considering taking a job in NYC, and i'd appreciate some advice from anyone that currently or previously lived there. i've visited NYC only once in my life, when i was just a kid, and don't remember too much. where are good places to consider living, including outside the city? what is it like to rely on mass transit daily, compared to owning a car?

4/11/2009 3:05:40 PM

I don't have a ton to offer on this topic, but my boyfriend worked in NYC for 2 yrs. The first year he lived in Jersey City. Apparently there are nice parts of it, but I never saw 'em. He lived off of JFK Blvd going toward Union City (i think). His apartment was a very nice remodeled 3BD/1BA, total rent $1700. The neighborhood was a dump and there weren't many stores he could walk to for food and stuff (he didn't have a car up there). He took a 30 min bus ride to/from work each day. The second year he lived in Brooklyn (park slope area) 2BD/1BA.. total rent $2700. The apartment and neighborhood were fantastic. He took the subway to/from work, about a 40 min commute door-to-door. He never had issues with mass transit the 2 yrs he was there. I'd highly suggest Brooklyn and I bet you could find much better deals on apts. right now. My sister also lives in park slope and pays $1150 for an awesome 1BD which is right next to a subway station. She loves it. The only time she is bothered about not having a car is when she wants to "get away" from the city, which is just once or twice per year.

4/11/2009 3:52:34 PM

I'm living in Secaucus, NJ. I love the town. Renting a nice house. $1800 rent hurts, but what the hell.

10 minutes bus ride away from NYC. wish my commute to jersey city was that short

oh also if you move within 2 weeks, you'll get to see the best movie of all time:

message_topic.aspx?topic=562359&page=1

[Edited on April 11, 2009 at 5:12 PM. Reason : asdf]

4/11/2009 5:08:22 PM

^ that's a lot of money... are you splitting that with someone?

4/11/2009 5:29:34 PM

living with my fiancee, but not splitting it

and yes, it's a lot of money. we could have gotten a smaller apartment in a worse area. maybe gotten in for around 1200, but we needed a yard.

4/11/2009 5:33:45 PM

are there any particular areas that you'd recommend that i avoid?

4/11/2009 5:52:08 PM

in NYC? I have no idea. if you live in NJ, I guess stay away from bayonne, greenville (it must suck in every state), east orange...

I'm a n00b really

4/11/2009 5:58:44 PM

Where are you working? I live in Manhattan (FiDi - Wall St) and can probably give you some advice.

In general, Manhattan/Brooklyn/Queens/Hoboken = Good. Bronx/Staten Island = bad. Different areas of Jersey vary.

4/11/2009 6:02:35 PM

I heard that soon Metro rides will cost $2.50/ride, which is 50cents more than it used to be. Living in Brooklyn may be a good option if you work in lower manhattan, but not if you work further north. What area will your job be in?

4/11/2009 7:48:16 PM

I'm interviewing for a position at The New School. Kinda funny, having just read about the protests there this week...

4/11/2009 8:48:28 PM

My sister-in-law just got an apartment up there. It costs about $1400 a month...and is in the astoria queens area.

4/11/2009 9:43:18 PM

Nice, that's right around the corner from me, Brooklyn would be a good bet for you as it's very quick to take the subway into Downtown. You can save about 25% in rent and your commute will only be about 10-20 min door to door.

4/11/2009 9:47:00 PM

well, 25% compared to what? i did a quick bit of googling and couldn't find much in the way of apartment prices listed, at least nothing that was below like 3k/month. i know i'd have to dig deeper, of course.

4/11/2009 10:56:41 PM

Depends on the size for which you're looking:

Ballpark figures:

Studio: Manhattan 2k/mo, Brooklyn 1,500/mo
1BR: M 2,500/mo, B 2k/mo
2BR: M 3k/mo, B 2,250/mo

Obviously you can factor in +\- $500/mo for quality of the place/neighborhood/amenities (I've seen a studio for $1250 in Greenwich Village with no windows/kitchen/shower!). These have also probably come down 10% or so from when I was looking for places (Oct 07) due to the collapse of the NYC real estate market.

4/12/2009 10:28:30 AM

there are numerous nyc threads on here

4/12/2009 11:35:49 AM

i think NYC is a good move. you won't be bored ... quality pussy and its cool. i'd try manhattan if you can. midtown for sure. downtown Brooklyn is cool too.

