Manhattan Vs Queens: Where to live?

If you thinking about relocating to or within New York City, know that the complex process awaits you. Especially if you haven’t decided in which borough you want to live. After doing so, there’s a challenging period ahead, filled with dozens of tasks. Still, there is no reason to worry because, with professional moving assistance, every relocation is much easier. Now, let’s focus on your destination. You don’t need us to tell you that both Manhattan and Queens are great boroughs, so exciting to live in. But which one is better? It’s definitely hard to tell, but Best Movers NY is here to help you out. In this article, we’ll try to settle the Manhattan vs Queens debate, presenting you with the major pros and cons of living in these two boroughs.

Living in Manhattan

We think it would be best to compare these two boroughs by listing all the benefits, and some issues if there are any, of living in them separately. So, we’ll start off with Manhattan. This borough doesn’t need any proper introduction. It is the most densely populated area in NYC, although the largest number of residents live in Brooklyn. In the next few sections, we’ll focus on different aspects of life in Manhattan and see if moving there is a smart idea. One thing is sure, though. If you eventually decide to move there, calling residential movers Manhattan should definitely be at the top of your moving checklist.

The cost of living in Manhattan

If you lived in NYC, but even if you didn’t, you have surely heard many people complain about how expensive Manhattan is. There’s certainly a good reason for that because Manhattan is one of the most expensive places in the United States. But, we’ll take a deep look into many aspects of the cost of living and see how they compare to New York State and the US level. For starters, the cost of living as a whole is 144% higher in Manhattan than in the USA on average, while in comparison with New York, it is 60% higher. Right at the beginning, these are some jaw-dropping numbers. Truth be told, most of this comes from housing, which we’ll talk about later on.

For example, grocery and health-related expenses are quite affordable, considering we’re talking about Manhattan here. They are only around 20% higher than the USA average, which is great. Transportation and utilities are more expensive, but not by much. So, all things considered, if you manage to find a way to live with real estate prices there, Manhattan could otherwise be more affordable than you think. Certainly not cheap, but it’s definitely manageable. Even if you come from outside of NYC, relocation to Manhattan could be cheaper than you think because you’ll be able to find affordable long distance movers Manhattan who are also reliable and experienced.

Manhattan’s real estate market

While the other aspects of Manhattan’s cost of living are nothing spectacularly expensive, this is where it gets really tricky. A lot of Manhattan’s real estate is practically out of reach to the majority of people- Starting with home values, the median home price in Manhattan costs a whopping $1.4M. That is almost 5 times more than the USA average. And, not only that, but these prices are going only one way, and that’s up. They rose by 7% over the last 12 months, and similar results are expected in the next year as well. With these high prices, you wouldn’t expect a better situation with rents. And, unfortunately, rents are as high as expected. Here is a list of average rents in the borough of Manhattan depending on the size of the apartment:

1. Studio apartment – $3,400
2. One-bedroom apartment – $4,200
3. Two-bedroom apartment – $5,200
4. Three-bedroom apartment – $6,000
5. Four-bedroom apartment – $7,500

As you can see, these prices are huge, and they are, by far, the biggest reason why some people, when deciding on Manhattan vs Queens, go with the latter option. We still hope you weren’t discouraged by these prices, because Manhattan is one of the best places to live, not just in the US, but in the whole world. So, if you want to move there nevertheless, make sure to ask for the best movers in Manhattan to assist you with the relocation. Traffic in NYC can be a nightmare for DIY relocations.

The job market in Manhattan

Surely, the job market is one of the most important things a person should look at when they’re considering moving to a certain city. Well, there are definitely enough jobs in Manhattan. In fact, this borough has the lowest unemployment rate in NYC. The average salary is just over $70,000 a year, which is more than the USA average, but it would be ideal if it was at least a few thousand more due to enormous housing prices. That being said, finding a job in Manhattan shouldn’t be a problem. On the other side, if you already own a business and you’re wondering whether to relocate it to Manhattan or Queens, both seem like great options.  Still, before you call commercial movers Manhattan, do a little research before making a final decision. Meanwhile, we can confirm, and you probably knew that as well, that many businesses are flourishing in Manhattan.

Ideas for spending your free time in Manhattan

When you’re living in Manhattan, you make the most out of every single day you’re not busy. Catching sunset at the Top of The Rock in Rockefeller Center with the gorgeous view of the Empire State Building and the whole of Manhattan should be at the top of the list. Visiting Central Park and Times Square is a must as well. Even walking the Brooklyn Bridge will leave you in awe. If you were choosing your new city of residence based on the amazing places you can visit, you’d struggle to find a better place than Manhattan. One of the rare downsides is the traffic, which is why you should consider calling local movers in Manhattan to avoid going through this complex process all by yourself.

