How you doing in NYC?

[That_One_Guy]

I get by...

Things will be looking more up for me in a few months tho

Nothing too crazy, but better than they are now. I'm doing pretty well for a 23 year old living on my own tho I think !

[My Posse on Broadway]

Originally Posted by PDF

Where? Certainly not any decent sized city.

Seems like in a lot or maybe even most of America they can be had for that much or even less..

[l1995]

Originally Posted by PDF

Where? Certainly not any decent sized city.

I thought Philadelphia had apartments in that price range, but it seems like the norm for lower income Philly neighborhoods is a little higher (still much cheaper than NYC, though).

I'm sure there are at least mid sized cities where 400-500 dollar apartments are common though.

Originally Posted by Shoshanarose

I agree, NYC isn't THAT expensive except for housing (rent or buying an apartment), which is EXORBITANT.

(I don't know about hotel rooms in NYC vs. elsewhere,I do suspect they're much more expensive here in NYC).

NYC is a lot of fun to visit and live in - it has a nice vibe,and is so big with so many different neighborhoods,I feel like you can never get bored.
I also like the cultural and artistic vibe,that it's progressive, that it's diverse.

HOWEVER,no,it's NOT easy to get by if you earn 50K.

For a family earning 50K it would be downright poverty.

For a single earning 50K you would be hard-pressed to find an apartment that you could afford to rent (even in the outer boroughs).

Personally I earn about that, but if I didn't have a two-income household I could never manage to rent an apartment in NYC. It's really sad but true.

The Bronx and Staten Island have apartments affordable to someone who makes 50k, if only barely.

At 60k your options increase significantly.

Originally Posted by WhyRUMad

The subway is dirt cheap, considering. And I can walk to almost everything.

Taxis are for tourists.

And drunk people.

Originally Posted by nycnyc11209

Those places have lower COL=lower salaries.. same job that pays 40k here might pay 27k there.

Yeah but if you make 14 dollars an hour in a place with 600 dollar apartments, you can get by. If you make 20 dollars an hour in NYC, there are pretty much no apartments in your price range if you're single.

Originally Posted by jxzz

Not possible to find that price in nearby Connecticut or New Jersey.

You have to factor in the salary level in NYC or even nearby places (NJ, CT) is higher than most of the US. The higher salary should cover part of higher cost.

Not even somewhere like Paterson?

[l1995]

Damn though, as far as buying, the bad parts of Philly are still super affordable. I wonder if New York was kinda like this in the 90s.

Kensington Real Estate - Kensington Philadelphia Homes For Sale | Zillow

[slackercruster]

Impressive poll results. On the whole looks like you NY'ers are pretty happy.