4/12/2009 12:12:00 PM

^^ I did a search, but nothing quite stood out about actually living and working in the city.

My real concerns are culture shock and cost of living. I'm pretty sure I'd like the job, but living there would be a big adjustment for me. Mostly I was just looking for more current impressions, esp. with prices for living space apparently falling in the past few months.

4/12/2009 7:05:37 PM

Quote :

"Where are you working? I live in Manhattan (FiDi - Wall St) and can probably give you some advice. "

statehockey - what wall st co. do you work for? What would a decent one bd/one ba place run within walking distance of wall st. area?

4/12/2009 11:20:00 PM

eahanhan just moved from astoria to brooklyn.

She moved from NC to NYC recently, and can probably offer some helpful input on the whole culture shock aspect.

4/12/2009 11:24:15 PM

^^ Deutsche Bank. I'd estimate a "decent" 1BR would go for about $2,100-2,500

4/13/2009 7:56:40 AM

Holy crap that's a lot of money.

4/13/2009 1:02:49 PM

hahah he also didn't mention how 'big' it would be.

I live in downtown Jersey City myself. My condo is a 1br/1.5 bath ~900sqft and when I have people over who live in Manhattan their jaws drop at how much space I have to myself. My friend who just came up from NC couldn't get over how 'small' my place is. It's all relative.

4/13/2009 1:39:00 PM

eahanhan and I moved around the same time, though I live in Brooklyn.

I moved in Feb for a job (laid off in NC, took a new job in NYC). I live in Brooklyn and work in Manhattan. I kept my car in NC and sold it.

Happy to answer questions you may have!

To start: I like living in Brooklyn. The two areas I was most fond of were Williamsburg and Park Slope. I currently live in Williamsburg (very "hipster" area whereas Park Slop is more family and "preppy" with lots of brownstones). I'm right off the L which runs across Manhattan, meaning that I can get to any subway line for Manhattan I want within 3 stops. I'm in Manhattan within 5 minutes from my subway stop in Williamsburg.

I actually prefer public transportation to driving in the city. Well, to having to rely on a car period. My morning commute takes about 30 minutes from door to door, and I take 2 subway lines. I drink my coffee on the subway and read/listen to music in some combination. Beats being stuck in traffic driving around for me!

You can join Zipcar or Herts Direct Connect if you need/want access to a car on-demand, they both work similar to renting a car, but you have a little card you swipe when you pick up the car and there are designated lots around the city.

If the subway lines are screwy or it's super late at night I'll hop in a cab. They're not bad but taking the subway is still sometimes quicker, depending on where I'm going.

Compared to owning a car? I worry less. No worries about breakdowns, having to stop and get gas, shoot I have to go to the mechanic for a tune-up, oh no what it someone hits me... some people mind the "existing on someone elses schedule" but this isn't an annoyance in my mind. In the mornings the trains come every few minutes or so, and even at night they tend to run every 15-20, so I don't wait too long for a train.

Even with train difficulties (working on the L over the weekend) I got from my place in Brooklyn to my friends house in Harlem in about 45 minutes, taking 3 different lines no less.

If you do move I'd say find a sublet for a few months. Move what you need, spend some time WALKING around the city and get a feel for the neighborhoods.

Probably a lot of info and opinion but I hope it's useful. Happy to chat more if you'd like!

4/13/2009 1:45:13 PM

A lot of good advice, I agree with the Brooklyn/selling of the car/subway/Zipcar/subletting to figure out where you want to live pieces (I guess that's the whole post!)

4/13/2009 6:20:18 PM

hey Statehockey, where do you live exactly? I'm right at the corner of Water and Wall

4/13/2009 6:24:55 PM

^ damn son nice location

we should arrange a Ulysses meetup hah

4/13/2009 6:56:13 PM

So, since I'm asking, we'll just continue... does anyone know anything about New School? I've heard about the protests and arrests during the past week, of course... wondering what else people know about attending/working there.

