The best 5 NYC neighborhoods to work remotely
New York is one of the most popular choices to work remotely while traveling, no matter how many days you spend in the destination city.
Whether it's because you'll be spending a few weeks or months, or even if you only have a couple of days to combine work and enjoyment, many things can be done in a city as vibrant and cosmopolitan as New York.
Every corner will make you feel like you are in the middle of a movie, and in any neighborhood, you will find art, culture, diversity, and spectacular views!
This time, we bring you the five best neighborhoods in NYC for remote workers.
1. Battery Park City
When thinking in New York City, it doesn't seem so easy to find a quiet, yet exciting place in the middle of it, does it? But if you have the chance to rent an apartment in Battery Park City for your bleisure trip, you’ll be surprised at how lively and nice it is to stay there. It is one of its top neighborhoods, characterized by its work-life balanced ambiance. Located in the southwest tip of Manhattan, Battery Park City offers an impressive skyline of New York City. The Battery Park serves as a magnificent escape, with plenty of space for outdoor activities, biking, and jogging along the Hudson River while enjoying incredible views of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, Ellis Island, and Jersey City.
Highlights of Battery Park City
- Convenient location
Commuting here isn't as tough compared to other neighborhoods nearby, such as the Financial District. There is a good bus service. The M9, M15, M15 SBS, M20, and M22 bus lines ride some parts of Battery Park City. There is also a free bus service provided by the Downtown Alliance, that goes through North End Avenue and South End Avenue, connecting the neighborhood with subway stations on the other side of West Street. Through the West Street pedestrian bridges, as well as crosswalks across West Street, residents and tourists can reach several subway stations and the PATH station in the Financial District. It is also a great and safe area for biking and walking!
- Business and networking opportunities
Battery Park City is the home for young professionals that work in the Financial District and the World Trade Center. Its proximity to the business beating heart of the city provides good networking opportunities. Many successful startups, technology players such as Stack Overflow, and financial services companies such as Business Insider are based there. Attending networking events, or simply just grabbing lunch or a coffee in the area could result in a very profitable meeting!
- Lifestyle and hot spots
By hanging around the area, you will likely hear different languages, since it is close to tourist attractions, making it a multicultural neighborhood. Furthermore, being so close to one of the world's most important financial and business centers offers countless opportunities to meet with professionals and visitors from all over the world. If you have the opportunity to stay there during your bleisure trip, don’t forget to visit the Statue of Liberty View Point, The Freedom Tower (AKA One World Trade Center), The Esplanade, Teardrop Park, and Rockefeller Park. From Battery Park, you can also take the ferry to The Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty Island.
2. Midtown
Located in the heart of New York City, Midtown Manhattan is also part of NYC’s business center, as well as a very touristic area. The most representative buildings of the Big Apple, such as the Rockefeller Center, and the Empire State Building are located there. Despite it’s a busy neighborhood, rest assured that renting an apartment in Midtown can have many benefits. First, it is conveniently located in the heart of Manhattan. Additionally, the entertainment options are countless!
Highlights of Midtown
- Convenient location
It is easy to access by subway, but the stations are usually very crowded. There you can reach the lines 1, 2, 3, 7, A, B, C, D, E, F, N, Q, R, W, and V. It is also very close to tons of sites of interest, so you probably won’t need to commute to reach those places.
- Business and networking opportunities
Some big players in the Media, Entertainment, and Technology industries, such as NBC Universal, the New York Times, IBM, and Bloomberg are headquartered in Midtown. There is always a lot going on there, from networking events, art exhibitions, and shows, so make sure to grab your business cards!
- Lifestyle and hot spots
Midtown has plenty of iconic places you should visit. From watching the sunset at the top of the Rockefeller Center, visiting the Chrysler Building, the St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Times Square. Bryant Park should be another must on your list when staying in Midtown. There are often very cool events (sometimes for free). Lastly, don’t forget to attend a Broadway play! If you didn’t get tickets on time or don’t want to spend much money, you can also just drop by around an hour in advance and try to get Standing Room tickets. Those are sold at the box office on the day of the performance, and the average price is only $25.
