Housing Manhattan

row of townhouses on 17–23 west 16th street



loft buildings (now apartments) in tribeca

during manhattan s history, wood construction , poor access water supplies left city vulnerable fires. in 1776, shortly after continental army evacuated manhattan , left british, massive fire broke out destroying one-third of city , 500 houses.

the rise of immigration near turn of 20th century left major portions of manhattan, lower east side, densely packed recent arrivals, crammed unhealthy , unsanitary housing. tenements five-stories high, constructed on then-typical 25 100 feet (7.6 30.5 m) lots, cockroach landlords exploiting new immigrants. 1929, stricter fire codes , increased use of elevators in residential buildings, impetus behind new housing code ended tenement form of new construction, though many tenement buildings survive today on east side of borough.

manhattan offers wide array of public , private housing options. there 852,575 housing units in 2013 @ average density of 37,345 per square mile (14,419/km²). of 2003, 20.3% of manhattan residents lived in owner-occupied housing, second-lowest rate of counties in nation, behind bronx. although city of new york has highest average cost rent in united states, simultaneously hosts higher average of income per capita. because of this, rent lower percentage of annual income in several other american cities.

manhattan s real estate market luxury housing continues among expensive in world, , manhattan residential property continues have highest sale price per square foot in united states.