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*Disclaimer: HeyAllergy® provides all clinical services furnished to patients in California, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Nevada, Pennsylvania. In New York, clinical services are furnished by Hey Allergy Medicine.
Real-time pollen data for New York City — updated daily. Powered by board-certified allergists.
Tree pollen is the first and most intense wave of NYC's allergy season. Oak is the dominant tree allergen across all five boroughs, producing heavy pollen loads from April through May. Birch trees — abundant in Central Park, Prospect Park, and residential neighborhoods throughout Brooklyn and Queens — release highly allergenic pollen from March through April. Maple, elm, sycamore, and ash trees round out the major tree triggers. NYC recorded pollen counts ranging from 8.6 to 11.2 (high to very high) during peak spring 2025.
What makes NYC different: The city's "urban canyon" effect — tall buildings lining narrow streets — can trap and concentrate pollen at street level, creating localized hotspots even blocks away from the nearest park or tree-lined avenue.
As tree pollen subsides, grass pollen takes over. Timothy grass, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and Bermuda grass are the primary grass allergens in New York City. Central Park, Prospect Park, Riverside Park, and the many smaller green spaces throughout the boroughs are major sources. Grass pollen peaks in June and can remain elevated through July, creating an overlap period with late tree pollen in May that is particularly difficult for multi-sensitized allergy sufferers.
NYC's parks and maintained green spaces — while essential for quality of life — are concentrated grass pollen sources that can spike counts in surrounding neighborhoods during peak season.
Ragweed is New York City's most potent fall allergen. A single ragweed plant can produce up to one billion pollen grains per season, and those grains can travel up to 400 miles on the wind — meaning NYC receives ragweed pollen from far beyond city limits. Mugwort, pigweed, and lamb's quarters are additional weed triggers found in vacant lots, construction sites, and along roadways throughout the boroughs. Ragweed season typically runs from mid-August through the first hard frost, usually in late October or November.
Climate change has extended NYC's ragweed season in recent years, with warmer falls delaying the first frost and allowing ragweed to pollinate longer than in previous decades.
New York City's indoor allergen profile is uniquely challenging. Dust mites thrive in the city's older housing stock, particularly in carpeted apartments and buildings with limited ventilation. Cockroach allergens are a significant trigger in NYC — studies have found cockroach allergen present in a majority of inner-city apartments, and it's a major contributor to childhood asthma in the city. Mold spores are prevalent in older buildings, basements, bathrooms, and throughout the subway system. Pet dander from cats and dogs is the most common indoor allergen statewide.
For many New Yorkers, the combination of small living spaces, older buildings, and year-round indoor allergen exposure means symptoms persist even when outdoor pollen counts are low.
Winter is the closest thing to an allergy-free period that New York City offers. Cold temperatures and frozen ground suppress outdoor pollen production almost entirely. However, indoor allergens — dust mites, mold, pet dander, and cockroach allergens — can intensify as New Yorkers spend more time inside with windows sealed. Older apartment buildings with radiator heat and poor ventilation are particularly problematic during winter months.
Top allergens: Dust mites, mold, cockroach allergens, pet dander
Severity: Low (outdoor), moderate (indoor)
Tip: Use a humidifier cautiously — while dry winter air irritates nasal passages, excess humidity above 50% fuels dust mite and mold growth. Keep humidity between 30–50%.
This is New York City's worst allergy period. Birch and maple trees begin releasing pollen in March, with oak joining by April. May sees the overlap of late tree pollen with early grass pollen — a double exposure that overwhelms many allergy sufferers. Central Park, Prospect Park, and the city's tree-lined streets become major allergen sources. Pollen counts frequently reach "Very High" levels during warm, windy April and May days.
Top allergens: Oak, birch, maple, elm, sycamore, early grass
Severity: High to very high
Tip: Avoid outdoor exercise in parks between 5–10 AM when pollen counts peak. This is the ideal time to start immunotherapy — don't wait until symptoms are unbearable.
Grass pollen dominates June and early July, with Timothy grass, bluegrass, and ryegrass at their peaks. By late July, grass pollen begins declining, but mold spore counts rise significantly during the hot, humid summer months. August marks the transition as ragweed begins its season. NYC's urban heat island effect — where concrete and asphalt retain heat, making the city warmer than surrounding areas — can accelerate plant growth and extend pollen production.
Top allergens: Timothy grass, bluegrass, mold spores, early ragweed
Severity: Moderate to high
Tip: Summer thunderstorms temporarily reduce pollen but cause mold spikes afterward. Run a HEPA air purifier and keep AC filters clean — NYC apartments with window units are especially prone to mold buildup.
Ragweed is the dominant fall allergen and one of the most potent in New York City. It peaks in September and can persist into October depending on when the first frost arrives. Mold spore counts also spike as fallen leaves decompose in parks and gutters, creating a double exposure for sensitized individuals. Climate change has been pushing the first frost later in recent years, extending ragweed season.
