A Former Digital Nomad’s Guide to NYC — From a New York Resident
I first moved to New York in 2019. I was 20 years old. I lived there for three years, braving the city through most of the pandemic, living alone in a shoebox studio apartment.
When my lease ended in 2022, I left the city to travel the world.
I lived without a lease for the next two years. I spent months in Europe, Latin America, and even traveled around the U.S. I would return to New York occasionally. I spent a month in Bushwick in late 2022 and another in 2023 subletting for a friend in Chelsea. I supposed I was a two-time digital nomad in New York.
Then last year, I decided to move back and commit to a lease.
I say all this because I’ve lived in different boroughs for many years, with leases and short-term stints.
Today I want to share my tips for those who work virtually and are called to spend a few weeks or months in the city of cities, the bright lights of New York City.
On Paper, New York Is One of The Best Cities to Be a Digital Nomad… Except for One Problem: Cost of Living
New York is not a city to visit. It’s a city to spend time in.
Skip the touristy stuff and try to live the way millions do in New York City, chatting in bars, eating food from all over the world, and exploring almost any subculture you can think of. One week in New York is hardly enough to move past the initial overwhelm. I recommend at least a month.
New York checks most of the boxes digital nomads look for: culture, great urbanism, food, and reliable workspaces. New York isn’t known for its good weather, but spring and fall are gorgeous.
The obvious problem is how expensive it is.
New York Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive
I always get a chuckle from the troll posts on Reddit that say “I make $200k in New York City and I can’t afford groceries.” This type of joke has become a meme throughout the city because those who live in New York know that millions of New Yorkers live on working-class salaries.
You don’t have to pay $7 for a latte or $5000 a month for rent.
There’s a saying here that “there are two New Yorks.”
The locals know where to get a great lunch for $8-$12 and coffee that hits the spot for $2. They know the neighborhoods with their charms and moderate rent that you won’t see the tourists taking photos in front of for their social media.
I’ve experienced both New Yorks.
I lived on the Lower East Side as it transitioned from an immigrant-working class area to a hub for yuppies and NYU students whose parents have money.
(In other words, I watched in gentrify before my eyes. I was one of the gentrifiers, and then within three years, got pushed away myself by rising rents.)
Now I live in the Bronx. I know the spots. And some of my favorites, like community gardens, are completely free. In this article, I cover more of my budget NYC tips.
I Aim to Give You Tips In The Spirit of Digital Nomading — “Geoarbitrage”
Geoarbitrage is the idea of moving to a place with a lower cost of living to save money or improve your standard of living. It’s a big reason why digital nomads flock to countries like Thailand and Mexico.
New York is not where people go to save money, but I’ll provide tips in the spirit of this idea. I think a nomad stint in New York City doesn’t have to set you back financially.
If you have money to spend, then that’s even better. During my nomad journeys, I spent several months in more expensive places, not just New York. (Hi London I love you and your clean, on-time trains.) I often set with by spending most of my time is lower cost-of-living places.
New York Housing Options I Recommend for Digital Nomads
Housing is one of the most expensive and important decisions for any digital nomad decision. In New York, it’s especially ruthless and important.
It’s the most challenging part of living affordably here. Everything else, from food to things to do, you can find for cheap in New York.
If you figure out a comfortable housing situation, you’ve done half the work to have a great time in New York.
The New York City real estate market, we all know, is a cluster. Lots of people want to live here and there aren’t enough homes. That means you’re fighting for limited homes.
I’ve signed leases here and I’ve done short-term stints. Here are the housing options I’d look into without signing a proper lease.
Airbnb in Someone’s Home
To help address the housing crisis and homes getting taken off the market to be converted into Airbnbs, New York City passed a law restricting Airbnbs.
The law
Basically, only Airbnbs where you share the space with a host are allowed.
This can be ideal if you spend weeks and not months in New York. You can stay with a New Yorker, get local recs for the neighborhood, and save by having a roommate.
