Downtown Manhattan Apartments for Rent - New York, NY

The best way to describe Downtown Manhattan would be an eclectic mix. The area is packed with NYU students, finance professionals, savvy shoppers, and culinary enthusiasts. There’s a ton of diversity in this area, and that diversity is widely celebrated with annual cultural events, museums, and historic sights.

Downtown Manhattan has a variety of energy from the fast paced Financial District to the fashionable Tribeca. The artistic spirit of Greenwich village is a stone's throw from the cultural hotbed of Chinatown. The atmosphere of Downtown is difficult to describe, and that’s because this part of Manhattan has a little bit of everything.

Transportation can be a bit tricky once you get below 14th street. The grid system slowly starts to disappear once you pass 1st street and from there, travel can be a bit hectic. That said, there are so many train stations that you never have far to walk before you reach the line or connection you need. With decent sized stations at Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, and W trains) and West 4th Street (A, B, C, D, E, F, and M trains), Downtown Manhattan is pretty accessible to the rest of the city, especially Brooklyn.

Due to the growing population of students and young professionals, biking is growing much more popular in these Downtown areas. Many bike lanes have popped up on the streets, and more are being added every year. There’s also a high number for Citi Bike docking stations.

While parking can be a bit sparse Downtown, it’s still mostly a good area for cars with the exception of SoHo, Little Italy, and parts of Chinatown. There’s easy access to FDR and the West Side Highway, so zipping uptown is usually a piece of cake.

NYC is extremely safe, and Downtown Manhattan is no exception. Violent crime is extremely rare and petty crime is also on the decline. The area is very well lit and has a busy nightlife, so everyone can feel safe walking the streets no matter what time of day it is.

Hospitals in the area are a bit more spread out than in other parts of Manhattan. However, each one is of a high caliber, and the convenient access to the rest of the island means you can reach your preferred hospital pretty easily whether it’s Uptown or Downtown.

• East Village: An artsy neighborhood, the East Village is home to The Metropolitan Playhouse and the Bowery Poetry Club.
• West Village: Another artistic community, the West Village is home to The Stonewall Inn and The Whitney Museum of American Art.
• Lower East Side: Home to a variety of art galleries and music venues, this neighborhood is perfect for emerging artists.
• Greenwich Village: Home to NYU and Washington Square Park, this neighborhood has a reputation for voicing new, progressive ideas.
• SoHo: A popular spot for boutique shopping and pop up stores, SoHo is made up of dozens of cast iron buildings.
• Little Italy: A tiny neighborhood with a big heart, Little Italy is the place to go for authentic Italian cuisine.
• Chinatown: Full of culture and great food, Chinatown is a neighborhood with historic significance and amazing street markets.
• Financial District: The finance capital of the world, The World Trade Center and 9/11 Memorial can be found here.
• Tribeca: Full of old industry buildings that have since been turned into apartments, this neighborhood is home to the Tribeca Film Festival.
• Civic Center: Home to the NYC Government buildings, like One Police Plaza and City Hall.
• South Street Seaport: A Historic District full of renovated sailing ships and great views.
• Battery Park City: A relatively new neighborhood, Battery Park City is a bustling residential neighborhood with beautiful parks and open spaces.

• Want to catch some Off-Broadway theater? Check out what’s playing at The Public or see long running performances from Stomp and The Blue Man Group.
• Hungry? Check out Little Italy and Chinatown for the best meal of your life. Then head to Ellen’s Cheesecake Factory for dessert.
• Want to shop up a storm? Head to SoHo for a unique, boutique shopping experience.
• Walk the Highline from the West Village to Chelsea! Try to make it to Chelsea by sunset for an awesome view.
• Want to relax in the sun, catch an outdoor movie, or participate in some activism? Washington Square Park will not disappoint.

One of the oldest parts of the city, Downtown Manhattan was the original sight of New Amsterdam, a Dutch colony that was soon kicked out by the British. Once the English took over in 1664, the colony was renamed New York, though it was still largely farmland in the beginning. The city quickly grew in size and scale, with Columbia University originally being located here. The British maintained control of the Island until the end of the Revolution.

Until the 1800’s, Downtown Manhattan had a fire safety issue, in that the city would burn to the ground every few years or so. It was then that cast iron buildings were introduced, marking a precursor for the steel framed skyscrapers that mark the city today. Many of these cast iron buildings can still be found in SoHo.

Additionally in the 1800’s, New York became an economic powerhouse thanks to immigration and the efforts of Alexander Hamilton. This led to New York creating its famous grid system in 1811, which paved the way to expand the city into the rest of the island.

By the 1900’s, Manhattan started to build skyscrapers where they could and made Downtown Manhattan into a financial and cultural hotspot. Downtown Manhattan was the location of the Stonewall Riots which led to the LGBTQ+ liberation movement. Today, Downtown Manhattan is still a cultural and financial powerhouse.