Where to downsize in New York City
Moving to less house here usually means trading a house or a walk-up for an elevator building, and choosing between a co-op and a condo. Start with your borough. Each borough page lists every neighborhood in it, district by district, and 23 neighborhoods have a full guide to housing, transit, hospitals, flood risk and taxes.
The five boroughs
- Manhattan 32 neighborhoods. Co-ops, condos and row houses across 12 community districts, with the subway and three ferry systems.
- Brooklyn 53 neighborhoods. Kings County: brownstone rows, two-family houses, co-ops and a long waterfront.
- Queens 59 neighborhoods. Co-ops, garden apartments and houses across 14 community districts.
- The Bronx 37 neighborhoods. Co-op City, Parkchester, Riverdale, Pelham Parkway and Throgs Neck.
- Staten Island 16 neighborhoods. Houses and attached homes across 3 community districts, with the ferry and the SIR.
Check the evacuation zone and flood map before you shortlist. New York City ranks coastal neighborhoods into six hurricane evacuation zones, and the FEMA flood maps that drive insurance requirements are a separate thing. Look up any address in the evacuation zone finder and the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, and get a flood insurance quote early.
Neighborhoods with a full guide
Manhattan
- Battery Park CityWaterfront condos and rentals on ground-leased land, with parks and a resilience build-out.
- ChelseaLandmarked row houses and large West Side co-op complexes beside the High Line.
- Greenwich Village and West VillageHistoric districts, row houses and apartment buildings around Washington Square Park.
- HarlemRow houses, co-ops and condos in Central Harlem, with the 2, 3 and A/B/C/D.
- Murray Hill and Kips BayEast Side co-ops, condos and brownstones near the 6 train, Grand Central and NYU Langone.
- Turtle Bay and Sutton PlaceEast Midtown co-ops and condos near Grand Central and the East River.
- Upper East SideCo-op and condo buildings between Central Park and the East River, near major hospitals.
- Upper West SideCo-ops and condos between Central Park and Riverside Park, with the 1 and C lines.
Brooklyn
- Bay RidgeSouthwest Brooklyn, with brick two-family homes, apartment buildings and the Shore Road waterfront.
- Brooklyn HeightsA landmarked Brooklyn district of row houses and apartment buildings beside the Promenade.
- Carroll Gardens and Cobble HillLandmarked brownstone blocks between Atlantic Avenue and the Gowanus Canal.
- Park SlopeRow houses and apartment buildings on the slope west of Prospect Park.
- Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan BeachA bayfront part of south Brooklyn where a flood check comes before the floor plan.
Queens
- AstoriaHouses and apartment buildings near Astoria Park, with N and W subway service.
- BaysideNortheast Queens: single-family blocks, garden apartments, Bell Boulevard and an LIRR station.
- FlushingThe 7 train terminal, the LIRR and Main Street, with houses and high-rise apartments nearby.
- Forest HillsQueens co-ops and condos along Queens Boulevard, plus the Forest Hills Gardens planned community.
- Jackson HeightsA landmarked Queens district of garden apartment co-ops, with major subway lines at 74th Street.
- Long Island CityWaterfront towers, Gantry Plaza State Park and the 7, E, G and N/W lines.
The Bronx
Staten Island
How to compare neighborhoods as a downsizer
- Co-op or condo. A co-op means buying shares with a proprietary lease, board approval, the building's own sublet rules and, in some buildings, a flip tax. A condo is a deeded unit, governed by its declaration and bylaws. The co-op and condo guide explains the differences.
- Elevator or walk-up. A pre-war walk-up can be charming at 60 and hard at 80. Ask about the elevator, the stoop and the route to the laundry room.
- The building's finances. Ask for the financial statements, any planned assessments and what maintenance or common charges cover.
- Getting around. Check whether the nearest stations have elevators, which buses run nearby and how steep the walk is. See getting around after 65.
- Taxes. STAR, SCHE and the co-op and condo abatement all depend on the home being your primary residence and on dates you should plan around.
Money questions come up fast. Our Costs and Money guide covers transfer taxes, STAR and senior exemptions. If you would rather leave the city, see 55+ communities on Long Island. When you are ready to talk it through, get matched with a local downsizing specialist.
Neighborhood names and boundaries follow NYC Planning's 2020 Neighborhood Tabulation Areas, grouped by community district.