Top allergens: Ragweed, mugwort, mold spores
Severity: Moderate to high
Tip: Ragweed pollen travels hundreds of miles — even leaving the city for the weekend won't necessarily provide relief. Track daily counts and premedicate on high-count days.
The first hard frost — typically arriving in late October or November — kills ragweed and signals the end of outdoor pollen season. By December, outdoor allergen counts are minimal. However, the shift to indoor heating and sealed windows can trigger or worsen indoor allergy symptoms. Holiday decorations, including natural Christmas trees, can also introduce mold spores and tree pollen into homes.
Top allergens: Indoor mold, dust mites, pet dander
Severity: Low (outdoor), low to moderate (indoor)
Tip: Use this low-pollen window to deep clean your apartment — wash all bedding, vacuum with a HEPA filter, and address any visible mold in bathrooms or around windows before sealing up for winter.
NYC's tall buildings and narrow streets create "urban canyons" that trap and concentrate pollen at street level. On windy spring days, pollen that would normally disperse in open areas instead circulates between buildings at pedestrian height. If you walk or bike commute, consider wearing a KN95 mask during peak tree pollen weeks (mid-April through May) — it's already normalized in NYC post-pandemic and makes a significant difference in allergen inhalation.
Central Park, Prospect Park, Riverside Park, and other green spaces are major pollen sources during spring and summer. Pollen counts in NYC peak between 5 AM and 10 AM. If you run, walk, or exercise in the parks, shift your schedule to late afternoon or evening when counts drop. After rain is also a good window — pollen is temporarily washed from the air, though mold counts can rise within 24 hours of heavy rain.
New York apartments present unique indoor allergen challenges that suburban homes don't. Cockroach allergens are present in a significant percentage of NYC apartments and are a major asthma trigger — use bait traps rather than spray pesticides, seal cracks and gaps around pipes, and keep food tightly sealed. Older buildings with radiator heat and poor ventilation trap dust mite and mold allergens. If your building has a persistent moisture or mold issue, document it and request remediation from your landlord.
The NYC subway system harbors elevated mold spore levels — the warm, humid underground environment is ideal for mold growth. If you commute via subway and notice your symptoms worsen during commuting hours, mold may be a significant trigger. A KN95 or N95 mask during your commute can help filter mold spores. Discuss mold testing with your allergist if subway commuting consistently worsens your symptoms.
Late April through May is the most brutal period for NYC allergy sufferers because tree pollen (oak, birch) and grass pollen (Timothy, bluegrass) overlap. If you're sensitized to both, this 4–6 week window can be overwhelming even with medication. Start your allergy regimen 2 weeks before tree pollen season begins (early March) rather than waiting for symptoms to hit. Nasal saline rinses morning and evening can help flush accumulated pollen during this intense period.
If you've been rotating through Zyrtec, Claritin, Allegra, and Flonase for years and still suffering through NYC springs and falls, you're managing symptoms without treating the root cause. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) — like HeyAllergy's HeyPak® drops — retrains your immune system to stop overreacting to the specific allergens triggering your symptoms. Most patients notice improvement within 3–6 months. HeyAllergy makes it easy for busy New Yorkers: book a telemedicine consultation, get your blood allergy test ordered at a local lab, and have your customized drops shipped to your apartment.
April through May is typically the worst period for NYC allergy sufferers, when tree pollen from oak, birch, and maple peaks and overlaps with early grass pollen. September is also severe due to ragweed. NYC's pollen counts regularly reach "Very High" levels during warm, windy spring days.
Outdoor pollen season runs from March through October, with a genuine winter break from November through February. However, indoor allergens — dust mites, mold, cockroach allergens, and pet dander — are active year-round in NYC apartments, meaning many residents experience allergy symptoms in every month.
NYC's urban heat island effect causes the city to be warmer than surrounding areas, which can accelerate plant growth and extend pollen seasons. The "urban canyon" effect of tall buildings traps pollen at street level. Air pollution from traffic and construction irritates airways and lowers the threshold for allergic reactions. Additionally, older apartment buildings harbor elevated levels of indoor allergens like mold, dust mites, and cockroach allergens.
Yes. HeyAllergy provides telemedicine appointments with board-certified allergists licensed in New York. You can book a virtual consultation, have allergy blood tests ordered at a local lab, receive a diagnosis, and start treatment — all without visiting a clinic. No waitlist.
HeyAllergy's HeyPak® sublingual immunotherapy drops are customized based on your blood allergy test results and formulated with allergens specific to the New York City region — including oak, birch, maple, Timothy grass, ragweed, dust mites, and mold. You place drops under your tongue daily at home. Over 3–6 months, your immune system builds tolerance, reducing symptoms and medication dependence.
HeyAllergy accepts Medicare and most major PPO health plans, including United Healthcare, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, Oscar, and Tricare. Telemedicine benefits vary by plan — contact your insurance provider with HeyAllergy's Tax ID (85-0834175) to confirm your specific coverage.
