Moving to NYC area soon. (New York, York: apartments, for rent, insurance)

[bmifsud]

Hi there everyone. I'm 25 years old and I'm moving to NYC at the end of September. I am self-employed and know what I can afford but I have a few questions as to which neighborhood(s) might be best for me.

I can afford to pay about $1300-1500 for rent + utilities per month BUT I'd rather find a place for $700-$1000 so I can save more each month. I'm not opposed to a roommate situation since it'll help me save more, and I'd actually prefer it since I won't know many people there.

I have looked at some stuff on the NJ side but realized the commute to NYC was rather expensive ($14 each way, or is this wrong?).

I am self employed and I work at home online. However, I see myself going to the city at least 1-2 times a week for entertainment. I will also be training jiu jitsu 4-6 days a week at the Renzo Gracie Academy at 224 West 30th Street Suite 100 New York, NY, 10001. So basically I'll be going to Manhattan a lot, would this make living on the NJ side stupid and expensive?

One neighborhood I've looked at and heard good things about is Astoria, Queens. It's where I'm currently leaning. As long as the place I'm looking at is a 20 min or less commute to Manhattan and it's safe I don't care much about anything else. The only other thing I might care about at all is that there's a younger crowd around...but it's not that big of a deal. I definitely don't need to be in Manhattan to feel cool or whatever. I'm sure if I live in NYC long enough I'll go to Manhattan for at least a while and decide then if I like it. I am, for the record, planning on making NYC home for a long time. I've wanted to ever since college.

I grew up in Gilbert, AZ and went to the University of Nebraska for college. I have been living in Las Vegas the past 7 months since I left Nebraska. Not sure if this part matters at all, but I figured in case anyone asks I'd throw it in there.

I have visted NYC about 8 or 9 times since I began college and I absolutely love it more and more every time I go there. I've stayed in Manhattan and I've stayed in Queens and never found anything I didn't like about any part of NYC I was in.

I will have a car, if that matters at all. Doubt I'll use it for things I don't need to, though. I plan on using Subways, trains a lot obviously.

Does anyone have any other neighborhoods to suggest? Is the NJ side a bad idea? Does anyone have any website suggestions or tips on looking for roommates or a room for rent situation? I'd want to live with only people in my age group (20-30).

Thanks in advance for the help.

[SUPERCHIC]

use the advanced searchand there are LOADS of threads with loads of info. that will answer your questions.

[availableusername]

I will also be training jiu jitsu 4-6 days a week at the Renzo Gracie Academy at 224 West 30th Street Suite 100 New York, NY, 10001.

You ever post on "The Underground"??

[bmifsud]

Originally Posted by availableusername

You ever post on "The Underground"??

No, I don't. I only post actively on 3 forums and 2 of those are even limited posting. If you link I'll at least make an account and check it out though.

[availableusername]

Originally Posted by bmifsud

No, I don't. I only post actively on 3 forums and 2 of those are even limited posting. If you link I'll at least make an account and check it out though.

Dude I honestly refuse to believe that you don't know about this site. Check out "The Otherground" sub section too. I'm on there all the time.


http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/

[jcoltrane]

Well, keeping a car in NJ is easier than in most places in NYC. That may be your main consideration. Astoria is a very dense and crowded neighborhood. Parking is a serious issue. Enforcement is extreme. Look up 'Alternate Side Parking'. Working from home will mean having to move your car 2 or 3 times per week, and there wiil be few, if any places to park. So many wind up sitting in their cars for 90 minutes or driving around waiting til its legal to park.

Screw up, don't move the car and you wil get a ticket, it used to be $75, but was raised to $114. That may be a little off, but is close.

Also, being dependant on internet access may be an issue. If your income is dependant on a rock solid connection, then you need to look into that. You may need to pay more for a 'commercial' connection from Verizon or Time Warner. I found the residential service not reliable enough, when money was on the line.

Just realize, the cheaper the place, the less reliable everything is, from heat and electricity to internet connections. You pay for what you get in NYC.

Both your budgets are a bit low for a really nice place in a nice area; but is sufficient for a roommate situation. Just realize that your at home business may or may not be conducive to a roommate situation.

Think the move through fully.

Btw, commuting by car, from NJ, not only involves bridge/tunnel tolls, but also street parking in Manhattan is very limited, and is metered. Stay over the limit and you will be ticketed. Garages/lots are plentiful, but costly. So, between the toll and parking, the cost is prohibitive for one living frugally.

So you are going to have to make an adjustment. Insurance is another issue, the cost is likely 4x what you pay in Nevada. Also, driving in NYC is not for the inexperienced nor faint of heart. Many who have lived in the tri-state all their lives will not drive in Manhattan! You may find that you won't want to either.

