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You can afford Manhattan with a $120k salary. You won't be living in luxury like other cities, but you can certainly swing a studio or small 1-bed in most areas. Or a very nice 2-bed if you have a roommate.
But if the OP Is complaining about COL in Boston.. Manhattan wouldn't be a better option.
Both are a bit less expensive in some neighborhoods, and offer incredible city life with a short trip to Manhattan, depending on which neighborhood you land in.
New York has much less harsh winters than Chicago, but New York is pricier overall. New York is obviously much larger than Chicago as well, and it's a different big city vibe.
In my opinion, New York all the way--but I'm biased since I lived there for 10 years, and I'm moving back in late August.
120k is middle class in Manhattan I think you could afford Long Island City Queens area and Downtown Brooklyn, Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Red Hook in Brooklyn.
Forget about COVID (well, don't). It's a simple equation.
$120k salary in Manhattan would get you a shoe box apartment.
^Depending on the neighborhood in Manhattan. If someone is looking in tribeca, the financial district or the west village for a 1 bed, that salary won't go far at all, and may not be possible. A small studio will be about it--maybe a 1 bed.
But if someone is looking for a decent sized 1 bed in the east village, or the upper east side, or lower east side, it's definitely doable in Manhattan.
If opening up options to far north Manhattan, someone can get a 1 bed for $1500-$1800 in many areas.
But if the OP Is complaining about COL in Boston.. Manhattan wouldn't be a better option.
Chicago is so much more affordable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpomp
Nevermind, I totally read the thread wrong... I thought they lived in Manhattan.
We cannot know for sure...but I think you are right and the implication is they live in NYC and are considering a move to Chicago. The Boston thing was a joke I brought up due to their presumably mistaken spelling of "en masse." But my joke might actually be the reality...weirder things have happened.
Seems like such a general question to ask. Most people that can afford Manhattan and/or NYC live there for what it offers. Chicago can't really match that. But in turn you have a better quality of life, relative to your salary, in Chicago because it it has a lower COL.
Just really depends on what you value -- for the future if you think you're not gonna grow income-wise and really want to buy a home, I think the answer is easily Chicago.
NYC is full of opportunities but the COL is always going to be high, especially in Manhattan.
You can afford Manhattan with a $120k salary. Whether its worth it or not is different.
I would say $120K works perfectly fine in Manhattan if you are a single. But if you want to save some money, Williamsburg, LIC, even Astoria are all great alternatives. How long of a commute is that to Midtown/Downtown Manhattan? Around 20 minutes. So you really don’t sacrifice much of your time location wise. With that being said, 120K will go a lot further in Chicago.
Last edited by SnobbishDude; 07-15-2020 at 12:06 PM..
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