Introduction
Manhattan’s skyline is among the most famous locations in the world, and it will be familiar to everybody thinking of relocating to New York. This part of the city is dominated by well-known skyscrapers housing the headquarters of countless corporations and the US branches of many multinational companies. The UN headquarters, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Wall Street, Times Square, and the One World Trade Center are all located here along with many cultural attractions, such as the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and Broadway.
The average rent in Manhattan is now well above $3,000/month.
Manhattan with families
Manhattan is very densely populated, and not generally not the most popular location for people moving with families. Several Manhattan neighborhoods such as the Lower East Side and the East Village rank quite highly in “livability” indexes. They mainly attract younger people including professionals who value the area’s exciting nightlife, but also there are some apartments available for families.
Tribeca, a neighborhood just north of the One World Trade Center, scores highly in many categories although is only affordable for the very wealthy. It has good public schools, fantastic transportation links, and very low crime rates.
UNIS and the British International School attract parents from as far as Brooklyn and Long Island. But most live in the condos, rental apartments and townhouses of Murray Hill (anything below 40th Street is walkable to the schools); the Upper East Side (school bus or drive) or Gramercy Park/Union Square/Flatiron (walkable). The East Village is also popular and convenient. Battery Park, at the southern tip of Manhattan, increasingly draws expat families, who use school buses or taxis. Many families choose to live in Waterside Plaza, the towering apartment complex right next to the schools despite it being windy and having rather cramped apartments.