4/13/2009 10:27:16 PM

ElGimpy/Scud - you must be close, I'm at 63 Wall St, right next to Water/Wall, where are you? And a Ulysses venture doesn't sound like a bad idea, Stone St is awesome in the late spring/summer

4/14/2009 7:19:08 AM

How much $ do you have to make to live comfortably in NYC ?

4/14/2009 8:01:42 AM

you could pull it off for less if you cut corners

but I'd imagine 80000 for an acceptable standard of living

and 6 figures + to live comfortably

4/14/2009 9:53:08 AM

^^ It depends on what you define as "comfortable"

I'd say that $80,000 is a good "average" figure, though I think you could do it on $60,000 if you were OK not spending $1500 a month on rent or dropping $1000 on alcohol a month. I have quite a few friends that started from less than that and made it just fine up here.

4/14/2009 10:19:02 AM

BTW the tri-state wolfpack club is having a picnic/hang out/come enjoy the great weather in Central Park this weekend - Saturday from 12-4 on the Great Lawn.

4/14/2009 10:20:22 AM

I'm at 122 Water, just to the right of the Subway (restaurant, not train) ... every morning I smell their bread when I go to the bathroom...which is not as nice as you might think...but other than that my apartment is pretty kickass, and I can say that because we have a fire pole

I think in NY the number to live comfortably is mostly about whether you want to live alone or not...If you need to live alone, than 80k is probably right...but if you are willing to share, you can easily find adequate rooms in great apartments, even in good locations, for less than $1500 a month...to live comfortably with that rent you need for like 60k, could probably even do 50k

4/14/2009 10:57:08 AM

I did some budgeting so I'd have an idea what I would need while job hunting in the fall, and decided that I could maintain my current (college kid) lifestyle at 60K.

4/14/2009 11:05:16 AM

I love NYC. But if it's been a while since you've been, I might suggest coming to visit first.

Living:
I live in Astoria now, in the process of moving to Brooklyn (this weekend). I'm seven blocks from the N/W in Astoria and live in a nice 3br. It's $2500/month but I only pay $725 (my bedroom is tiny). But it has a great living room/kitchen, and a small "yard" (concrete, with a small garden strip). But, I'm moving because my brother found a job up here and that's what you do as a big sister. We're moving to Clinton Hill/edge of Bedford. A good size two bedroom for $1395, 4 blocks from the C train. Right now, we're in food no-man's-land which sucks, but Clinton Hill is sort of an up-and-coming neighborhood. Pratt is there, you're close to Prospect Park and lots of stuff really.

Transportation:
IMO, there's no reason for a car up here. It's $81/month for an unlimited subway/bus pass (shortly going up to $103...maybe less? if they bail us out). While it's not like getting everywhere is speedy, the system goes everywhere and I don't envy anyone that drives in the city.

If I remember correctly, my friend paid $1300 for a studio in Astoria. Use craigslist to find a sublet or no-fee apartments. And just realize that getting an apartment in NYC is akin to signing your life away. I say this because it feels like that for most people not used to it. So, have fun with that!

And damn, why does the NCSU meetup have to be the day I'm moving? >.<

4/14/2009 11:22:27 AM

Tri-State Wolfpack Club is a good crew. they organize all of the football/basketball gamewatches, networking events, and charity gigs up here...I will probably make it up to Central Park on Sat.

4/14/2009 11:40:03 AM

for people who live there - do the crappy and small living conditions outweigh living in a fun place?

is it tough to meet people being you'll most likely never see anybody you ever meet out again?

4/14/2009 9:24:23 PM

^ not sure if that's serious or not?

1) not sure where you get crappy living conditions (i live in a new building with a gym/theatre/laundry/lounge/etc). It's definitely smaller and I do miss having a lawn, but isn't that what Central Park is for?

2) I've met plenty of friends up here. There's also a large NC State contingent that meets up quite often. If you go to clubs every time you go out, I'm sure it's harder to meet people, but I haven't experienced what you're referring to.

All in all, it's a fun experience for several years while you're young. Definitely not a place I'd like to stay forever (the thought of raising kids here is scary), but a pretty cool life experience. You see a lot of things that you wouldn't have dreamed of in Raleigh.

4/15/2009 7:44:16 AM

^^ My place now (2br) is bigger than my 2br in Charlotte was. Regarding rent, my rent isonly $100 more than it was for my condo in Charlotte (different places in Charlotte). I don't have a gym/theatre/laundry/lounge, but we ran across quite a few places that did before settling on this one.