During my time as a nomad, I spent one month in Brooklyn in an Airbnb where I just had a room in an apartment. It was just like I had roommates. I spent around $1200 for the month I think, and I had no complaints.
Today you can find a lot for $1500-$2000 a month outside of Manhattan.
Read the reviews. Know what you’re getting yourself into. But especially if you’re out of Manhattan, a budget of $2000 per month should get you something decent. If that’s pushing it, there are options for less than $1500.
If you want to ball you can get a great spot.
Airbnb has a key advantage: not needing to deal with New York City real estate. You just book it.
Find a Sublet on Facebook, Craigslist, or Reddit
If you want to find housing like a true New Yorker, then it’s time to grind the sublet markets.
A sublet is when somebody lets you temporarily live in their space, usually for a few months. That means you have a short to mid-term length apartment that’s already furnished.
This will be both the most authentic New York experience, and the most affordable. You can find rooms in great areas for less than $1500 per month.
Check out the NYCapartments subreddit. People post sublet opportunities all the time.
There are similar forums on Craigslist as well as Facebook groups. Keep checking and the right living situation in the right neighborhood for you will pop up. It might take a few weeks, but that’s the nature of New York real estate.
The downside to this one is that you will spend hours of your life searching, and there will be a back-and-forth process.
Furnished Finder
My girlfriend used to be a travel nurse, so she tipped me off to this one. Furnished Finder has lots of options for whole furnished apartments and for private rooms in apartments. There are more options than you’ll see on Airbnb.
Outsite
This is an expensive option, but it’s built for nomads, so it’s worth mentioning.
If you’re a digital nomad, you may already know about Outsite. It’s basically an expensive, upscale hostel with co-working.
Over 4k for a month and still a shared bathroom… yikes.
They have locations in Midtown, Chelsea (which is also in Midtown, but a cooler part), and Park Slope, Brooklyn, which is an upscale part of Brooklyn.
I include it here for one main reason: it’s short-term housing that’s not hard to book.
My preferred options like finding a sublet you’ll get a much better deal and more authentic New York housing experience. However, you’ll have to grind the real estate market just like the rest of us.
Outsite is like booking an Airbnb and it’s designed for digital nomads. You can rely on having a workspace, and because it’s co-living, there are options to save some money but even those are expensive. Their locations are in very expensive neighborhoods, though, so it’s not a budget option.
Hostels? I Wouldn’t Recommend in NYC
New York doesn’t have that many hostels and they have a lot of tourists. Low supply + high demand = expensive prices, even for a bunk bed.
With that said, IH Hostel on the Upper West Side is nice and provides a classic hostel experience (I stay with IH in San Francisco), but it’s not cheap.
Great Neighborhoods in New York for Digital Nomads
(A note on gentrification: A common theme among these neighborhoods is that a lot of people from outside the city have moved there, seeking lower rents. This in turn means higher demand for housing, which increases costs. In many neighborhoods, people who’ve lived there for generations have had to leave because of this. This is a touchy and complicated subject. I’m working on a guide on ethical digital nomading. For now, I would just say: know your impact. You’re playing a part of the increasing demand and prices. Support local businesses over chains. Find some volunteer opportunities. Make connections with locals. Hear their perspective on the changes and find out how you can support them in small ways.)
I don’t know if it’s fair to say that Manhattan is overrated. But I don’t think it’s fair to say that for the price you pay and the space you get, it’s the worst value.
The borough where I would look for the combination of the best deals for the food and culture you get is Queens.
I’m going to mention some neighborhoods but the truth is there are dozens of neighborhoods worth looking into, many of which I haven’t been to. That’s the beauty of New York. Just because it’s not here on my list, doesn’t mean you should rule it out.
Queens: The 7 Train is Your Compass
The 7 train line runs through some of Queens’ most vibrant and diverse neighborhoods. It’s probably the place with the best food in the entire world. Here are a few options along that train line.
