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I am young college grad student who just got a job in New York beginning in the Fall. I am still deciding on whether living in New York would be better for me or living and commuting in New Jersey would be better. I want to be able to save so I am not planning on spending too much on rent. Also, as this is my first apartment, I would appreciate any information on how to get an apartment/or where it will be easier to get an apartment, if you don't have a cosigner and your credit is not good.
Where are you coming from? Texas
Why are you moving? for a new job
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC? manhattan, midtown
Will you buy or rent? rent
What is your budget ? less than $1200, willing to have a roommate
What kind of place are you looking for ? nice, safe apartment suitable for a young lady
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? no
Do you need/want good public schools? no
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in
(examples: families with young children, young, mature, artsy, diverse, safe, close-knit, block parties, etc) young neighborhood, preferably with good public transport networks so I can commute to work. Also, close to mall/shopping area/grocery stores/etc
List three things that are important to you in order of importance.(examples: nightlife, outdoor activities, rural/urban, safety, downtown area, charming, new construction, proximity to XYZ, family oriented, easy parking, short commute, etc) 1. safety 2. short commute 3. charming
thank you all for any advice that you may provide!
Well my quick reply personal opinion is no one really lives in NYC, not in Manhattan anyway. Everybody lives in New Jersey, some people reside in the outer boroughs of NYC but they are held more captive by geography and density.
NJ is where everyone lives when they are done for the day.
I know plenty of coworkers who live in NYC/Manhattan. Most of them are in their 20s. With your budget, you will have at least 1, most likely 2+ roommates if you really want to live in the city. I think it is a good experience to live in the city in the 20s, it is fun, lots of night life. The other boroughs (Brookyln/Queens/Bronx) are pretty convenient too if you live close to a MTA line, otherwise stay away. Some neighborhoods can be just as expensive as living in the city (although you will most likely get a bigger place instead of a shoebox).
There are several parts of NJ that are very comparable to the NYC boroughs, such as Jersey City and Hoboken. They are very convenient too. I don't suggest suburbia since you are too young to settle down! Good luck.
OP, you obviously cannot afford your own apartment in Manhattan, but if I were your age, I would do the roommate thing and take advantage of the chance to live in the city now while you are young and can live that way. When you're older, you won't want to live in a closet-sized place with a bunch of other people, and it's not likely you'd be able to afford to live how you want in Manhattan or you will have chosen by then to live in the burbs and raise a family with a backyard and a swingset.
Manhattan has so much to offer to someone your age. Also, as someone else said, look at Hoboken and parts of JC and on the NY side, some of my daughter's friends live in Astoria, Queens, which is a quick hop to Manhattan by bus or subway. You got a job in the world's greatest city! Take advantage of this opportunity and enjoy all the city has to offer. You won't regret that.
On a $1200 budget, it will be difficult to afford an apartment in a desirable area, even with a roommate. Two or more roommates will be necessary or at least much easier, IMO. The rental market is HOT, so be prepared to lay out your first month's rent, security deposit (1.5 months rent), and a broker fee of 10-15% of the annual rent. Assuming your share of the rent is $1200, the deposits/fees will require you to put down $5,160 before you get the keys.
Even in some of the more popular NJ communities (Hoboken, downtown Jersey City, etc.) you're going to have to take on a roommate to afford to live in a modern/safe place. You can live in a more "up and coming" area of JC on your own for $1200, if you don't mind an older building, no laundry, and a gritty neighborhood. Broker fees are usually much lower in NJ because there's less competition for good apartments.
To match your wants and budget living on your own, you'll have to look in suburbs that are a bit farther out. Of course that'll impact your commute and proximity to nightlife, city amenities, etc. Places like Montclair, South Orange, or Rutherford will have enough restaurants and things going on to develop a social life and have pretty good access to NYC by train. You'll probably want to have a car for shopping, etc. out there, so keep that in mind for your budgeting.
$1,200 will get you nothing on your own in Manhattan, even in the crap neighborhoods you wouldn't want to live in. It could however get you a decent studio or 1BR in the Astoria, Woodside and Sunnyside sections of Queens which will give you an attractive, safe, quiet yet active and accessible neighborhood.
You can also get a decent place for $1,200 just outside NY on the Jersey side in towns ranging from complete bedroom communities to more lively places with great access into the city. The towns lammius mentioned are all great options. My girlfriend and I are Brooklyn/Queens ex-pats, live in East Rutherford and couldn't love it more. Between this town, Rutherford, Carlstadt, Wallington, ect you've got plenty of great and diverse dining options within a few minutes walk or drive, some good bars, lots of restaurants are BYOB and the commuting options into the city are rivaled by few (takes her 20 minutes on the bus in the morning to get to Port Authority Bus Terminal). There's a train on the Rutherford/East Rutherford border, two stations in Lyndhurst, the bus ride is fast and the 190 which runs through Rutherford runs 24/7 for those nights you don't wanna leave the party early to hopefully make that last bus.
Everything is more expensive in manhattan..... even McDonald's. Having said that, it would be a good experience to live there but the question is, are u willing to make some sacrifices.? If one of ur agendas is to save, perhaps manhattan is not ideal. Depending on where in the city you will need t commute to, perhaps you may want to look at queens or brooklyn.
You could rent a spacious 1 bedroom apartment in River Edge, New Milford or Hackensack, NJ for around $1000 (Included heat & water).
Both are located 30 min express bus directly to midtown Manhattan. Very nice, safe and great suburban towns next to NYC!
Besides being close to NYC, you have plenty of malls, shopping and other things nearby.
I would recommend Downtown JC preferably near Grove St where your commute will be so easy and you will still get your "charming" feel of neighborhood AND as you're young, MANY many options for night life.. enjoy!
You could rent a spacious 1 bedroom apartment in River Edge, New Milford or Hackensack, NJ for around $1000 (Included heat & water).
Both are located 30 min express bus directly to midtown Manhattan. Very nice, safe and great suburban towns next to NYC!
Besides being close to NYC, you have plenty of malls, shopping and other things nearby.
Also profoundly boring for someone her age.
My suggestion to the OP would be to get a place in Brooklyn (many good options) or Queens (Astoria) with roommates. Brooklyn would be better to live in, Queens would be a better commute. Alternatively, she should live on one of the bus lines into midtown relatively closely to the terminus of the line.
On the Jersey side Boulevard East (this is a road on the edge of the Palisades cliffs overlooking the Hudson river - it goes through several towns and has it's own distinct personality and a lot of bus lines) would be a good option, she can probably find a studio there without needing roommates and a quicker commute to midtown for lower rent than the boroughs, but, being on the Jersey side of the river will be somewhat socially isolating for a transplant (lots of city folks, especially transplants, hate the idea of using a bus and/or crossing the river). Weehawken off the boulevard could work too; I wouldn't go further inland in any of the other towns on it however unless she speaks Spanish.
If she is interested/willing to live in the suburbs flat out (and she shouldn't be with her needs and place of work) then Rutherford, Hackensack, Ridgefield, and the areas around those 3 towns become options.
edit: lots of people are suggesting Manhattan, Hoboken, JC, etc.....these are all better options (well, Manhattan and Hoboken are, JC for midtown is debatable at best), but they are not affordable better options.
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