Questions: 60k Salary, Looking at UES to reverse commute to Stamford

[mathjak107]

and this is why the retirement plan for most americans is work until you cant.

[ElysianEagle]

Originally Posted by Viralmd

I wouldn't trust Craigslist much. What about health insurance? Dental care? Dry cleaning? Laundry? 1400 in rent will get you a DUMP (if you're lucky).

i wouldn't go so far as to say that it would get him a dump. i just concluded my apt. search and saw quite a few really nice studio apts. for about 1300 - 1500/month, around 85th and 3rd - kinda like the outskirts of the UES but still...

[crescent22]

That's not the boonies at all. Plenty of action on 3rd and 2nd below 86th. But OP was talking 1-beds, not studios.

[bmwguydc]

The reverse commute sounds like a good idea, but the true costs are much more than the Metro-North ticket. Everything in the city is more expensive, not to mention the resident income tax mentioned by the posts before mine. On $60k, that's a very tight budget for Manhattan, since most everything in your daily budget will be at a higher price, including things like hair cuts, food, toiletries, and the like.

Looking at the numbers, if you want to remain in NY, I would look to White Plains for a semblance of an urban experience. The downtown area has developed with taller buildings and some services, but it's a relatively quick Metro-North ride to Manhattan, though to take the train to Stamford, you would need to take a bus to a station on the New Haven Line train as White Plains is on the Harlem Line. You could realistically keep a car in White Plains as well, on your income, and drive to Stamford in 20-30 minutes, though during rush hour you might want to avoid I-95 and take the back way out of White Plains through Purchase to the Merritt Parkway.

The commute from where you're looking on the UES is not easy, as you have to take a bus/subway/walk to either Grand Central Terminal or the 125th St - Harlem station to get the New Haven Line Metro-North to Stamford. It's a relatively long commute, because it's not just the commuter train that is an hour to an hour and ten minutes by itself. Factoring the travel after 125th St or Grand Central, that's easily 1.5+ hours commuting each way. It is really worth the extra commute, higher prices, and diminished rent buying power for the apartment?

[crescent22]

OP said he lives in Westchester now and hates it.

[newtoli]

There is a big difference between Westchester in general and White Plains when it comes to living enviornment. The only people I know living in Manhattan on 60k are in shares.

Also - that commute will suck the life out of you. It will be at least 1.5 hours each way on a good day. Where do you work in Stamford? Within walking distance to the train?

I did a reverse commute to Purchase from Brooklyn for a while and hated every living second of it.

[bmwguydc]

Parts of Stamford are not a bad option, either, especially if you're close to work, and commute to the city for fun. You get the benefit of affordable rent, and proximity to work, which saves a the fees and toll of commuting. 3 hours a day on a train vs. a few minutes to work, and a train when you need to go to the city seems like a better option. Either that, or see if you can telecommute some days, or transfer to an office in the city, if your company has one, for some of the days in the work week.

[Biskit]

You can definitely find a good studio for $1400 on the UES nowadays - in nice locations too. It's going to be small, but it won't be a dump. However, I wouldn't even considering living in Manhattan alone until I was making around $80-$100K.