Jackson Heights
Jackson Heights is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the world. It also has the best food, great subway service (try to stay near the Roosevelt Ave subway stop), and just a great culture in general.
It’s still a decent value too. You’ll find plenty of cafes with Wi-Fi, and the various train options that get you to Midtown in about 20-25 minutes.
Flushing
If you love Asian cuisine, Flushing is for you. This neighborhood has one of the largest Chinese communities outside Asia, with amazing food courts, bakeries, and restaurants.
The Flushing Chinatown is better than the Chinatown in Lower Manhattan. Among New Yorkers, this isn’t even up for debate.
Flushing’s main streets can be chaotic, but move a few blocks away and you’ll find quieter residential streets.
The 7 train’s last stop is here, so your commute to Manhattan will be about 45 minutes. You’ll never need to leave Flushing though if you don’t want to.
Sunnyside
A more under-the-radar option, Sunnyside has a quieter feel (for New York standards.) It’s a bit closer to Manhattan too.
Astoria
While not on the 7 train, Astoria is a great option too. The N and W trains connect you to Manhattan in about 20 minutes. The neighborhood is famous for its Greek heritage, but now offers incredible diversity in food, from Egyptian to Brazilian to Czech.
The area has plenty of coffee shops that welcome remote workers, and a lively nightlife scene if you want to socialize after work.
Brooklyn Neighborhoods for Digital Nomads
Bushwick
Once an industrial area, Bushwick has transformed into the poster child neighborhood for how New York has changed (gentrified.)
Today it’s filled with artists and creatives. It has some of the city’s best nightlife too.
Bed-Stuy (Bedford-Stuyvesant)
Like Bushwick, it has changed a lot. More students and artists have moved there seeking lower rents. I was just there this weekend for a birthday party.
The rents are still reasonable compared to more gentrified parts of Brooklyn.
Gowanus
Sandwiched between the more expensive neighborhoods of Park Slope and Carroll Gardens, Gowanus is also historically an industrial area.
Now it has lots of new residential housing, breweries, and other things like that.
Manhattan
If you have your heart set on Manhattan, head uptown unless you’ve got money to burn.
Washington Heights
Washington Heights offers more space for your money, authentic New York-Dominican culture, and amazing food. The A train will get you downtown when needed, but you’ll find plenty of places to work locally too.
They say Washington Heights is the last bastion of affordability in Manhattan. If you’ve ever wanted to go to the Dominican Republic, you may as well just go to Washington Heights.
To hype yourself up for this, you’ve gotta watch Lin Manuel Miranda’s musical, In The Heights
Harlem
You can still find some decently affordable spots in Harlem too. In general, I’d say look around 116th St over 125th.
Are All of These Places Safe??
Despite what the media coverage may reveal, New York is about as safe as any other time in history. The subway is safer than ever. Its violent crime rate is on par with its suburbs.
Of course, you’ll see unbelievable, awful things in the news. There are over 8 million people here.
There are very few streets in New York where it’s not safe to walk.
Look, you’re a digital nomad so you know the drill. Keep your wits about you, don’t flash wealth, don’t wander around places you don’t know that well at night.
For women, it’s different. You may get cat-called and even harassed. You are around millions of people, and New York isn’t known for its manners. If you’re on certain streets, you’ll see people doing heroin. I’ve been around New York enough to see my fair share of street fights break out, at which point I calmly walk to the other side of the street and move on with my day. If you’re looking for a calm, cozy nomad experience, New York is not the city for you.
In New York, you will be exposed to extremes of the human experience.
You’ll see buildings and institutions of absurd wealth and encounter poverty, even in some of the “nicest” areas. But poverty and the discomfort you may feel at seeing it should not be confused with the city not being safe.
I live in a part of the Bronx that was famous for literally being on fire in the 1970s and 80s. It’s also where crack cocaine was invented. I’m not a tough person and I’m not thugging it out at all. As long as you don’t pick fights or sell drugs you’ll be fine.
