Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You know, I actually like the vibe in Brooklyn better but have found that the rents in the parts of Brooklyn I'd want (Fort Greene for example) are actually higher than the rents in some parts of Manhattan. I was shocked. I was planning to do Brooklyn but because of some rents in the Lower East Side, Hell's Kitchen and the UES vs. Fort Greene, Boerum Hill, Park Slope, etc I have ended up looking at Manhattan more.
I know there are much, much cheaper areas further out but I'd be commuting to mid-town and I can't deal with a 45 minute commute with transfers.
I'd do Queens but my girlfriend is generally opposed to living in really family-focused or "quiet" neighborhoods and on a previous visit I went to Queens and it was very sleepy and family-oriented. Not saying we'd want to live in the East Village heart of everything crazy, but I think the other extreme is a problem for at least one of us.
Also, I have a friend who lives in Astoria and she says it's a nightmare transit-wise to go hang out with friends in Brooklyn — which is where most of my friends in NYC live.
Where in Queens did you visit? It's big place. I live in Astoria too, and while there are definitely some families here to me it feels a lot less family-oriented than the UES. That was really the deciding factor for me when choosing Astoria over the UES. The family-oriented quiet neighborhood thing is at the bottom of my list too because I like to go out, be around people my age and don't plan on having kids anytime soon. I lived in Astoria for years before moving to Manhattan, and when I was moving back I was choosing between UES and Astoria because I wanted to save money on rent. After taking the time to explore it and to seriously consider it, the UES seemed a lot more boring and quiet than Astoria and I decided it was too much of a risk.
In terms of things to do and having a vibrant/urban vibe, Astoria wins hands down. I don't even think there is a single family with kids in my building..like 90% of residents are mid-to-late 20s/early 30s. Some parts of Astoria are sleepier though, so it can depend. Honestly, I have a hard time deciding where to eat or where to go out within walking distance because there are THAT many choices (I'm in my late 20s). I don't even go out in Manhattan anymore unless I'm meeting someone there. Then again, I very rarely bother with Brooklyn, and the commute there from Queens really isn't great. Not great from the UES either though..far.
If your budget is around 2,000 (I think that's what you said it was), maybe you can still find something in Brooklyn? It really has gotten ridiculously expensive though.
Astoria is fun (lots of new bars, restaurants, lot of artists live there) and very safe-feeling, plus it has that great riverside park. But I have a theory that an MTA designer had a bad affair with an Astorian and decided to make the neighborhood pay--the sheer number of transit-****ups boggled my mind. I remember one time seeing a Shakespeare play at the Delacorte, leaving and taking the train east to 59th, and it just stopped at the river. They told us all to get off and transfer at --wait for it--42nd St.!!!! This would've added at least a half hour to my trip--and this was not that late at night, it was before midnight. This sort of thing happened ALL THE TIME. I was constantly late for work because of nonsense like this.
On the bright side, taxis from Manhattan into Astoria are not that expensive.
It was Astoria. I may not have seen the coolest parts of it. I will try to sell her on taking a look at it. We've walked around several neighborhoods so far but it's taking multiple trips — it's a huge city.
Totally unrelated, I wanted to point out to everyone that coming from the city of Chicago, which is no slouch itself in urban crampedness and rising rents, that this is NOT okay: http://s3.amazonaws.com/nakedapartme...jpg?1360091204
That is not a kitchen. This is the thing that's driving me craziest looking at places. We don't even need a big one, just something like this: http://thisweekfordinner.com/wp-cont...itchen-web.jpg but that first one... they should not be able to legally say that first apartment has a kitchen. That's patently absurd.
I've looked for apartments before in SF, Chicago, LA and Boston and never in my life have I seen anything so ridiculous. =p I mean I'm psyched and all but geez.
Kitchen/living room combo is so depressing. It's not even the small size, it's the lack of separation. New luxury buildings do this too and I'll never understand.
In Queens you could have a truly palatial kitchen.
Redguard,
Don't expect to do it right on the first try...you will not get perfection and trying for it will knock you silly. Just knowing you cannot do it, nor can anyone else, should ease the pressure.
Just move somewhere tolerable, sign a 1 year lease and give yourself 12 months to look around to find you best balance of comfortable living, good locale, and rent. Getting the lay of the land takes some time.
Now if I only I could find an apartment that has at least a passably distinct kitchen. That's honestly the one thing that's boggling my mind most about looking at apartments in NYC. You'd think that when everything is so expensive you can't afford to budget to go out to eat every single day, a kitchen would be a priority.
I had a great kitchen in a real 1-BR walk up on the UES back in 2007. Granite-ish counters, full sized oven & fridge, decent counter space (both sides of a galley kitchen), and even a window in there! Good closet space, too. Paid about $1600 then so it's certainly still within your $2300 & under budget. The apartment "complex" is on 78/79 east of York and the management office is on E 78 just a few doors down from York and you can go there to pick up keys of available apartments. Some are downright awful, but there are some great units there if you hunt long enough.
Absolutely great place to live! The river promenade is great for running. Carl Schurtz Park is delightful in the warmer months. There's even a decent public pool right across the street from these apartments - total hidden gem. Yes, UES is quiet, but it's a nice place to come home every night. You'll get used to hoofing it to the subway or figure out the bus system quickly. And the rest of NYC is just a subway or cabride away on Saturday afternoon or in the evenings.
But more of them would rather live where they work and play...hence the high demand for Manhattan living.
If Queens or Brooklyn had a huge financial district that provided high paying jobs, people would flock there. The trend towards living distances from jobs is long gone and the housing moves as close as possible to work.
Nothing wrong with Queens, but there is only one Manhattan on this planet and people know this.
For Brooklyn, it kind of does have a huge financial district, it is called the Financial District of Manhattan. It is pretty easy to get from inner Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan in a short subway ride which is reflected in the high cost in rents throughout inner Brooklyn and the number of new condo buildings going up in Downtown Brooklyn.
I didn't read the whole thread and I'm sure it's been beaten to death. But beware the second ave subway construction. Depending on how tolerant you are on noise levels and the hours that you keep at home it could get annoying. Plus I have a friend who lives on 2nd in the low 80s who suddenly developed a huge rat problem as construction crept by. Just sayin. If you're willing to live way east on York (Yorkville area) there is plenty of stuff over there. Restaurants, bars, laundromats, etc. I like it over there. Rents are a little lower too. But the walk to the subway is loooong and crosstown bus traffic can take awhile.
but I also see what you mean about the blandness of the area.
Still, it's a contender. I can deal with the blandness.
It's not as bland as you might think. For example, they just opened a very nice looking watering hole called THE DISTRICT at 94th and Third. It was instantly mobbed by hundreds of 20-30 somethings. It is packed every night with a prosperous looking crowd of people obviously looking for a fun night.
At any weekend or holiday brunch all 69,000 of the restaurants are mobbed with young people.
People are there and they go out...it's just that, unike the Village they don't "hang out" on the street so one might get the impression the neighborhood is bland. And it's not a destination for the bridge and tunnel crowd.
And as far as the really GOOD stuff, how can anyone argue against the neighborhood park (CENTRAL) or the museums (Metropoliitan, Guggenheim, Neue, City of New York, del Barrio, Jewish, Frick, NY Historical Society.) The drinks miight suck but the art is terrific.
My gripe is they shut down all the fun gay bars of the 1970's and 80's leaving only one dump that is usually closed. Perhaps my liver should be grateful.
Last edited by Kefir King; 02-20-2013 at 08:44 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
