New York City is one of the largest cities in the world, and with a population in excess of 8 million ranks as the largest urban area in the US. The city is separated into 5 different boroughs, with one of the largest being Brooklyn. For those that want to live in this area, there is a choice of property types available with apartments in Brooklyn being one of the common options. So for anyone looking for this type of accommodation, what are the options?
Best Neighborhoods
Brooklyn covers an area of almost 100 square miles, with this generally being broken down into eight smaller districts, such as south, central and northern Brooklyn. Each of these can then be further broken down into the individual neighborhoods, with there being more than 50 different neighborhoods. A list of these can be found at Brooklyn.net, and some of these are generally considered to be better to live in than others. The New York Magazine did a study in 2010 where it looked at a number of factors to try and rate the most livable neighborhoods in NYC, with many Brooklyn areas ranking in the top 10 of the list they produced. This included locations such as Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, Greenpoint and Brooklyn Heights. These can therefore be excellent areas to look to in Brooklyn, although doing a little research should show you a suitable area of Brooklyn that has apartments and amenities to suit your needs.
Rental Options Available
There are plenty of options to rent apartments in Brooklyn with longer term rentals, short term sublets and room shares available. There are a number of places to find apartments such as this, with some of the online apartment listings including Brooklyn Sublet, Trulia and Rent Direct. There are also other places to find listing details, with some of the local New York newspapers and magazines, such as the New York Daily News and also smaller community newspapers having classified ads which include a section for property rentals. Apartment sizes can vary from the smaller studio style, up to the luxury end of the market where apartments can have 6 bedrooms and more. Leases can also vary and it is possible to find month to month options for those that are unsure how long they will stay in the area, to longer term leases for those that are committed to living in Brooklyn.
Buying Options Available
For those that have the financial means available, buying apartments in Brooklyn is an option to consider. Typically many of the apartments in NYC, including Brooklyn, are co-ops. These are generally larger buildings owned by a business, and when buying the property rather than actually owning it outright, you are actually buying into the company that owns it and will receive shares depending on the value of the property. However, for those that prefer to own a property outright when they purchase, there are also condos and apartments available. Places to find listings also include the local newspapers and magazines, and some of the online options include Lodgis, Nest Seekers and Street Easy.
Typical Brooklyn Apartment Prices
In recent times Brooklyn has become more popular with renters and most likely ranks only second to Manhattan in NYC. Demand for properties has therefore gone up and this is typically reflected in the rental costs. Depending on the size of the apartment and the location, average rental costs can vary from around $600 per month for smaller properties to around $3000 per month for some of the larger apartments. However, room shares can provide cheaper prices for those looking for a more affordable renting option. Purchase costs for apartments will also obviously depend on the size of the property and the neighborhood, although average costs for smaller studios and condos can start at just over the $100,000 mark. For larger properties, purchase costs in excess of $1,000,000 are not uncommon.
New York City can be a great location in which to live, and its sheer size in terms of population demonstrates how popular it is. For those looking to move to the city Brooklyn is one of the boroughs to consider, and apartments in Brooklyn can be a good choice of property. There are a few different options for this, and whether you are interested in buying or renting it should be possible to find a suitable apartment building in which to make your home.