This Brooklyn neighborhood was crowned the best for 2026 home buyers-here is why

"Buying a home in New York City has rarely been described as "relaxed," but 2026 is quietly shaping up to be one of the most buyer-friendly years in recent memory-at least in the right neighborhoods. According to a new analysis from StreetEasy using listing data from December 2025 , rising inventory and falling asking prices are finally giving buyers something they haven't had in years: options. The real estate platform's annual list of the 10 best NYC neighborhoods for buyers highlights areas where the balance of power is shifting from sellers to people ready to move."

"Manhattan isn't sitting this one out either. The Lower East Side and Midtown East both made the cut, with asking prices down 7.2 percent and 7.6 percent, respectively. Midtown East, in particular, now has a median asking price under $1 million, which is an increasingly rare entry point for owning in Manhattan, also paired with a noticeable rise in available listings."

"Brooklyn dominates the rankings overall, claiming six of the 10 spots. Beyond Bushwick, neighborhoods like Williamsburg, Clinton Hill, Bay Ridge, Sheepshead Bay and Bedford-Stuyvesant all show some version of the same trend: prices easing, inventory ticking up and less-frenzied open houses. Sheepshead Bay stood out as one of the most affordable options on the list, with a median asking price of $515,000 after a nearly 20 percent annual drop."

Listing data from December 2025 show rising inventory and falling asking prices across several New York City neighborhoods, giving buyers more options and negotiating leverage. Bushwick led the shift with inventory up over 30 percent year-over-year and median asking prices down 16.3 percent to just under $1 million. Manhattan neighborhoods including the Lower East Side and Midtown East saw asking prices fall 7.2 percent and 7.6 percent, with Midtown East's median dipping below $1 million. Brooklyn claimed six of the top ten buyer-friendly neighborhoods, including Williamsburg and Sheepshead Bay, where the median asking price fell nearly 20 percent to $515,000. Kew Gardens emerged as the most affordable listed neighborhood with a median asking price near $365,000 and inventory rising about 8 percent.

Read at Time Out New York