Financial District takes the top spot on StreetEasy’s neighborhoods to watch in 2026

[ad_1] Manhattan climbed again on prime of StreetEasy’s checklist of 10 New York Metropolis neighborhoods to observe in 2026.

The annual checklist tracks the areas that noticed the best improve in searches by patrons and renters from 2024 to 2025. In a shift from final yr: Manhattan regained its edge, securing the #1, #2, and #4 spots for 2026 with the Monetary District, East Village, and Decrease East Aspect.

On final yr’s checklist, Manhattan solely landed one spot, coming in tenth with Morningside Heights.

Monetary District: A sleeper hit Within the prime spot for 2026, the Monetary District “tends to be overshadowed by its flashier neighbors like Tribeca and SoHo,” based on the report. However condo hunters gave this neighborhood the most important year-over-year leap in searches on StreetEasy: a 46.7 p.c improve from 2024 to 2025.

As soon as identified for its workplace buildings and eating places catering to the lunchtime crowd, the neighborhood has grown extra residential, due to redevelopment initiatives like 25 Water St., often called SoMA, the U.S.’s largest office-to-residential conversion to this point with 1,320 rental models.

Rising demand from Manhattan patrons A bump in Manhattan actual property searches tracks with demand seen within the Manhattan gross sales market.

Within the fourth quarter, rising gross sales and falling stock for Manhattan’s condos and co-ops led to a “market [that] felt quicker on the bottom,” wrote Jonathan Miller, president and CEO of appraisal agency Miller Samuel and creator of the Elliman Report.

In actual fact the Manhattan gross sales market has seen transactions and median gross sales value rise for 5 consecutive quarters, based on Miller.

Choices within the outer boroughs Though Manhattan gained extra spots on StreetEasy’s checklist this yr, it's nonetheless dominated by Brooklyn and Queens. That’s as a result of there are extra choices for patrons and renters at new developments within the outer boroughs.

A latest report from the Actual Property Board of New York on the progress that the town is making towards its aim of including 500,000 new housing models by 2034 underscores the place growth is happening (and the way little has been constructed thus far).

Solely 66,162 models have been accomplished because the first quarter of 2024, simply 13 p.c of the five hundred,000-unit aim. Brooklyn and Queens account for somewhat greater than two-thirds (65 p.c) of completions because the first quarter of 2024, the REBNY report mentioned.

East Village affords a reduction Within the second spot is a newcomer to StreetEasy’s checklist: The East Village, which is seeing sturdy demand from renters, mirrored in a 13.4 p.c rise in median asking hire to $4,560, the steepest leap on StreetEasy’s checklist. The realm, “a hub for inventive and countercultural actions” is near NYU and Cooper Union, and rental inventory consists of many prewar buildings and a small variety of new developments.

Models right here are usually small (even by NYC requirements) studios and one bedrooms, as per the report. Perhaps that’s why patrons right here can rating a reduction in comparison with different neighborhoods: the median asking value fell 6.3 p.c to $1,199,000, an 11 p.c low cost in comparison with the borough median of $1,350,000.

Windsor Terrace strikes up Within the third is the Brooklyn neighborhood of Windsor Terrace, which rose two spots from final yr with a 44.9 p.c annual improve in searches, the most important leap amongst Brooklyn locations on the checklist.

The neighborhood close to Prospect Park is taken into account a extra reasonably priced various to Park Slope, its neighbor to the north, with a median asking value of $1,125,000 in comparison with Park Slope’s $1,723,000, nevertheless listings are restricted. Windsor Terrace’s median asking value mirrored a 12.8 p.c annual decline, the steepest drop on the checklist by greater than double.

For leases, Windsor Terrace noticed a 7.2 p.c rise in median asking hire to $3,800, simply above the borough’s $3,600 median.

Housing right here is basically single- and multifamily townhouses with some low-rise condo buildings. However with the Metropolis Council’s approval of a spot rezoning for Arrow Linen, a industrial linen supplier, a big new growth may very well be constructed on Prospect Avenue. The Metropolis Council knocked just a few tales off the plan, finally approving growth of two, new 10-story residential buildings with a complete of 250 housing models, together with 100 models put aside as completely reasonably priced.