Depending on where in NJ, you can live w/o a car. I have done so. I've also lived in Astoria with and w/o a car. I w/n do so again w/o having parking. If, you can find a space, the cost runs $100-200. Finding a space can be difficult.

Also, you should consider less dense areas of Queens, where keeping a car is easier, such as Bayside; or, if you want to deal with the high end of your budget and pay for parking, Hunter's Point might be ideal.

[bmifsud]

Originally Posted by jcoltrane

Well, keeping a car in NJ is easier than in most places in NYC. That may be your main consideration. Astoria is a very dense and crowded neighborhood. Parking is a serious issue. Enforcement is extreme. Look up 'Alternate Side Parking'. Working from home will mean having to move your car 2 or 3 times per week, and there wiil be few, if any places to park. So many wind up sitting in their cars for 90 minutes or driving around waiting til its legal to park.

Screw up, don't move the car and you wil get a ticket, it used to be $75, but was raised to $114. That may be a little off, but is close.

Also, being dependant on internet access may be an issue. If your income is dependant on a rock solid connection, then you need to look into that. You may need to pay more for a 'commercial' connection from Verizon or Time Warner. I found the residential service not reliable enough, when money was on the line.

Just realize, the cheaper the place, the less reliable everything is, from heat and electricity to internet connections. You pay for what you get in NYC.

Both your budgets are a bit low for a really nice place in a nice area; but is sufficient for a roommate situation. Just realize that your at home business may or may not be conducive to a roommate situation.

Think the move through fully.

Btw, commuting by car, from NJ, not only involves bridge/tunnel tolls, but also street parking in Manhattan is very limited, and is metered. Stay over the limit and you will be ticketed. Garages/lots are plentiful, but costly. So, between the toll and parking, the cost is prohibitive for one living frugally.

So you are going to have to make an adjustment. Insurance is another issue, the cost is likely 4x what you pay in Nevada. Also, driving in NYC is not for the inexperienced nor faint of heart. Many who have lived in the tri-state all their lives will not drive in Manhattan! You may find that you won't want to either.

Depending on where in NJ, you can live w/o a car. I have done so. I've also lived in Astoria with and w/o a car. I w/n do so again w/o having parking. If, you can find a space, the cost runs $100-200. Finding a space can be difficult.

Also, you should consider less dense areas of Queens, where keeping a car is easier, such as Bayside; or, if you want to deal with the high end of your budget and pay for parking, Hunter's Point might be ideal.

This is a very helpful post, thank you.

The 'budgets' I previously said aren't exactly budgets I'm limited to. They're numbers I said that I thought I could get away with and live in a decent place because I'm really strict with myself when it comes to saving money. I was planning on a roommate situation for about 1 year and then getting a studio/1BR somewhere I want once I'm more familiar with the entire NYC area. I was expecting to have to spend quite a bit more at this point.

I have about 45k in savings and I will have roughly $4000-$6000 a month in income before taxes. I don't spend a ton of money by any means...I don't drink or have any expensive habits like that.

That being said, I'd still like to stay in the budget I set for myself...but if it's unrealistic then I'll go higher. Moving to NYC means more to me than staying within the budget I set.

As far as a car goes...I can go without one. If it's gonna be $200 a month plus a bunch more for insurance it's honestly probably not worth it. Hell I'm in Vegas right now and it takes me 2 weeks to go through a tank of gas.

So now if I did go to Astoria, would not having a car be a big issue at all? I'll be going to the Jiu Jitsu gym a lot, and to places to eat a lot which I'm sure I'd be able to get to easily by subway right? I don't see myself doing many road trips or anything like that and when I do I could just rent a car.

Edit: I got quite a few tickets during college (lol) and right now my Nevada insurance is $205 a month for just liability. So yeah obviously I'm probably going to consider going without a car if it's gonna be so costly especially when I haven't driven much at all the last 6 or so years outside of roadtrips to KC during college.

[urbanintllctl]

With savings of 45K and a monthly income of 4K-6K (that's pretax, I presume?) I think you're in good shape. I would agree with Astoria. But have you also considered Washington Heights? The commute is godawful, but I've kept hearing nice things about the affordability and spaciousness of apartments there.

[Henna]

I think Astoria would be a very good choice. You definitely do not need a car and will most likely be much happier without one (due to expense and parking issues). You might also look into Sunnyside, which is quite near Astoria but on a different train line (the 7 train).

[bmifsud]

Originally Posted by urbanintllctl

With savings of 45K and a monthly income of 4K-6K (that's pretax, I presume?) I think you're in good shape. I would agree with Astoria. But have you also considered Washington Heights? The commute is godawful, but I've kept hearing nice things about the affordability and spaciousness of apartments there.

Yes, it's the pre-tax number. What's wrong with the commute that makes it so awful? Is it far/long or is it something else that makes it a pain?