I've met quite a few people up here. Some through work people, some through the industry I work in, some through NC State Alumni Club activities, some through music and some through random circumstances. I only knew 2 people in the city well enough to call "friends" when I moved up here, and 2.5ish months later my weekends book up by Tuesday and I'm rarely ever home. I don't think it's hard to meet people at all up here.

4/15/2009 1:31:36 PM

Ok, the thing with NY is that you have to have the right mindset. If you assume your living conditions are gonna suck, then they might. While my building isn't as nice as ^^ at our age, does it matter if you're living a plush lifestyle?

I mean, yeah I'm on the third floor of a walk-up, but our apartment is pretty cool. Sending laundry out is not that expensive, so I don't worry about finding a place with facilities. Once you figure out what you think you can afford in terms of rent, start looking at Craigslist to see what's out there. And http://www.citi-habitats.com has apartments that are good to check out. If you want to pay a broker (it's one month rent), use that website or another broker but otherwise, CL is all you need.

4/15/2009 5:07:11 PM

^ and ^^ agreed. would recommend against a broker though, in this market, most buildlings will pay the broker free for you, no need to spend a couple thousand for a broker...

4/15/2009 10:56:12 PM

I am actually looking for a roommate right now...if anyone is moving up and looking for a badass apartment, this is it

Also I could probably give a wolfpack discount

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/roo/1125029528.html

4/16/2009 11:04:16 AM

Damn, that looks like a really nice place. Good luck finding a roommate!

4/16/2009 11:23:52 AM

^^^yeah i don't recommend a broker, just saying. it makes life easier at times. the girls i'm currently living with used one because the main chick up here doing the apartment search was a student and worked two jobs so she didn't have the time to look.

^^DAMN. yeah, if i could afford $1000+, i'd be much better off. but right now, my budget is around $800 (including utilities). and that's about what i'm at at this new place. i would love to move into the city April 2010.

4/16/2009 4:57:02 PM

^^^holy shit, that almost makes me want to move to NYC, haha

4/16/2009 5:11:31 PM

seriously, that's a baller ass apartment.
once i start making more than $15/hr, i'd love a place like that.

4/16/2009 5:17:18 PM

my roommate and I looked for 5 months moving sublet to sublet (6 moves in 5 months...I wouldn't recommend it) and finally gave in and paid a broker fee to get the place.

Total rent is actually $5300 so essentially that's $1350 a person just for reference for all the "fair" people. But since we put so much time and effort into it, and we know we can get $1500-$1650 for it, that's how we're playing it.

Since I moved to NY 5 years ago I've envisioned one day renting out some huge loft ("Big" Style) ... I think this is probably the closest I'm gonna get.

[Edited on April 16, 2009 at 5:44 PM. Reason : movies...hah!]

4/16/2009 5:43:42 PM

^for all the stuff that comes with it, it's totally worth the price. and "big" is awesome. i'd love a loft style space, but i think once this year is up, my biggest concern is just finding someone/people i'd like enough to live with. hah. or not like enough to live with.

4/16/2009 6:01:57 PM

If/when I move again I'm going for a place with roof deck access. My landlord doesn't "technically" allow roof deck access, but I have a sneaky suspicion that my neighbors upstairs will make use of it this summer... we'll see

One of the great things about living here is that you can find any type of apartment you want (within reason, of course). Lofts, pre-war, modern, etc... just depends on your budget and price range.

I've debated doing the small cozy studio thing from time to time as well (having formerly lived in a studio-type 1br in Charlotte) and I can't say I'd be opposed to doing that again here.

The weather is GORGEOUS today. Totally looking forward to Central Park tomorrow

4/17/2009 12:26:15 PM

i'm bummed - i don't technically have to move this weekend (i have till the end of april to do so) but i hired movers for tomorrow. they're coming b/w 3-5pm, which means this entire gorgeous weekend is going to be occupied by moving.

speaking of, if anyone is looking for a cheap one month sublet, my place is available for may. $725. my roommate's friend who was supposed to move in in may isn't coming up till june - http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/sub/1125123440.html

4/17/2009 12:47:32 PM