New York has 5 boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Straten Island
Manhattan
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.
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 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.
The average rent in Manhattan is now well above $3,000/month. The outer boroughs aren’t much lower with the average in Brooklyn above $3,000/month in 2019. Although it is sometimes possible to find good deals.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most heavily populated of New York's five boroughs and attracts a wide range people from varying cultural, social, and ethnic backgrounds. There is a great deal of noteworthy architecture, including Coney Island, one of the USA's oldest amusements parks located on the beachfront.
Several Brooklyn neighborhoods attract families includePark Slope, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, and Williamsburg. These have low crime rate a lot of green space and good public schools. Rents here can be very high, but offer good value for money.
The average rent in Brooklyn is above $3,000/month in 2019. Although it is sometimes possible to find good deals.
Queens
Geographically Queens is the largest New York borough and it’s among the most ethnically diverse communities in the whole of the USA. It has a growing population in its' mostly residential and middle class neighborhoods, including Sunnyside, Woodside, and Jackson Heights.
The Bronx
Despite a number of new residential projects and regeneration processes going on especially in the South Bronx, the Bronx remains one of the least desirable boroughs for new arrivals. Average incomes here are lower than elsewhere in New York, and the quality of housing varies greatly. The derelict and abandoned buildings famous from the 1980s are now gone. The most attractive neighborhoods include Riverdale, Schuylerville, and Co-op City, but from these the commute to Manhattan is long.
Staten Island
Staten Island is the most suburban of New York’s boroughs, and public transportation here is below average. There is no subway in Staten Island, and and the only mass transit linking Staten Island to Manhattan is the free Staten Island Ferry. The closest neighbourhoods to Manhattan are the most delirable for expats including West New Brighton or St. George on the North Shore.
Neighbourhooods Guide: https://ny.curbed.com/nyc-apartments-rent-guide-neighborhoods
https://goodmigrations.com/city-guides/new-york-city/regions-neighborhoods