3. SoHo
Well known for its artistic, cultural, and entrepreneurial vibes. Renting an apartment in Soho for your next trip means you would stay in one of the best neighborhoods for business and entrepreneurship. SoHo is part of the famous Silicon Alley, which is an area of high tech companies based around Flatiron District, Midtown, and Lower Manhattan.
Highlights of SoHo- Convenient location
It’s easy to access by public transportation basically from anywhere in the city, since it is well connected by subway to the East Westside, and Uptown Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. It is served by the buses M1, M20, M55, X28, and has several subway stations, such as Bleecker St, Broadway-Lafayette St, Canal St, Canal St-Holland Tunnel, Franklin St, Houston St, Prince St, and Spring St. It is also a safe area that can be easily reached by foot from nearby neighborhoods.
- Business and networking opportunities
SoHo is a very attractive hub for business people, techies, artists, and retailers. Some big players, such as Reddit, Warby Parker, and Contently are headquartered there, which makes it a very attractive area for new companies and talented professionals.
- Lifestyle and hot spots
The Museum of Ice Cream is a trendy and hip attraction that deserves to be visited. If you like vintage stuff, you should go to the Artists and Fleas Marketplace. And if you want to let your imagination run wild, then stop by The Drawing Center, which is a non-profit art gallery that exhibits modern and historic drawings.
4. Chelsea
AKA Manhattan’s art district. What makes Chelsea so attractive is the artistic vibe, its high-rise luxury buildings, and active nightlife. If you get to choose where to stay in NYC during your business trip, then renting an apartment in Chelsea, or staying in a hotel there is one of the best options. Chelsea is very well connected to the rest of Manhattan, and anything you need is at your fingertips: from the basics, such as public transportation, shopping options, nice bars, and restaurants, art exhibitions, to places for outdoor activities.
Highlights of Chelsea
- Convenient location
Chelsea's connectivity makes it an ideal destination since it’s easy to reach from anywhere in Manhattan. It is served by several subway lines, Penn Station, which is the main intercity railroad station in New York City, and the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) Train, that rides from and to Lower Manhattan, Midtown, and the New Jersey cities of Newark, Harrison, Jersey City, and Hoboken.
- Business and networking opportunities
Chelsea is a hot spot for techies, writers, graphic designers, and artists. Large companies such as Apple, Google, and Venmo are based there.
- Lifestyle and hot spots
Its art and fashion ambiance make Chelsea an attractive area mostly for international artists and fashion professionals. As in every district of New York, there are awesome places you can visit in Chelsea, such as The High Line, a 1.45-mile-long elevated linear park, The Vessel, which is an interactive sculpture, the Madison Square Garden, and the Chelsea Park. For shopping, we recommend Hudson Yards, and for dining, the Chelsea Market offers a tasty variety of food from all over the world.
5. DUMBO
DUMBO is the acronym of Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. It is one of the trendy and hipster neighborhoods of Brooklyn, that has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. This district stands out for its astonishing waterfront views, its history, and quaint streets. From being an industrial area with almost no residents, DUMBO shifted to be one of the most fashionable and attractive areas of Brooklyn, for tourists, young families, and companies.
Highlights of DUMBO
- Convenient location
It is located across the famous Brooklyn Bridge, which makes it easy to reach from Manhattan and Brooklyn, either by train or by ferry. It is served by subway lines A, C, and F. DUMBO is also connected with Midtown Manhattan, and the Financial District, by The East River Ferry.
- Business and networking opportunities
DUMBO is the top neighborhood in Brooklyn for young startups and some big players in the tech industry, such as Etsy, Credisimple, and Mouth Foods.
- Lifestyle and hot spots
The perks of renting an apartment in DUMBO for your work/leisure trip is the possibility to stay in a relaxed and well-connected neighborhood. The bohemian lifestyle and picturesque streets also attract many professionals, young families, and tourists. When staying in DUMBO, you must visit the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, which has been the setting for so many films. Other points of interest are The Main Street Park, and Jane’s Carousel, from where you can see one of the most beautiful views of Brooklyn, as well as the Dumbo Walls, which is a series of outdoor murals painted over four blocks.
If you are traveling for work to NYC, do not miss the chance to stay, or at least to make a tour in these neighborhoods. We hope you enjoy this incredible city that never sleeps!