Need info on moving to NYC (New York, York: buying a house, neighborhood, buying)

[By~Tor]

Originally Posted by invention

how is the general area around the prospect park and parkside stations in brooklyn? trying to find an affordable studio for around 1200 or so.

You'll hear mixed reactions about the area, but I wouldn't live there, even though the rent can be cheaper.... you're better off in Astoria Queens; same prices, close to Manhattan, and light years more safe....

[SPQR]

Im thinking about taking a position with the NYPD. I live in Boston now but I went to John Jay CJ in Manhattan and resided in Brooklyn Heights for a few years. Im quite aclimated with NYC. Now the NYPD pays like crap at the onset so im looking for a place around ~$800 for the a little while until my gf gets on her feet in NYC. I DONT want to live in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, or Manhattan. I was thinking Staten Island, Nassau, Putnam, Westchester, Orange county. When I lived in NYC, Staten Island was the only borough that kept to itself and seemed out of the way. My gf is not a city girl (yet) so I think it would be a good Chapter 1 for here. So what can you guys tell me about Staten Island.

[By~Tor]

Originally Posted by SPQR

Im thinking about taking a position with the NYPD. I live in Boston now but I went to John Jay CJ in Manhattan and resided in Brooklyn Heights for a few years. Im quite aclimated with NYC. Now the NYPD pays like crap at the onset so im looking for a place around ~$800 for the a little while until my gf gets on her feet in NYC. I DONT want to live in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, or Manhattan. I was thinking Staten Island, Nassau, Putnam, Westchester, Orange county. When I lived in NYC, Staten Island was the only borough that kept to itself and seemed out of the way. My gf is not a city girl (yet) so I think it would be a good Chapter 1 for here. So what can you guys tell me about Staten Island.

Staten Island, or "The Forgotten Borough" as it's commonly known, is like all the rest - - - there are good parts and bad parts.

Stay away from the areas right near the Ferry, but if you wanna' go down as far as New Dorp, it isn't too bad...

Actually, near Queens and parts of both Brooklyn AND Bronx are much better, as far as price, transportation and ease of travel into Manhattan....

[Odette]

I Currently Live In South Africa And Would Like To Move To New York,could Anyone Supply Me With Areas To Look At, Taking In Consideration I Have A Daughter Who Is In Grade 9 I Am Currently Job Hunting But Would Like To Know More About The Different Areas And What To Look For Would Be Great

[nicolanicola]

Hi,

I am moving to New York City in two weeks' time from London. I am pretty organised, but still trying to get my head around my budget. Any advice would be much appreciated...

My main question is this - what proportion of my salary should I reasonably expect to spend on rent? My aim is pretty much the same as everyone else's: to have enough income left over to enjoy my time in the city, eat out occasionally, socialise, shop a little, etc.

I am anticipating a salary of $50,000 (hopefully a conservative estimate) and am hoping to rent a room in a shared house/apartment somewhere in Brooklyn, like Park Slope. I don't expect something amazing - no Will and Grace delusions here - but would just like a small, comfortable room in an area which will leave me with a manageable commute into the city (less than an hour). And as a young, single woman I am happy to pay a premium to be within easy, well-lit reach of a subway stop.

At the moment I'm budgeting for around $1,000/mo rent. Is that unrealistic? Will it get me something reasonable? Based on your collective experience, could I afford to spend more - or should I look for something cheaper? The problem for me is that while a lot of U.S. natives balk at the NYC rent, as a Londoner I find the idea of a room for $1000 actually rather cheap. And then I start to wonder if I've got my sums wrong.

Any ideas would be much appreciated - you all have the patience of saints!

Thanks

Nicola

[Viralmd]

I'm assuming you have a visa valid for working here....without it, life can be difficult.

You MIGHT be able to find a studio apartment in Brooklyn or Queens for about $1000. YOu said you were looking for a room...your best bed would be to share with others. But you also need to pay for electricity, etc.

[Viralmd]

Originally Posted by Odette

I Currently Live In South Africa And Would Like To Move To New York,could Anyone Supply Me With Areas To Look At, Taking In Consideration I Have A Daughter Who Is In Grade 9 I Am Currently Job Hunting But Would Like To Know More About The Different Areas And What To Look For Would Be Great

First you need a visa valid for working here...that might take a while. Then you have to figure out how much you can afford for housing. That will dictate where you should look, and you're going to be limited with a school-age child. Not every place has decent schools.

[nicolanicola]

Viralmd,

Thanks for the reply. I rather stupidly left out a few crucial details... my excuse is that it's 11.18pm here and I'm fading fast

So to clarify: no visa problems... I have a U.S. passport.

And yes, when I said a room, I most definitely meant a share. Not only because it's more financially viable but also because I'll be new to the city and while I have a few friends there, I'd like the opportunity to meet new people through roommates.

As far as I can tell from my research it's going to be tight rent-wise, but probably doable. Last year when I was planning to move further into central London I was looking at spending GBP£700/mo minimum - half my salary - so I think I have realistic expectations of how expensive life can be. I hope so!

Thanks for your help.

[By~Tor]

Originally Posted by nicolanicola

Viralmd,

Thanks for the reply. I rather stupidly left out a few crucial details... my excuse is that it's 11.18pm here and I'm fading fast

So to clarify: no visa problems... I have a U.S. passport.

And yes, when I said a room, I most definitely meant a share. Not only because it's more financially viable but also because I'll be new to the city and while I have a few friends there, I'd like the opportunity to meet new people through roommates.

As far as I can tell from my research it's going to be tight rent-wise, but probably doable. Last year when I was planning to move further into central London I was looking at spending GBP£700/mo minimum - half my salary - so I think I have realistic expectations of how expensive life can be. I hope so!

Thanks for your help.

If you are looking for a "share" situation, try the Craigslist for New York City. There are plenty of share situations listed there, and it's also a free message board. Just Google "craigslist nyc", or click on the link below (if it doesn't get removed):

Craigslist-NYC - Shared Rooms

[drkman]

Originally Posted by dcuper1

My experience in Crown Heights was horrible. I lived in Troy Ave and East New York Ave. There was a drive by shooting four blocks from my house where a guy was killed while trying to park his car. It was in this area just a year ago when two cops were killed when they stopped someone in a stolen car. There was a lot of trash on the street and cars would frequently pass by my house with their music so loud my whole house would shake and car alarms on the street would go off. My building was fairly quite, but a friend had police activity in his building all the time, with people getting arrested, fights, etc.

I don't want to scare you, but make sure you know where you are going before you sign any dotted line.

I live in that area. Wow, sorry your experience was so bad. I don't know anything about the drive by shooting but the two cops that were killed wasn't due to living in Crown Heights. That could have happened anywhere. It was unfortunate that they were stopped in Crown Heights but the perps did not live there.

There is a problem with loud music in cars and speeding but a lot of that comes from people driving through the area. As far as the police activity in buildings that can happen because you may have one or two apartments in a building that can create a lot of confusion but basically it is fairly quiet.

Not trying to give false impressions because Crown Heights does have some rough spots and can be pretty uncomfortable, especially if you did not grow up around there but in my twelve years of living there, I have seen less issues then in other areas that I have lived.

BTW, I think that where you lived is considered East Flatbush (11203 zip code). From my understanding, Crown Heights ends at Empire Blvd, at least that is what some of the people who live there consider it.