working in soho- where to live (Murray, Carroll: sublet, apartment, lease)

[ph4]

My daughter is interning in Soho and looking for her own apartment. My husband and I are funding her a budget of between $1000 and $2000 a month. The most important considerations are access to transit, commute time to her job, and the safety of the neighborhood. She's single and would like amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, and exercise facilities nearby. She is looking for either a 1 bedroom or a 2 bedroom and is open to either living on her own or having a roommate. She doesn't have a car or any kids to consider. Which neighborhoods would you concentrate your search on and what do you think a reasonable budget is for a one bedroom apt and a two bedroom apt? Thx!

[MStant1]

How long is this internship?

I'm going to assume she is going to be living here for at least a year. On the budget of $1000-$2000 you aren't going to get very far in Manhattan. For around $1800-$2000 you could get a great studio in Long Island City in Queens. In Long Island City for that price you could get a studio in a High Rise doorman building with a washer/dryer in the unit as well as gym and pool access in the building. The commute is also only about 20-30 minutes to Soho during rushhour. LIC also has plenty of grocery stores and restaurants.

Also places to consider in Queens are Astoria, Sunnyside and Woodside. She could live in any of these areas in a 1 bedroom by herself from 1300-1500. The commute from these areas to SOHO during rushhour are about 30-45 minutes. However in these areas your options are going to be primarily pre-war buildings with fewer amenities. However there are gyms in each neighborhood and multiple grocery and restaurant options.

If she wants to live with a roommate then Manhattan is more of an option. She could easily find an apartment with someone else in Murray Hill, Kips Bay, Chelsea or anywhere in midtown for around 1500-2000.

[ph4]

thanks for responding Mstant1. The Broadway-Lafayette subway station is closest to her office. I'm going to suggest she look at apts near the lines that serve this station: the B, D, F and the 6 Lexington line. She may only be in nyc until the New Year so we are thinking a fully furnished sublet might be the way to go. By January if she decides to stay in nyc she will have a better knowledge of the city on which to base her decision. If she decides to start grad school elsewhere we won't have to deal with selling or moving furniture and subleting an apartment. We are willing to pay more for a short term fully furnished apt for this flexibility, as much as 3000 a month. I looked at street images and liked Forest Hills but it seems too long a commute. I think 25 minutes is about the maximum time on the train we'd consider. I also looked at some of the nearer Brooklyn street images online but they seemed to be full of tall dark brick apartment buildings with very small windows which we would not consider. What I liked about Forest Hills was the beautiful small scale downtown and leafy ambiance. We'd consider high rises as long as the windows are large and they have air conditioning. Btw although she loves working in soho she doesn't want to live there. It's too over-the-top rich and touristy for her taste. any advise is appreciated.

[canyontothesky]

A lease is out of the question if she's not staying long-term. You'd have to sign a 1 year lease, plus then you have to furnish it of course. A furnished apartment would be in the form somoene looking to sublet a room in an apartment or their entire apartment while they're away, which is definitely possible. So have a look on Craigslist. She should be looking in Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens and Park Slope in Brooklyn, not in Queens, which is inconvenient. Also, the Prince St stop for the R and N is just a block from the Broadway-Lafayette B/D/F, so Park Slope would really be the ultimate place. I commuted to those stops for a few months from the 7th Ave F in Park Slope.