For the average New Yorker, finding a home is a careful calculation of price, location, square footage, amenities, and so on—usually in that order.

With a low budget, the search for a great apartment to rent in Brooklyn and Manhattan’s hip neighborhoods can be soul-crushing work.

This is partly because not as many renters are setting their sites North and East.

Neighboring underdog Queens sports several neighborhoods with all the vibrant energy of Manhattan for half the price.

Queens is densely populated, uniquely diverse and has an amazing array of local bars, restaurants, and cultural outings all walking distance from its historic pre-war houses and spacious apartments.

Queens has some of the best up-and-coming and affordable neighborhoods to check out if you’re in the market for new digs this new decade.