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.
We are looking for something with lots of character (think independent cafes, great bars, art galleries), but is safe, has other young professionals and close to green space for our dog. I'm sure like most people, we really like hardwood floors, exposed brick, etc., anything with lots of character.
I am going to show my Brooklyn bias here, and it is the bias of someone with four generations of ancestors who lived their entire lives in Brooklyn, not someone who heard at a party in Missouri that Brooklyn's cool and Queens is not.
Here'e we go: Astoria has bars and young professionals these days, but they're talking about "lots of character," "hardwood floors," "exposed brick," and for pure aesthetics I really don't think Astoria can compare to Fort Greene or Cobble Hill. It is more affordable but I've always thought of it as blah and, since their budget is a little more, I'd re-present Brooklyn as an option.
I much prefer the apartment buildings along 34/35 Aves in Jackson Heights to Astoria, but Astoria might be a better sociological fit for a young couple. I think Brooklyn offers them both aesthetics and demographics, albeit at a somewhat higher price. The thing about affordable Astoria, though, is that it is a vast area and people are pushing apartments that are nowhere near the train. You want to be close to 31st St and the train, but not too close, since it's an elevated. And those places are harder to find and not all that cheap anymore. Of course there are places in Brooklyn with a trek to the subway as well, but not really on the scale of walking from 28th Ave and 14th St or 44th St to the train every morning and night. Just to throw it out there...
NEW CONSTRUCTION...WOOD FLOORS...GRANITE!!! (broken link)
Great deal on 2 bedroom apartment in Astoria (broken link)
If they can afford it, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill or Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn would all be great. I am just not sure how far $2000 stretches these days in those neighborhoods. Also I suppose it depends on the exact location of the apartment to make the commute be only 30 minutes. Since I've never lived in those places, I don't know commute times, but they are definitely great neighborhoods to live in and would seem to have all the qualities the OP is looking for.
If they can afford it, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill or Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn would all be great. I am just not sure how far $2000 stretches these days in those neighborhoods. Also I suppose it depends on the exact location of the apartment to make the commute be only 30 minutes. Since I've never lived in those places, I don't know commute times, but they are definitely great neighborhoods to live in and would seem to have all the qualities the OP is looking for.
Right. I don't know how far $2000 goes either but they said they could go a bit higher if needed. They could probably get a nice 1-BR with a small second BR or office for $2000 or a bit more. To Penn Station, it could be done in about a half hour, maybe a bit less, on the 2/3 or the A/C from Hoyt/Schermerhorn or Jay St (transferring from the F in the latter case).
Just threw it out there to put Brooklyn back on their radar screen. They'd have to check it out and see if they think it's worth whatever more it might cost compared to, say, Astoria.
Thanks for everyone's responses. We will definitely look at Astoria and Brooklyn. Having a small second BR or office would be perfect since we just want a place for friends and family to sleep when we have visitors.
My only worry with some of the more expensive neighborhoods (where $2000 (or more) only gets you the smallest 2 bd place, if that) is that usually the marginal increase in other living expenses goes up drastically. Sometimes I find that in neighborhoods like that (like in Southern CA where I live now), the retailers in the neighborhood charge a premium over other neighborhoods. So you end up paying more for groceries, dry cleaning, coffee, restaurants, etc., and so your monthly expenses can rise drastically even though your rent is inline with what you wanted to pay. I don't know if the same thing happens in these neighborhoods in Brooklyn since I haven't visited them, but we will have to pay attention to this when we visit and look.
Do most people work with only one broker? If so, do most brokers work in different neighborhoods and burroughs so that we can use the same broker for Astoria, Queens, and the neighborhoods in Brooklyn? Or should we decide on a neighborhood ourselves and only focus on that?
This shouldn't be too hard; you just have to search. The upper west side and upper east side are your best bets in Manhattan.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MapleRadio
Hi everyone. This is my first post but I've tried to do research before hand so as not to waste anyone's time.
My wife and I (late 20's) will be moving to NYC in the next couple of months and would like advice about where to live. Our requirements/preferences are the following:
Cost: up to $2500 a month, but preferably closer to $2000 (We make slightly over 100K/year)
Size: Ideally two bedrooms
Pets: We have a 55 lb lab mix
Location: Penn station is the closet stop to my work and I'd like less than a 30 min commute.
Amenities/Style: Would really like in-apartment washer/dryer, close to affordable shopping (no Saks for us!), grocery, and good ethnic restaurants. As a comparison, we are considering Jackson Heights b/c of the diversity we have read about and its large selection of restaurants. We would prefer to be in Manhattan, but don't mind being off it as long as the commute isn't too bad. We are looking for something with lots of character (think independent cafes, great bars, art galleries), but is safe, has other young professionals and close to green space for our dog. I'm sure like most people, we really like hardwood floors, exposed brick, etc., anything with lots of character.
For our budget and preferences, is it possible to find anything in Manhattan? After looking at craigslist and other resources, it doesn't really seem like we will be able to find this in Manhattan, but have I missed a neighborhood? What about places in Queens or Brooklyn?
Many thanks for your time!
MapleRadio
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.
