7 | 18 | A, C, E, L, 1, 2, 3 |
| Gramercy / Murray Hill | 10 | 20 | 4, 5, 6, 7, L |
| Lower East Side | 12 | 8 | F, J, M, Z |
| Tribeca / Soho | 10 | 10 | A, C, E, 1, 2, 3, R, W |
| Financial District | 12 | 5 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J, Z, R, W |
| Harlem (125th St) | 15 | 30 | A, B, C, D, 2, 3 |
| Washington Heights | 20 | 35 | A, 1 |
If you can’t catch a train, then you still have bus and ferry options. Combined with the subway, you can pretty much get wherever you want within Manhattan and the outer boroughs. If you want to get out of NYC, you can easily do so, as Manhattan is home to:
- Port Authority Bus Terminal – houses Greyhound, NJ Transit Buses, Peter Pan, and more
- Penn Station – houses Amtrak and NJ Transit trains
- Grand Central – houses Metro-North Railroad Commuter Lines
There are also several stops in Manhattan that connect to the PATH train so you can easily travel to Hoboken and Jersey City. And while there might not be an airport in Manhattan proper, you can hop on the A train to get to JFK. If you’re flying out of LaGuardia, you can take the M60 at 59th Street.
Career Opportunities
Manhattan has always attracted the best and the brightest from all walks of life. If you’re an entrepreneur, there’s no bigger market than New York City to try out your product. More importantly, there are a lot of opportunities to connect with other entrepreneurs and investors through a variety of structured and casual events. These connections are invaluable for getting your company off the ground and giving it the best shot at success.
Top Employers and Average Salaries by Industry (2025)
| Industry | Top Employer | Estimated Employees (Manhattan) | Average Salary (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance & Banking | J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. | 24,000+ | $125,000 |
| Technology | Google (Alphabet Inc.) | 12,000+ | $145,000 |
| Media & Communications | The New York Times Company | 4,500+ | $95,000 |
| Fashion & Retail | LVMH / Louis Vuitton | 3,200+ | $80,000 |
| Healthcare & Biotechnology | Mount Sinai Health System | 18,000+ | $95,000 |
| Law & Legal Services | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP | 2,500+ | $165,000 |
| Entertainment & Broadcasting | HBO / Warner Bros. Discovery | 3,000+ | $110,000 |
| Publishing & Education | Scholastic Inc. | 2,000+ | $85,000 |
| Hospitality & Tourism | Marriott International | 3,500+ | $60,000 |
| Non-Profit & Public Service | United Nations Headquarters | 4,000+ | $98,000 |
If you’re not interested in starting your own business, there are a wide variety of career opportunities you can pursue in Manhattan. While it might be best known for being the financial and fashion capital of the United States, you can pretty much find a job in almost any industry. It’s home to some of the biggest companies in the world, including:
- Amazon
- New York Times
- Scholastic
- Barclays
- Chase
- American Express
- Disney
- HBO
- And more
If you prefer working for more close-knit companies, there are also hundreds of smaller start-ups and non-profit organizations to choose from. There’s truly something for everyone. With a population of 1.6 million people in Manhattan alone, competition is fierce so you’ll have to work harder and keep your eyes peeled to get your dream job.
Diversity
People from all over the world flock to Manhattan for a variety of reasons. Because of this, it is one of the most diverse cities in the country. And with everyone living in such close proximity to each other, it’s almost impossible not to get to know people from different backgrounds. Since Manhattan attracts so many people, you’ll definitely find your tribe. It doesn’t matter what you’re into; there are definitely a few groups you’ll discover if you put in the effort to find them.
Speaking of diversity, Manhattan is also very LGBTQIA+ friendly. It was the birthplace of the first Pride Parade back in 1970, which itself was a reaction to the Stonewall riot on June 28, 1969. Today, the NYC Pride Parade attracts tens of thousands of people from around the world and celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community. The route of the Pride march takes participants through Greenwich Village, passing the Stonewall National Monument.
Cultural Institutions
Sure, every big city probably has some impressive museums, but Manhattan is often described as the cultural capital of the world. It’s home to 32 museums, including the fifth largest museum in the world, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as other renowned institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art.
It’s not just museums, though; Manhattan has a slew of other cultural institutions. It’s home to the famous New York Public Library on 42nd Street in the Ghostbusters movie, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and New York City Ballet – some of the most widely known and respected arts institutions in the world.
Even on a small scale, there’s culture all around you in Manhattan. You can visit the birthplace of Teddy Roosevelt, drink at McSorley’s, the oldest continuously operated saloon in Manhattan, or go take a walking tour through Chelsea Market and learn more about the old Nabisco factory.
