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I am much older than you and had planned on moving to NYC - came out to tour apartments in October of 2019 and didn't see anything I liked, but more importantly realized that co-op boards would likely discriminate against me because of age - and I don't want to put myself through that (because you still have to pay fees and put money up when in the approval process and they can just come back and say you weren't approved, giving no reason).
I want to live downtown, so was looking at only co-ops. I was in the price range where co-ops were possible, but condos probably wouldn't be and there weren't any condos where I want to live.
Sounds like you have a solid plan. I WISH I could make it all work, but can't seem to figure it out. Will try again. but I now have a really "velcro" dog I rescued so have to figure out how to deal with him in my travels.
Good luck with your plan.
I recommend renting for a year where you wish to live to get the feel of the place, especially if you've never lived in New York before.
No need for co-op board approval. Tons of rentals, especially now, all over the city.
I prefer the west side, 60's - 80's. Lively, good transportation, walk to park, Lincoln Center, restaurants, etc.
I was born and raised in Brooklyn and loved it. But if you're moving to NY for a year, you should stick with NYC. My sister lives in the 60s near 3rd and I think it's a great area. I have no idea what rents are like, but I also like area around Styuvesant Town and Grammercy Park.
I don’t know if you are using street easy but it the best online source. You may have to make your decision based on cost. Some of the suggestions are great but may be way out of budget. I wouldn’t want a great 2 bed on the 5th floor of a walk up.
Without asking you your race or religious background, I'll just give you mine along with my suggestion for out of towners like yourselves.
I'm 49, white, catholic, white collar background but blue collar roots - Queens born and raised. Mostly conservative but NYC conservative isn't the same as Alabama. So read into that what you will.
Doesn't seem money is an issue, so I would highly suggest staying in Manhattan. Forget about the boroughs. You'd never fit in places like Queens, Bronx or Staten Island. And as far as Brooklyn goes, it's all hype. It's not real traditional "NYC Manhattan" living that you probably are looking for based on watching TV shows like Friends/Seinfeld and countless movies from the 80s/90s. It's also full of young people for the most part. Especially Williamsburg. All transient 30 something hipsters "trying" to reinvent NYC. Basically posers to us native NYers.
I would probably look around the Upper West side. Sure, there are plenty of young folks up that way, but still plenty of "older" NYers with money left in that area. Upper East side, which I prefer, is also full of young white collar types but day to day living is full of diverse ages of people. I really also like midtown. Say from the 50s down to the 20s between 1st and 5th aves.
The truth is Manhattan is so small and easy to navigate, where you sleep every day really should have no impact on hanging out with or finding places with over 50 peeps.
Unfortunately I think your overall experience will end up quite disappointing in the end!
My husband and I both work remotely and have always loved NYC. We are pretty young empty-nesters, (our last is a senior in college) and have decided to move to the city next spring and sign a year lease. Our four kids are in different parts of the country right now, so until we decided where to go next, we thought we would experience city living.
My husband has a lot of family in NJ and PA and our daughter went to SHU in CT so we are familiar with east coast living. Now that we have made our decision we are wondering which neighborhoods we should look in. I know there are different vibes in different neighborhoods and we don't want to be somewhere with say all college kids. (Even though we love college kids, we still have one) we would like to be in a more age-diverse area.
Some info. for anyone who wants to suggest areas to explore:
We are both really active in our early 50's and in good shape
Don't mind hustle and bustle
We want to keep rent around 3-4K a month.
We need at least 2 bedrooms, preferably 3
We have a dog so need pet friendly
Are not opposed to Brooklyn
We know and are prepared for the expense of the city and make good money, so please only suggestions and advice on where to live, no negative comments about NYC living. Thanks so much!
Okay, I suppose if you are not familiar with the city in detail, I should take back the idea of buying a co-op; I guess you really should rent first.
While I know Manhattan in detail, and other boroughs not at all (except a very atypical, self-contained condo complex in the Bronx, which is not what you want), I have pretty good friends whose 30-something son has lived for years in Park Slope in Brooklyn, and he swears by it, wouldn't live anywhere else on the planet :-). It does seem that GenX folks (which I assume you are) claim revitalized parts of Brooklyn as their generational nirvana, so I think you actually might like it there. Again, I would not consider it for myself, I don't like the way NYC brownstones are renovated, and would not live in NYC if I wanted a flat in a brownstone or a Victorian/colonial brick building, because I can get that elsewhere (eg, Boston, as the case may be :-) with less expense and greater safety.
If I moved to NYC, I'd be looking only for remnants of Manhattan in the 1920s-1960s, and, as I said, to me that is mostly Midtown East. Along those lines, I would also mention Park Av in the 50s-80s north of Grand Central, some of those awesome 1920s brick and limestone residential scrapers, but I don't think you can rent a 3 bdrm there for $4k, maybe you can find a 2 bdrm. The Upper West Side, particularly West End Av in the 70s-80s would be sort of a mirror image of that, and yes, the Upper West Side is still enjoyable in a Continental European way.
I would recommend the Upper East Side or Brooklyn Heights. The Q train makes for travel ease on the sedate UES. Yes, Park AVenue has some lovely large apartments but perhaps few for RENT. You can epand your search all the way to 96th without a diminution of QOL. And don't be afraid of Lexington or Third Aves.
Look in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, or Boerum Hill in Broooklyn--they are all incredible areas. Some of the best all around neighborhoods in New York City.
Full of beautiful tree-lined brownstone streets, nice bar and restaurant options, tons of good shopping and super close to Manhattan (roughly 6-8 min to downtown and 12 min to Union Square).
I live in Carroll Gardens and even though it's phenomenal for families with young kids, the area is very diverse with all age groups.
Or look at Park Slope or Prospect Heights. Both very similar to the 3 mentioned, and have a super high quality of life.
This is good advice for Brooklyn. I would add in Brooklyn Heights though it's on the even more expensive end of things.
By active, if you mean running, cycling, etc., I suggest somewhere near Central Park. A benefit of the Upper West Side is it's easier access to the GW Bridge and NJ for lengthier bicycle rides. Plus the bike path along the Hudson is nice even if it's too busy for all-out cycling. IMO for exercise-cycling the fewer intersections you have to deal with, the better.
I live by the East River and even though it's a mile to CP it's still close enough to walk over there and get a couple miles walk in (I don't run). I don't like the East River path that much because of all the cars on the FDR Drive. It's nice taking the pedestrian bridge over to Wards/Randalls Island for a change in scenery though. And like others have said, the UES is a bit boring (but safe) by itself but the Q gets you into Times Square in 10 minutes, and the 4, 5, 6 gets you into nice places further downtown.
This is good advice for Brooklyn. I would add in Brooklyn Heights though it's on the even more expensive end of things.
Thanks! Yeah, Brooklyn Heights is another good one.
Downtown Brooklyn is also a good option, and has really come a long way in the past decade for livability.
Fort Greene and Clinton Hill could also be options, but in my opinion are a notch below Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill/Boerum Hill/Park Slope/Brooklyn Heights.
I'd add Greenpoint and East Williamsburg also into the mix too, as options, but both may veer a bit too "super young professional" in some areas, but both areas are diverse too.
Unfortunately I think your overall experience will end up quite disappointing in the end!
Why ?
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