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thanks so much for all the info! I really wasnt expecting this great of a response. You guys have really encouraged me that i can make it. I've found some great roommate ads on craigslist, lots in brooklyn, also found some in harlem, washington heights, long island city and the lower east side for less than $1000, some even with utilities included. My main problem will be food I love to eat out, that'll have to stop, but other than that i think i have a good chance of surviving. thanks so much!
last question, the Lower East Side apartment would be the best choice as far as transportation times because its closest to my job. However the ad said is near columbia and rivington, looked it up on google maps and looks like there are some projects in the area. how safe would you say this area is?
thanks so much for all the info! I really wasnt expecting this great of a response. You guys have really encouraged me that i can make it. I've found some great roommate ads on craigslist, lots in brooklyn, also found some in harlem, washington heights, long island city and the lower east side for less than $1000, some even with utilities included. My main problem will be food I love to eat out, that'll have to stop, but other than that i think i have a good chance of surviving. thanks so much!
You can still eat out a lot if you stick to cheap fast food.
You can still eat out a lot if you stick to cheap fast food.
You don't have to go the fast food route if you want to eat out cheaply. There are many restaurants in NYC where you can have a nice dinner for under $15/$20. Lot's of Thai places are inexpensive.
You don't have to go the fast food route if you want to eat out cheaply. There are many restaurants in NYC where you can have a nice dinner for under $15/$20. Lot's of Thai places are inexpensive.
Fast food you can get a nice dinner for under $5 and nothing's wrong with it.
Please let's not turn this thread into yet another one about how little one can spend for food. We already have about 3 of those going.
To the OP- please be aware that when you look for a roommate situation, the rentals can go fast. You also have to compose a well thought-out email to respond to craigslist ads. I have not done it recently myself, but I know from seeing some friends do it that they don't always get responses to the ads they write in for, and they had to be really well prepared and move fast in order to get one they wanted in a good neighborhood.
Sorry I don't have anything more specific for you, but I just wanted you to be aware that just because you see a room listed today on craigslist, it doesn't mean that it will be available tomorrow, and it also doesn't mean that you will necessarily be able to get an appointment to see it. The rooms in more desirable neighborhoods (ie Lower East Side) vs neighborhoods that are less hip (Bay Ridge) are going to have more competition. You may have to respond to many ads and be willing to move quickly.
-If you're living with roommates, you can probably go $800 or even less, and you should. The less you have to worry about money, the better.
-Assuming you're going to be taking the train, the ease of your commute is going to be determined by the trains rather than physical distance. I don't know where you'll work, but the LES is inconvenient to most places. Look at what trains go to your job and try to live near those train lines. You can plug a trip into Google maps with the transit option and see how long it will take.
-If the ad says Columbia and Rivington, you can see on Google maps that there's really only one place it could be, this big complex of white brick high rises. It's sandwiched between two NYCHA projects. I can't speak to the safety there because I don't know the area, but it seems like kind of a depressing introduction to the city.
thanks again thanks for bringing me back down to earth i was thinking id apply for it and get the apartment with no trouble haha. But i decided against the one in the lower east side just too iffy, I think the neighborhood would be too loud anyway. I'll take your advice binxbolling and see commute times from different neighborhoods long island city seems like a good alternative. and billymw yea i rarely do fast food I'm a health nut so eating at home will probably be better as opposed to eating fast food. That'll help add to my gym and clothes budget anyway
I'm a fan of Google maps but I have seen some crazy results when I asked it for transit directions. (Sometimes it's accurate, sometimes not.)
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