Yes. Studies have found cockroach allergen present in a majority of inner-city NYC apartments, and it's a significant contributor to allergic asthma, especially in children. Unlike pollen, cockroach allergens are present year-round. Use bait traps (not sprays), seal entry points around pipes, and discuss cockroach allergen testing with your allergist if you have persistent indoor allergy symptoms.
HeyAllergy has no waitlist. You can book an online appointment at a time that works for you and see a board-certified allergist via secure video consultation — typically within days, not weeks. Available for residents throughout all five NYC boroughs and the greater New York metro area.
New York City presents allergy sufferers with a uniquely challenging combination of factors found nowhere else in the country. The city's 8.3 million residents live in one of the most densely populated urban environments on earth, surrounded by millions of trees, extensive park systems, aging housing infrastructure, and a subway system that harbors its own microclimate of airborne allergens. Spring 2025 was recorded as one of the most intense allergy seasons in recent NYC history, with pollen counts regularly hitting "Very High" levels across all five boroughs.
Unlike sprawling Sun Belt cities where allergens disperse across open terrain, NYC's density concentrates them. The "urban canyon" effect — created by tall buildings lining narrow streets — traps pollen at pedestrian level. The city's urban heat island effect makes NYC warmer than surrounding suburban and rural areas, which accelerates plant growth and extends pollen production. And climate change has been pushing allergy seasons earlier and longer, with warmer springs triggering earlier tree blooms and warmer falls delaying the first frost that kills ragweed.
New York City's park system is one of its greatest assets — Central Park alone spans 843 acres in the middle of Manhattan. But from an allergy perspective, these green spaces are concentrated allergen sources surrounded by millions of people in close proximity. During peak tree pollen season (April–May), walking through or near Central Park, Prospect Park, Riverside Park, or any of the city's tree-lined streets means direct exposure to heavy oak, birch, maple, and sycamore pollen. Grass pollen from park lawns follows in June and July.
The surrounding residential neighborhoods absorb this pollen load through open windows, on clothing and hair, and on the fur of the thousands of dogs walked through parks daily. For allergy sufferers living near major parks, the proximity that adds property value also adds allergen exposure.
What truly sets NYC apart from other allergy cities is the severity of its indoor allergen environment. Most New Yorkers live in apartments — many in buildings constructed decades ago with aging HVAC systems, poor ventilation, and construction materials that harbor dust, mold, and pest allergens. Cockroach allergens are found in a significant percentage of inner-city apartments and are a major contributor to allergic asthma, particularly in children. Dust mites thrive in the city's carpeted older apartments. Mold grows in buildings with chronic moisture issues, leaky pipes, and inadequate ventilation.
The subway system adds another layer. NYC's underground transit network maintains warm, humid conditions year-round — ideal for mold spore growth. Studies have documented elevated mold levels in subway stations and trains. For the millions of New Yorkers who commute daily underground, this represents a consistent, low-grade allergen exposure that compounds outdoor pollen exposure during spring and fall.
NYC's air quality challenges make allergies worse than pollen counts alone would suggest. Traffic emissions, construction dust, and urban particulate matter irritate nasal passages and airways, lowering the threshold at which allergens trigger symptoms. Research has shown that air pollution can make pollen grains more potent by causing them to rupture and release their allergenic proteins more readily. For residents with both allergies and asthma — a common combination — the double exposure to pollen and poor air quality during spring can be particularly dangerous.
The city's air quality has improved significantly over the past two decades, but it remains a factor that compounds allergy symptoms, particularly during high-traffic periods and construction-heavy months.
Getting to any medical appointment in New York City involves navigating crowded subways, dealing with limited parking, and sitting in waiting rooms — a significant time commitment for busy New Yorkers. Traditional allergy clinics often have weeks-long wait times for new patients, and allergy shot schedules requiring weekly or biweekly visits are impractical for many working professionals. Manhattan specialist offices can also come with premium pricing that adds to the financial burden.
HeyAllergy eliminates these barriers with telemedicine-based allergy care. Residents throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and the wider metro area can see a board-certified allergist from their apartment via secure video consultation. Comprehensive blood allergy tests can be ordered to a convenient local lab, and a personalized treatment plan — including prescriptions and HeyPak® sublingual immunotherapy drops — can begin without a single in-person visit.
HeyPak® is particularly well-suited for New Yorkers because the drops are customized based on your specific test results and the allergens endemic to the NYC region — including local tree, grass, weed, mold, and indoor triggers. They're mailed directly to your apartment, taken daily under the tongue, and monitored by your allergist through follow-up telemedicine visits. No needles, no commute, no waitlist.
If your allergy symptoms last more than a few weeks each year, over-the-counter antihistamines aren't providing adequate relief, you experience recurring sinus infections, allergies are affecting your sleep or work productivity, you have both allergies and asthma, your symptoms worsen during your subway commute, or you've noticed your allergies getting worse over recent years, it's time to see a board-certified allergist.
HeyAllergy accepts Medicare and most major PPO health plans, making expert allergy care accessible for residents throughout New York City and the surrounding metro area.