How to Get Around New York
Obviously, you don’t need a car in New York City. You won’t want one. You can use rideshares, but in New York, they’re ridiculously expensive.
Transit and biking are the moves for anything that’s not walking distance. The public transit has its struggles, but it’s the best North America has to offer by far.
The Subway
This is so obvious it’s hardly worth mentioning. Moving on.
The Buses
Especially if you’re staying outside of Manhattan, you’ll quickly realize that the subway network has a lot of gaps. Fortunately, buses fill a lot of these gaps. They’re also usually less hectic and cleaner than the subways.
Citi Bike
I have a yearly Citi Bike membership and it’s one of the best deals in New York City, at $199 for the whole year (Lyft Pink All Access.)
However, per ride, it’s expensive and they don’t have a monthly option. This makes it not a good deal for digital nomads. If you’re here for three months and want to bike everywhere, I’d still consider $199 for the whole time a decent offer.
I dive into the details of Citi Bike in this article.
Also, if you’re a nomad and a cyclist, you may appreciate this article.
Get a Bike on Facebook Marketplace
If you love the idea of biking as your main form of transit but don’t want to use Citi Bike, then check out bikes on Facebook Marketplace.
Facebook Marketplace in New York City is another level. You can get just about anything on there. If you need a bike for less than $100 tomorrow, you can get it.
Then, resell it on Facebook Marketplace when you leave.
Coffee Shops: There are Thousands
To give coffee shop recommendations in New York City is ridiculous because there are so many. Pick a neighborhood first and go from there.
In Manhattan lots of coffee shops are not work-friendly, especially on weekends. In the boroughs, you’re more likely to be able to chill all day long.
Oh, and don’t go to Starbucks. You’re in New York. Do better.
I would pass on co-working spaces in New York. I have no doubt there are hundreds of options. They’re probably expensive and not necessary.
Explore the New York Public Library
If you sign a sublet of some kind, you may even be able to say you’re a “resident” and get an NYCID card, which allows you to get a library card. Then you can check out books which makes it even better.
But you don’t need to be an NYPL member to go in and work. The main branch in Midtown is the best co-working space in New York City and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise (as long as you don’t have to go on calls.)
An Easy Gym to Join and Cancel: Blink Fitness
Since you’re not just here for a few days, you’ll need a gym routine.
There are hundreds of options for every type of workout you can imagine: Yoga, CrossFit, spin classes.
If you’re just looking for a reliable commercial gym, I recommend Blink Fitness for a few reasons.
First, it’s affordable. Their offers vary, but it’s about less than $40 per month.
Second, they make it easy to cancel. When I was only in New York for a month-long stint, I joined and canceled the same day, which gave me access to the gym for 60 days.
I paid a $1 promotion sign-up fee and a 30ish dollar cancellation fee. When I told the front desk my situation, that’s what they recommended.
Since there are locations all around the city, you can get a plan that allows you to go to any one as well.
As a gym itself, it’s nothing special, but it has all the essentials for any commercial gym.
Healthy Food Options So You Don’t Go Broke
You can of course eat out every meal in New York.
But both for your health and for your wallet, it’s probably good to cook at least some of the time.
I get most of my food at farmer’s markets in New York. They have them year-round in many places too. During the warmer months, there are dozens of options throughout the whole city.
GrowNYC has a great guide on Farmer’s Markets in NYC.
Of course, grocery stores exist too.
I Think That Covers It
If you have a question about digital nomading in New York and you think other people might have it too, leave on comment on this article.
I know New York is not the first city you think of when you think of digital nomading. But if you have the flexibility to work from wherever, I recommend coming for at least a month or two.
More Digital Nomad Guides
After two years as a digital nomad, I chose New York over anywhere else. You can read more about this in my article on the why I’m not longer a digital nomad.
Other U.S. Destinations
In my time traveling, went across the country. Here are some other U.S. cities that I think fit the mold for what nomads look for.
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