Rooms by borough
Verified rooms for students in Queens
Queens is the most practical borough in the city for a student on a budget who still needs to be in Manhattan every day. Long Island City is literally one stop from Midtown on the E, M and 7, and Astoria is only a few minutes further on the N and W — commutes that beat plenty of Manhattan neighborhoods while costing less. It is also the most internationally diverse place in the United States, which matters more than it sounds when you have just moved countries: the food, the languages and the grocery stores are from everywhere, and almost nobody here is more than a generation from somewhere else. Cornell Tech sits on Roosevelt Island at the borough’s edge and St. John’s is further east in Jamaica. Every room we list is in a building our company operates, verified in person before it goes live, with no broker fee and a viewing before you commit to anything.
1 room in Queens right now
Browse all NYC roomsNeighborhoods in Queens
Where students actually live in Queens, and what each area trades off — commute, price, and how quiet the block is.
Long Island City
One stop from Midtown on the E, M and 7, and a short hop to Roosevelt Island for Cornell Tech. Mostly newer high-rise buildings with the best skyline views in the city, at a real discount to the Manhattan side of the river.
Astoria
The classic first apartment in New York: low-rise, walkable, endlessly good food, and the N and W into Midtown in about twenty minutes. Consistently one of the better value-per-minute-of-commute neighborhoods anywhere in the city.
Sunnyside & Woodside
Quiet, residential and very well connected — the 7 runs express through Woodside and gets to Grand Central in around twenty minutes. Rooms are usually larger here than for the same money in Astoria.
Jackson Heights
One of the most diverse neighborhoods in the world, with the E, F, M, R and 7 all stopping there. Pre-war garden apartments, excellent food, and prices well below anything closer to Manhattan.
Forest Hills
Leafy and settled, with express E and F service into Manhattan and the Long Island Rail Road if you want speed. A popular choice with graduate students who want quiet and space.
Jamaica
St. John’s main campus is nearby, and Jamaica is a major transit hub — the E, J and Z, the LIRR, and the AirTrain to JFK, which matters when you fly home. The best value on this list.
How much is a room in Queens in 2026?
Queens is where the commute-to-rent trade is most favourable. A room in Long Island City or Astoria typically costs well under a comparable Manhattan room while putting you closer to Midtown than much of Manhattan itself.
| Setup | Typical range | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Private room in a shared apartment | $900–$1,600/mo | Higher in Long Island City and Astoria, lower further east along the 7 and E. |
| Entire studio, renting solo | $2,200–$3,200/mo | Newer Long Island City towers sit at the top of this range. |
| Entire apartment, shared with friends | $2,800–$4,800/mo | Pre-war apartments further east give the most space per dollar in the city. |
Ranges are typical asking rents for student-style rooms as of 2026 and vary by neighborhood, building and season — May through August is peak leasing season and the most expensive. They are estimates, not quotes: message us and we will tell you what is actually available.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the commute from Queens to Manhattan?
Long Island City is one stop from Midtown on the E, M and 7 — around five minutes. Astoria is roughly twenty minutes on the N or W, Sunnyside and Woodside about twenty on the 7, and Forest Hills around thirty on the express E or F.
Is Queens cheaper than Manhattan for students?
Yes, and usually by a wide margin. A private room in a shared apartment typically runs about $900–$1,600 a month in Queens against $1,200–$2,100 in Manhattan, and rooms tend to be larger. Neighborhoods further east along the 7 and E lines are the best value.
Which Queens neighborhoods work for Cornell Tech or St. John’s?
Long Island City is the natural pick for Cornell Tech — Roosevelt Island is a short hop across. St. John’s main campus is in the Jamaica area, which is also a major transit hub. The school links further down this page show rooms near each campus.
Is there a broker fee on rooms in Queens?
No. Every room we list is in a building our company operates, so there is no broker in the middle and no broker fee.
Do you have rooms available in Queens right now?
Availability changes often, and Queens is not always stocked. If nothing is listed above at the moment, the rooms shown are verified options nearby — and you can message our team to be told as soon as a Queens room opens up.
Rooms near your school in Queens
Each campus has its own page with the rooms closest to it and the walk from the listing to class.
Other boroughs
Comparing areas, or flexible on where you land? Browse verified rooms across the rest of New York City.