Museum and Cultural Attraction Visitor Statistics (Manhattan, 2025)
| Cultural Institution | Annual Visitors (Approx.) | Year Founded | Admission Fee | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) | 5,400,000 | 1870 | Pay-What-You-Wish (NY Residents) | Upper East Side |
| American Museum of Natural History | 4,700,000 | 1869 | $28 (Adults) | Upper West Side |
| Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) | 3,000,000 | 1929 | $30 (Adults) | Midtown |
| Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum | 1,200,000 | 1939 | $30 (Adults) | Upper East Side |
| Whitney Museum of American Art | 1,100,000 | 1930 | $30 (Adults) | Meatpacking District |
| The Frick Collection | 420,000 | 1935 | $22 (Adults) | Upper East Side |
| The Morgan Library & Museum | 275,000 | 1906 | $25 (Adults) | Murray Hill |
| Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum | 1,000,000 | 1982 | $36 (Adults) | Midtown West |
| Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts | 5,000,000+ | 1959 | Varies by Event | Upper West Side |
| Carnegie Hall | 750,000 | 1891 | Varies by Event | Midtown |
For nature lovers, Manhattan is home to Central Park, one of the most filmed locations in the world. This 843-acre park attracts 42 million visitors a year and offers a variety of landscapes, such as:
- The Ramble – the heavily forested area with rolling hills and winding walks. Designated as a protected nature preserve, this area is perfect for birdwatching
- The Lake – The 20-acre lake offers splendid views of Central Park and the surrounding architecture. You can walk around for a stroll or rent a boat at the Loeb boathouse and enjoy some time on the water
- Central Park Reservoir – located from 86th to 96th street, the reservoir originally was created as a water source for Manhattan, but was decommissioned in 1993 amid concerns of contamination and because of a new water main. It now serves as a great attraction for tourists and animals alike.
- Sheep Meadow – originally the largest meadow in Central Park up until 1937, Sheep Meadow didn’t become an open space until 1934. Before then, there were actually sheep grazing on the lawns!
Should you get bored during your leisurely walk around the park, there are plenty of attractions such as the Wollman Rink, Central Park Carousel, and Central Park Zoo. During the warmer months, you can attend various concerts and events at the Delacorte Theater, including the famed Shakespeare in the Park, for free!
There’s something to do almost every day of the week. With so much at your fingertips, how could you ever be bored? And thanks to the amazing transit system, you can get to all of these institutions in less than an hour if you live in Manhattan.
Foodie Heaven
When you have cultural diversity, you also get to reap the benefits of having diversity in cuisine. If you’re a foodie, there’s no better place to be than Manhattan. On a single block, you will see food from around the world, and there are always new restaurants and shops popping up that will entice your taste buds.
Manhattan might be known for being expensive, but there are many options for tasty and delicious food. In fact, some of the best-tasting food comes from food trucks. Try a classic NYC hot dog or get something hardier and order lamb over rice from the Halal Guys. Don’t trust food trucks? That’s weird, but okay! There are many small restaurants dotted around the city where you can get some amazing meals. You just have to know where to look. You can get three square meals for just $20, so you really don’t need to be a millionaire to eat well.
With all that said, Manhattan is also home to some of the finest restaurants. There are 67 Michelin-rated restaurants, although only five of them have a three-star rating. However, even the one-star restaurants are worth a visit. While they might not be cheap, they are delicious. And if you’re living somewhere with that many amazing restaurants, you should take advantage of it and try a few out.
Conclusion
If you enjoy being at the center of things and always being busy, then living in Manhattan can be a dream come true. There’s always something interesting going on, and your social calendar will fill up quickly without much effort. If you can swing the high rents, then Manhattan is one of the best places to live for those who love the constant buzz of city life.
If you’re planning on moving to Manhattan, then you’ll want to hire trusted Manhattan Movers like us! We have been in business since 2011, and we know how to deal with the less appealing parts of Manhattan, such as the horrible traffic and demanding landlords. We’re here to help, so if you’re ready to make the move, reach out!
FAQ
What is the best neighborhood to live in Manhattan?
That depends on a few things, but one of the biggest factors is your workplace. If you work on the Upper West Side, you probably don’t want to live in the East Village. While it’s not impossible to get across town, it’s always easier when you don’t have to transfer. Better yet, you’ll be able to work within walking distance of your apartment! Instead of looking at neighborhoods, consider your new home on a street by street basis. If you prefer a quiet street, you’ll want to avoid streets that have a lot of bars and are near bridges and tunnels. You can find cheaper apartments, but they might be further away from subways, laundromats, etc. Figure out what is important for you and then go from there.
What are the average rent prices in Manhattan?
The cost of an average one-bedroom in Manhattan is around $3,000. Interestingly, you can find two bedrooms for not much more with average rents around $4,000. Want to save on rent? Get a roommate!
What is the average commute in Manhattan?
While there’s no average commute just for residents of Manhattan, the overall NYC commute time is around 43 minutes. Luckily, Manhattan residents tend to have shorter overall commutes since you can easily get from one end of the island to the other in around 45 minutes
