Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The OP has already stated a few posts above they moved to San Diego last year which was a much smarter choice as San Diego offers a bit better quality of living for a couple making $34,000 per year IMO.
While there's more job opportunities in NYC there's also 2-3x more competition here than other cities; especially in these economic times.
You cannot live in the 5 boros of nyc on 34k and manhattan is not an hour away from queens or the bronx it Is about 20 minutes.i Do not know why people think queens and the bronx are cheap they are not. If you are making 34k no where is cheap in nyc .avg rent in queens is about 2000 per month and the bronx 1500. on 34k it is hard 34k after taxes is about 500 per week.so it will be very difficult and that 7k will go go so fast after first months rent and security and moving in furniture. I lived in nyc my whole life and trust me it sucks everyone wants something from you and no one wants to give you anything you could make 250k annually and just get by. you should just live in new jersey and pay a mortgage that will be cheaper than rent in nyc and you will still save even with the travel and the trip is only about 45 minutes and 34k goes alot further in nj then nyc
Even if your borough averages are correct, that is a very misleading answer given that someone making that salary wouldn't be looking in, say, all of Queens or the Bronx (I wouldn't expect them to trek to Riverdale or Breezy Point). Thus, borough averages are near meaningless. You should have broken things down by neighborhood; if you did this, you'd see that rents can be much cheaper than what you quoted in both Queens and the Bronx. For instance: High rents have Bronx locals packing up | Crain's New York Business.
That said, I don't necessarily encourage people to make that move. But if they are passionate about living in NYC and have the skills to move up and make it here, then they can definitely make things work.
Even if your borough averages are correct, that is a very misleading answer given that someone making that salary wouldn't be looking in, say, all of Queens or the Bronx (I wouldn't expect them to trek to Riverdale or Breezy Point). Thus, borough averages are near meaningless. You should have broken things down by neighborhood; if you did this, you'd see that rents can be much cheaper than what you quoted in both Queens and the Bronx. For instance: High rents have Bronx locals packing up | Crain's New York Business.
That said, I don't necessarily encourage people to make that move. But if they are passionate about living in NYC and have the skills to move up and make it here, then they can definitely make things work.
Any average rent quoted that is not specifically average rent for apartments currently on the market is completely misleading and useless for newcomers, including the ones cited in the article you posted. When people talk about moving here, they do not have access to the low rents that people who have lived here for years have.
For a newcomer, it makes much more sense to look at their annual salary, divide it by 40, see where they need to commute to, and then suggest neighborhoods where they might find something in their range. This requires a knowledge of market rents in various neighborhoods, and not just looking at published facts and figures where median rents are determined by looking at what people currently pay. Unfortunately with a salary of 34K, you'd need a rent of $850 ($34000/40 = $850). And I have to agree with the other poster that there basically are no areas to recommend for that amount (at least that I know of). Maybe Staten Island.
Anyway, the whole point is moot because the OP already came back to tell us she moved to CA instead.
Any average rent quoted that is not specifically average rent for apartments currently on the market is completely misleading and useless for newcomers, including the ones cited in the article you posted. When people talk about moving here, they do not have access to the low rents that people who have lived here for years have.
For a newcomer, it makes much more sense to look at their annual salary, divide it by 40, see where they need to commute to, and then suggest neighborhoods where they might find something in their range. This requires a knowledge of market rents in various neighborhoods, and not just looking at published facts and figures where median rents are determined by looking at what people currently pay. Unfortunately with a salary of 34K, you'd need a rent of $850 ($34000/40 = $850). And I have to agree with the other poster that there basically are no areas to recommend for that amount (at least that I know of). Maybe Staten Island.
Anyway, the whole point is moot because the OP already came back to tell us she moved to CA instead.
It is my understanding that these averages essentially are for what a newcomer can expect to pay for an apartment within a certain area. When, for example, articles are written about average rents in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (my neighborhood) they are pretty accurate in reflecting the amount of cash one can expect to rent an apartment for in the neighborhood today. But like I wrote above, I've found that these neighborhood averages don't deviate much as a general matter from the going rate for new rentals in those areas.
Yes, the OP has moved on, but I reply to these posts nonetheless as others apart from the OP are reading along and looking for information on the subject.
It is my understanding that these averages essentially are for what a newcomer can expect to pay for an apartment within a certain area. When, for example, articles are written about average rents in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (my neighborhood) they are pretty accurate in reflecting the amount of cash one can expect to rent an apartment for in the neighborhood today. But like I wrote above, I've found that these neighborhood averages don't deviate much as a general matter from the going rate for new rentals in those areas.
Yes, the OP has moved on, but I reply to these posts nonetheless as others apart from the OP are reading along and looking for information on the subject.
I think you're incorrect. The article you posted shows an average of $954 for apartments of all sizes for Highbridge and Grand Concourse. There is just no way (in my mind) that that could possibly be rentals on the market today. Common sense would tell you it reflects rents that people are actually paying, including those who have been living there a long time, not what would be available to a newcomer. If you check craigslist for Highbridge, you will find studios listed for $995 - $1195 and one bedrooms at $1250.
If they said a studio apartment on the market today in those neighborhoods averages $950, then I might possibly believe it. But not apartments of all sizes. Doesn't make sense.
Maybe the articles you've seen about your neighborhood in Brooklyn are citing averages of current market rents. You didn't post a link so it's impossible to know. Plenty of real estate companies love to give out figures of market rates in gentrified and gentrifying neighborhoods to show how exclusive those neighborhoods are. I guess they must feel it attracts more rich people.
Find jobs before moving. If you really want to live in NYC, you should also have your husband consider interviewing with other companies and seeing if he can get something better which pays more.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
