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I am unemployed and currently living up in central Connecticut. I have just expanded my job search into NYC and the surrounding areas. I used to live there for two years and lived in midtown in a studio apt on 47th and Lexington for $1,470 and commuted 30 mins to downtown. I was making $56K back then (2008). But now, nine years later, I want a reality check to see if I can live the way I want to live. I would be making approximately $80K this time around. I am 32 years old.
I want to live alone in a 1 bed apartment, hopefully no smaller than 500 sq ft, in a safe, quiet area for no more than about $1,800. I want the apartment to be fairly updated and clean, and no more than two flights of stairs. I also don't want to have to pay a broker's fee if possible. I want to keep my car and have a nearby parking space for it, where I can leave it there for weeks without using it. If it's a few blocks away, that's fine. I also want my commute (via public transit) to be no more than 40 minutes each way, including riding, waiting and walking, assuming that my job is located in midtown or downtown.
I don't mind living in NJ, Queens, Brooklyn or anywhere else, as long as my commute is no more than 40 minutes.
With his budget he can get something on the Queens Blvd line and get to Midtown in reasonable time
However, his other preferences/requirements make it considerably more difficult.
With that budget one could get a large studio apt. along the Queens Blvd. subway lines and get into Midtown on average 45 minutes if there are no delays in the system.
$1600-1800 for a nicely renovated one bedroom is certainly doable in some outer borough Neighborhoods that are 40 mins - 1 hour away. Actually, you can get a place in Astoria for $1800 still and have a 30 min commute. It's possible to avoid broker fees, but it would severely limit your choices and make the search a headache.
As for parking, you have to move it 2-4 times a week for alternate side parking, you cannot escape that.
The only issue I see here if you're willing to live in the outerboroughs is the car. I have a car, live in Astoria in a 700 sq ft 1 bedroom, my commute is 35 minutes to midtown. I pay $1800. If I wanted a parking spot for my car, that's another $175-$200. There are many neighborhoods where parking isn't an issue but the commute time will be much longer.
In my opinion, you can't make all of those parameters work. Can you compromise on any of them?
If you don't mind living in a less interesting neighborhood, I suspect you can get a studio for $1400 and still have $200 to pay for a parking space. Check in Elmhurst, Queens. It's a heavily immigrant-oriented neighborhood, but safe and easy to access Manhattan by subway (30 minutes). Parking spots should be in the vicinity of $200/mo (check craigslist parking section).
If I were a young person newly moving here, I would much prefer Astoria, though.
Queens is definitely doable commute-wise but the others are right--the car will be the catch. Unless you are in a garage, you will have to move it at least once a week. I would count on around $200/month for a building garage, so you either need to up your budget-and then you could get a decent one bedroom in any number of places in Queens near the E/F express-or look for a studio.
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