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Hello!
I am moving to New York City in 3 short weeks and need help on where to live. I am a 21 year old girl from the South, and I'm mostly concerned about safety. My budget is capped off at about $1600/month, and I'd like to get my own apartment (one bedroom if at all possible). I'll be working right near Madison Square Park (27 and Madison), but am okay with commuting. I would like to stay within Manhattan though. Any help would be so very appreciated, I don't know much at all about all the different neighborhoods.
No way you'll find a 1-bedroom for $1600, but you can probably find a decent studio on the UES. I would recommend getting a roommate or 2, you could easily get a place with your own room if you did that.
You could swing a studio for that budget with a little legwork. However, since you're in your early 20s and new to the city, I would suggest looking to share a 2 br. with a compatible roommate. You can split your utilities, make friends, and have a wider social circle that way. Just a suggestion...
Hello!
I am moving to New York City in 3 short weeks and need help on where to live. I am a 21 year old girl from the South, and I'm mostly concerned about safety. My budget is capped off at about $1600/month, and I'd like to get my own apartment (one bedroom if at all possible). I'll be working right near Madison Square Park (27 and Madison), but am okay with commuting. I would like to stay within Manhattan though. Any help would be so very appreciated, I don't know much at all about all the different neighborhoods.
Thank you!
Sorry but it doesn't sound like you will have the budget to live in Manhattan without roommates. I think that is going to be a bigger concern than safety, Manhattan is a very safe place overall but far from cheap even in the not-so-desirable areas (which are all shrinking and gentrifying as we speak).
I think you're in for a shock about how much apartments cost, and the difference in price and quality depending on the type of building. For $1600 you're probably not going to find anything in a doorman building, you're looking at a small studio in a poorly maintained walk-up building for Manhattan and that's if you can find something rent stabilized (rare).
I would consider some nicer neighborhoods in brooklyn where you might be able to find a studio for that price range. Boerum Hill and Park Slope are nice.
Erase from your mind anything you may have seen on TV shows about what apartment living is like in Manhattan, it is always very far from the harsh reality and I've seen it crush a lot of people's hopes. Just be prepared.
Get over the idea of a 1 br. In your price range, you're looking at studios on the Upper East Side or in Murray Hill- both good safe neighborhoods with lots of recent graduates. A studio is better anyway since even the 1br's in the low 2000's can have AWFUL flow/layout/ floorplans. You're more likely to find a decent sized studio for $1600 than a functional 1 br for $2200.
Check out the apartments on E 78/79 & York. There is a leasing office on East 78th just east of York. I lived there for several years. A studio will be $1500-1600, BUT all of your electricity & other utility bills are included in rent. That's worth $100 or so per month. They are well maintained and quiet location with almost everything you need within 1-2 blocks: several grocery stores, drug store, East River promenade for walking/running, casual/ takeout restaurants, a few neighborhood bars, tennis courts, public pool, nail salons, dry cleaners, alterations, etc. Close to cute boutiques on 3rd Ae, more bars on 2nd & 3rd, quite a few movie theates, Bed Bath & Beyond, museum mile, Central Park, etc. The M57 & M79 busses stop right there. It is about a 7-8 minute walk to the 6 train on 77th & Lex, but that's what you get for opening price point UES.
Beware any apartments north of 96th Street being touted as UES or "Upper"UES- they are in Harlem which is very very different than the UES.
Get over the idea of a 1 br. In your price range, you're looking at studios on the Upper East Side or in Murray Hill- both good safe neighborhoods with lots of recent graduates. A studio is better anyway since even the 1br's in the low 2000's can have AWFUL flow/layout/ floorplans. You're more likely to find a decent sized studio for $1600 than a functional 1 br for $2200.
Check out the apartments on E 78/79 & York. There is a leasing office on East 78th just east of York. I lived there for several years. A studio will be $1500-1600, BUT all of your electricity & other utility bills are included in rent. That's worth $100 or so per month. They are well maintained and quiet location with almost everything you need within 1-2 blocks: several grocery stores, drug store, East River promenade for walking/running, casual/ takeout restaurants, a few neighborhood bars, tennis courts, public pool, nail salons, dry cleaners, alterations, etc. Close to cute boutiques on 3rd Ae, more bars on 2nd & 3rd, quite a few movie theates, Bed Bath & Beyond, museum mile, Central Park, etc. The M57 & M79 busses stop right there. It is about a 7-8 minute walk to the 6 train on 77th & Lex, but that's what you get for opening price point UES.
Beware any apartments north of 96th Street being touted as UES or "Upper"UES- they are in Harlem which is very very different than the UES.
I know those apartments very well and they're far from what I would call nice, however they are very old buildings and one can only do so much to pretty them up even if they are maintained. But I agree they are the few affordable ones left in Manhattan. Adequate, dated, small, affordable. But not nice. The location perks outweigh the quality of the apartment itself.
I would still recommend Brooklyn over manhattan for a nicer and larger studios in neighborhoods with similar things to offer.
I know those apartments very well and they're far from what I would call nice, however they are very old buildings and one can only do so much to pretty them up even if they are maintained. But I agree they are the few affordable ones left in Manhattan. Adequate, dated, small, affordable. But not nice. The location perks outweigh the quality of the apartment itself.
I would still recommend Brooklyn over manhattan for a nicer and larger studios in neighborhoods with similar things to offer.
I don't know what you consider "nice", but I had a sunny studio facing the park on 78th street with 2 huge windows, brand new (2006) kitchen (granite/ stainless appliances, dishwasher), nice sized remodeled bathroom with window & tub, 2 walk-in closets, beautiful old parquet floors. Sure, no doorman butI don't know how you could claim they're "far" from what you consider nice. I was paying $1325 5 years and have seen similar units going for $1500-1600 recently.
I don't know what you consider "nice", but I had a sunny studio facing the park on 78th street with 2 huge windows, brand new (2006) kitchen (granite/ stainless appliances, dishwasher), nice sized remodeled bathroom with window & tub, 2 walk-in closets, beautiful old parquet floors. Sure, no doorman butI don't know how you could claim they're "far" from what you consider nice. I was paying $1325 5 years and have seen similar units going for $1500-1600 recently.
We're talking about C&S apts, yes? Unless they've gut renovated their 2 streets of buildings to upgrade them all, the 20+ apartments I've viewed there were not granite clad, had no WICs and the parquet floors had numerous loose blocks that popped up out of the floor when you walked on them. They were old, very dark, and looked like they were last renovated in the 80's but decently maintained so nothing was falling apart to the point of being dangerous. They are in much better shape than the walk-ups I've seen for rent in Alphabet City for the same price (I wouldn't let my worst enemy's dog live in those), so comparatively speaking they are better, but from what you're telling me it sounds like you got lucky with a gut-renovated unit. Now, unless you happen to know if C&S is in the process of gutting all the old units en masse and have a lot of those available, I don't think those apartments are worth it and I would look elsewhere.
Yup, the city & suburban. I lived in two different units there- that studio and then a 1 br. Both were nice. I don't think they'v gutted the whole block yet, but there are definitely more than 2 nice units out of the 500+ apartments! Just takes patience & timing.
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