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Marymount Manhattan College is an independent liberal arts college situated on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, with its main building near East 71st Street and Lexington Avenue. With approximately 2,000 students, MMC offers bachelor's degrees across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and business, with particular strength in theatre, dance, communication, and psychology. The college occupies a prime urban location that places students in one of New York City's most desirable and well-connected residential neighborhoods. MMC does not maintain a traditional residential campus model; instead, students either commute from throughout the New York metro area or secure their own housing in the surrounding neighborhoods of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. The proximity to Central Park, major subway lines, and the cultural institutions of the Upper East Side makes MMC's location an asset for students seeking internships and professional opportunities across the city. Housing in and around the college tends to be expensive, and students are strongly encouraged to research their options well before the academic year begins.
Marymount Manhattan College does not impose a mandatory freshman live-on requirement. Incoming students choose from college-affiliated housing options, independent off-campus apartments, or commuting from home, and there is no blanket rule requiring first-year students to live in a specific facility.
All students at MMC are eligible to live off campus at any point during their enrollment. The college's urban setting and the realities of the New York City housing market mean that many students, including freshmen, navigate the private rental market or seek roommates in shared apartments throughout the five boroughs.
New York City's rental market operates on tight timelines, with most available apartments leasing within days of listing. Students who plan to live off campus near MMC for the fall semester should begin their active search no later than March or April to access a reasonable selection of units, as the market peaks sharply in May and June.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with Marymount Manhattan College before signing a lease.
Students who start their New York City apartment search in February or March for a September start are in the best position to find reasonably priced units near the Upper East Side. The city's rental market moves extremely fast, and apartments near MMC's East 71st St location rarely stay listed for more than a few days before receiving multiple applications. Early searchers can take time to compare buildings, visit apartments in person, and negotiate terms rather than rushing into a decision.
May and June represent the peak of New York City's apartment rental season, when lease turnover is highest and competition for available units is most intense. During this window, one-bedroom apartments near MMC regularly attract multiple applicants within 24 to 48 hours of listing, and asking rents are at their seasonal high. Students searching in this period need to have their financial documents, guarantor information, and application fees ready to submit on the same day they view a unit.
Students who need housing in July or August face a fast-moving and expensive market, but options do exist. Listings appear daily on StreetEasy, Zillow, and Facebook housing groups, and some buildings offer move-in specials to fill vacancies before September. Students searching late should also consider neighborhoods slightly farther from campus such as Astoria or East Harlem, where pricing is lower and inventory tends to turn over more frequently.
The neighborhood surrounding MMC's campus along Lexington Avenue and the side streets off East 71st St offers the most direct proximity to classes, but rents here are among the highest in Manhattan. Studio and one-bedroom apartments command premium prices, and shared apartments are the most practical option for most students.
Yorkville, the stretch of the Upper East Side running roughly from East 79th to East 96th Street near the East River, offers slightly more affordable rents than the core Upper East Side while remaining within easy walking or biking distance of MMC. The neighborhood has a mix of pre-war and post-war buildings and a strong residential feel with good grocery and transit options.
East Harlem, just north of the Upper East Side above East 96th Street, provides meaningfully lower rents while sitting on the same subway lines that serve the MMC area. The 6 train connects East Harlem to the 68th Street - Hunter College stop, which is the closest station to MMC, making the commute straightforward and transit-dependent students viable in this neighborhood.
Astoria offers some of the best value for MMC students willing to cross into Queens. The N and W trains run between Astoria and the Upper East Side with manageable commute times, and rents for shared two- and three-bedroom apartments are substantially lower than comparable Manhattan options. Many MMC students find the tradeoff of a slightly longer commute worthwhile given the cost savings.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Studio apartments on the Upper East Side near MMC commonly list between $2,400 and $3,200 per month, while one-bedrooms range from $3,000 to $4,500 or higher. Students sharing two-bedroom apartments can bring individual costs to roughly $1,500 to $2,200 per person depending on the specific location and building.
Other universities in New York share a similar off-campus housing market.
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