Life in Queens

Queens is a worldwide famous borough that sometimes gets overlooked by Manhattan. You have everything you need in Queens, and anyone living there will confirm that it’s a great borough. Of course, some of its neighborhoods, like Astoria, have slightly better locations, and they might be considered more suitable than the others. But, in general, moving to Queens is rarely a mistake. To give you an idea of what to expect from life in this borough, we’re going to use the same metrics we used when assessing Manhattan. So, before you call best movers in Queens, make sure to read this first.

Queens has a lower cost of living than Manhattan

In the first comparison between these two boroughs, Queens easily wins this battle. Don’t get us wrong, it’s still an expensive place. After all, we’re talking about New York City. However, prices are nowhere near the ones in Manhattan. In fact, the cost of living in Queens is 30% lower than in Manhattan. The gap between Queens and the State of New York is the same, only this time, the borough of Queens is on the more expensive side, which is expected. But what’s the main reason Queens is so much more affordable than Manhattan?

It’s not hard to guess because the answer is housing. Some regular expenses like groceries, utilities, transportation, and health-related expenses are practically the same in these two boroughs. They’re maybe 1% or 2% more affordable in Queens, which is a negligible difference. That leaves us with housing prices, and in the next section, we’ll see just how expensive they are. After all, finding a home is something that relocations can go through without and something that needs to be taken care of way before residential movers Queens start relocating you.

Housing prices in Queens

It won’t surprise you to hear that real estate prices are pretty high in Queens. But, in this category as well, it’s truly nowhere near Manhattan. While the average home prices in Manhattan are truly out of reach to the majority of people, Queens provides a more affordable alternative. The median home price in Queens is $780,000, which by New York City standards can even be considered quite reasonable. But, most NYC residents rent their homes, so let’s see the average rental prices in Queens.

1. Studio apartment – $2,250
2. One-bedroom apartment – $2,500
3. Two-bedroom apartment – $2,800
4. Three-bedroom apartment – $3,000
5. Four-bedroom apartment – $4,000

You have to agree that this is way better compared to what we saw when analyzing Manhattan, especially if a studio or one-bedroom apartment is enough for you. In this case, even your relocation will be less expensive, because local movers Queens will charge you way less if you’re moving to a studio or one-bedroom apartment compared to larger units.

Are there enough job opportunities in Queens?

When settling a Manhattan vs Queens debate, many things need to be considered apart from the cost of living difference. Job opportunities are certainly one of the top priorities. This is something where Manhattan has a slight edge. It’s because you’re more likely to find a job that pays extremely well in Manhattan than in Queens. The average salary is the same, but Manhattan has better opportunities and a lower unemployment rate. However, these great opportunities don’t come daily, so some might consider Queens a safer alternative. If you’re about to move your business and you’re considering moving to Queens, this decision would probably pay off. Queens is home to many businesses, and after commercial movers Queens transfer your office, it’s very unlikely that your business won’t be successful.

What to do in Queens?

We must admit that Manhattan is the indisputable center of events in New York City. So, in this category, Manhattan probably wins. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t many great things to do in Queens. The fourth-largest park in NYC, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, is located in this borough. There are many activities to do in this park, and even some major events to attend, because it’s home to one of 4 tennis grand slam tournaments – the U.S. Open. Queens also has a lot of museums, both historical and modern, which is why you’d definitely find some great places to spend your free time at. And Queens even has its own beaches. You’ll love Queens, especially if you’re not from NYC. It’s a great neighborhood to start your NYC life, and with the help of long distance movers in Queens, this beginning will be even better.

Conclusion on the Manhattan vs Queens debate

Choosing where to move might dictate the course of your life even more than you think. It’s a big decision, so you must assess everything carefully. Manhattan vs Queens is a tough dilemma, and we hope this article helped you understand what to expect from both boroughs. We won’t pick a standout choice, because there is none. However, we’ll say that if you’re looking for a cheaper option, Queens is a better option for you. On the other hand, if money is not an issue, then choosing to live in Manhattan is certainly the way to go. Queens is great, but Manhattan is the center of the action. And, of course, whichever you choose, these two boroughs are so phenomenal that you definitely won’t regret it either way. Good luck!