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Thinking about moving to NYC in the next year simply because I want to experience it while I'm still in my 20s. I have visited many times and have a lot of friends there, but I have almost zero knowledge of anything outside Manhattan. So I need your advice on housing!
How can I make this work? I'm very flexible and if I move I'll be able to work from home most of the time, with occasional meetings in the city. I'd want to keep costs down as much as possible while still having a decent-looking home in a safe area and easy access to transit (must-haves). Preferably also a cool neighborhood with other young people. Any parts of Manhattan to consider? How about outer boroughs? Or Jersey as well?
Another consideration is to move part-time. Since I would most likely be keeping my place in Jacksonville and will need to return for a week or two every couple months, I'm open to short leases. Are there fiscally-reasonable options for spending shorter periods of time in the NYC area? Anything from 1-6 month terms?
Not concerned about size...I'll live in a shoebox studio as long as it meets my other criteria. Also open to having roommates so I'll take your suggestions based on both living alone or not.
Thanks in advance! I'm not in a big hurry to do this but have set a soft deadline of next summer to get my butt up there.
Short-term leases are to hard find in NYC. I would suggest either looking for a sublet or a situation with roommates. I would suggest either Astoria in Queens or Park Slope in Brooklyn as places to begin your search.
Neighborhood choice will depend on your budget. If your friends are in Manhattan and you are looking for a cheaper alternative but still want to be close to them, Astoria would be a good choice. If your friends are in Brooklyn, look in Brooklyn and ask them for suggestions. Short term sublets are always a possibility (leases not so much). Networking through friends is usually the best way to find a share or sublet situation and craigslist if you can't find something through your friends.
the best short-term options are as follows - 1) craigslist > sites sublets 2) http://www.airbnb.com sublets (you can find them by the day, week, month or even longer- this is actually a pretty good option.
Here is a guide about how to find short-term (less than 1 year) housing arrangements in NYC -
Neighborhood choice will depend on your budget. If your friends are in Manhattan and you are looking for a cheaper alternative but still want to be close to them, Astoria would be a good choice. If your friends are in Brooklyn, look in Brooklyn and ask them for suggestions. Short term sublets are always a possibility (leases not so much). Networking through friends is usually the best way to find a share or sublet situation and craigslist if you can't find something through your friends.
My friends, and pretty much all of my time visiting, have been in manhattan. I've spent a couple hours in Brooklyn and that includes the hour and a half eating pizza. That said, I have no problem living in a borough and going to the city just a few times a week to work or see friends, as long as there is something exciting about my neighborhood.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Movingtonewyork
What is your budget?
the best short-term options are as follows - 1) craigslist > sites sublets 2) http://www.airbnb.com sublets (you can find them by the day, week, month or even longer- this is actually a pretty good option.
Here is a guide about how to find short-term (less than 1 year) housing arrangements in NYC -
yeah, I've used airbnb when traveling so I definitely did a search of NYC's longterm rental options. There's stuff that could work..and that would take care of any furnishing issues. but I'll want to do due diligence and I remember that when airbnb first unveiled their longterm options, it was noted that the great deals found on their traditional listings did not translate into the same savings for longterm rentals.
The listings project on the temp housing link you shared looks very promising. I'm really leaning towards my idea of going for just a few months at a time. Maybe I'll be a young snowbird. Spring/Summer in NYC..Fall/Winter in Florida.
My housing budget would probably need to stay under 1500/month all-in, if I were coming for the year. Since I'm now thinking 3-6 months I'll have more flexibility, but then again I am still money conscious so I'd like to keep costs as low as possible.
Chava is right. A sublet is likelier than a short rental lease. But on the other hand, sublets can be such a pain for the landlord, and may include hefty fees, so a lot of people will think twice about that. Since you're still in your 20s, I'd second the idea of a share.
A good option, if you want to do it in the near future, would be to look for a summer sublet, either from a student or a teacher, which would of course be furnished. If you were willing to do some pet sitting, you might really get lucky.
If you are planning on working from home roommates may be an issue. Surprising people are very picky and make criteria's for roommates. Look at some of the listing on CL, some even say no using kitchen, must not be home often, must work 9-5, etc etc
Given your budget and motives for moving to the city, I would definitely get a roommate. here is why I think it is the best choice for you
1) you will have more money left to spend on fun activities / entertainment in the city (which is why you are coming here, i gather)
2) you will be able to live in pretty much any neighborhood you want spending $1,500 on a shared apt.
3) $1,500 a month does not go very far on rent here - you would probably only be able to find studios in out of the way nighborhoods for that amount.
My advice - come here and crash on a friend's couch for a week while you find a room in a shared apartment.
Thanks for all those replies. It's good to know the pros and cons of roommates vs living alone.
For comparison's sake, airbnb has a listing for a 520 sq foot 1/1 in Prospect Heights next to the Brooklyn Museum that would come out to around $1380/month. Since it's airbnb, I guess pretty much everything I need to move in would be included (ie furnishings, wifi, utilities, kitchen accessories, etc)
This is one of the best deals I found on airbnb, but how does it compare overall? Can I do better looking elsewhere?
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