Seeing is believing. Some crafty data-crunchers over at Medium’s Reform blog, Constantine Valhouli and his partner Cat Callaghan, have put together visualizations of NYC real estate prices that give a more realistic portrait of our notoriously expensive city.
While New York is definitely still expensive, the common estimate of $1,200 per square foot for your average apartment doesn’t really give a clear picture of prices. Valhouli and Callaghan felt that an infographic that used 3D extrusion would be more clear than the alarming heat maps that outlets often use.
Using data gathered “from StreetEasy, Trulia, Zillow, and RedFin on housing prices within the individual neighborhoods of New York City,” the pair discovered that there are still many areas to live in that are far more affordable than conventionally believed. Whether those neighborhoods are places you want to live is a different story — but almost everywhere in NYC has something going for it, right?
The most affordable hood in the city is Woodlawn in the Bronx, clocking in at $110/sq. ft. — but man that’s far. For convenience, one of the best deals actually requires leaving the city. Jersey City is $450/sq. ft and a ten minute commute to the village. But that means you live in Jersey. The only comparable prices in Brooklyn or Queens require a 30-40 minute commute. If you don’t mind traveling to Manhattan, Jamaica Hills in Queens is probably the best all-around deal at $205/sq. ft. Or you could always go to Staten Island, where the most expensive place is just a little more pricey than the cheapest spot in Manhattan.
You can see all of their findings here and weigh the pros and cons for yourself. And remember, money doesn’t buy happiness — unless your idea of happiness is avoiding long walks to the subway, having grocery stores nearby, and not being crawled on by roaches in your sleep. Then money might help.
(Photo: Reform)
