Why live in Brooklyn or Greenwich Village when you can live in NoMad? Once an ignored section of New York City that people passed through to get from one part of the city to another or to shop the wholesale stores along Broadway, the rectangular patch of New York known as NoMad (North of Madison Square Park) has exploded in popularity in recent years to become one of New York City’s penultimate neighborhoods.
A chic and exciting place that offers easy access to the entire city, NoMad is now known for architecture that ranges from hip to historic, a vibrant nightlife, world-class hotels and condos, amazing restaurants, and high-end shopping. The new epicenter for New York’s creative and tech industries, NoMad is frequented by the young professionals, hipster 20-somethings, and the ultra-cool creatives who live or work here.
Centrally located in the middle of the city between Chelsea and Kips Bay, NoMad acts as a passageway between midtown and downtown, as well as Manhattan’s east and west sides. The name “NoMad” that has been in use since 1999 comes from the area’s location, which is north and west of Madison Square Park. The neighborhood extends approximately from 25th Street to 30th Street between The Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) and Lexington Avenue, bordering the popular Midtown South, Murray Hill, and Flatiron districts.
The city re-developed Madison Square Park in 2001, and since then the area has become a popular place for relaxing, sunning on the grass, people watching, and other outside activities. This 6.2-acre green space anchors the neighborhood, and both locals and visitors are more than happy to enjoy its spacious dog run, free WiFi, kids’ concerts, playgrounds, popular eateries, and art installations.
Finding an Apartment in NoMad
With so much going for it, it’s no wonder NoMad is such a desirable place to live. But typical of NYC’s trendy and popular neighborhoods, real estate in NoMad is not cheap. While apartment rentals in the neighborhood have decreased by -6.6% in the past year, as of January 2021, the average Nomad Luxury Apartment rent in NoMad is $3,066 for a studio, $4,419 for one-bedroom, $6,594 for two bedrooms, and $9,053 for three bedrooms. But with some diligence and legwork, bargains like a 1-bedroom apartment starting at $1,750 or studio co-ops for less than $400,000 can be found in older renovated buildings.
Typically, most newer buildings offer desirable amenities like a fitness center, a concierge or doorman, in-house washer and dryer or laundry room. Finding in-person open houses can be challenging in this time of COVID-19, but online virtual tours let renters check out a place from the comfort of their living room. It’s always good to call ahead, as many property owners and landlords will gladly arrange masked, social distanced open house tours.
