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I am 23 and am possibly moving to New York to work - my office will be on Avenue of the Americas and I have no idea where to live. From what I gather, this area is too expensive and so please could anyone give me some ideas.
I will be moving out alone and could be there for a couple of years so would like somewhere where I could set up base and create a good social life as most of my work colleagues are married with kids and drive to work so would need a friendly area.
Briefly:
- I wouldn't really want to spend more than 1500-2000 bucks a month unless it was seriously worth it
- Within 30 minutes commute of work
- Active nightlife (so I guess a younger crowd, and some bars/pubs, etc)
- Safe: given that I will be on my own!
- I wouldn't be running a car if that helps to narrow options...
I am sure you get a million of these but am hoping you good people could help. My priorities are flexible if it is worth it e.g. if there is a seriously good place to live 45 minutes away then would consider that too.
Oh sorry, I guess I meant the flatbush thread, but while yer at it, check as many as you dare here. Not pretty reading, but it ain't all that dire.
Check the NY Times, NY Post, NY Daily news online for real estate. Will try to give more links later if you respond. I am not fond of ops who let us all wring each other's necks for 10 pages and are never heard from again. Sorry--it's a NYC thing.
One suggestion for you offhand...see thread on this forum: Is Bushwick really that bad?
Search online for Flatbush Gardens (in Brooklyn; cheap, nice, short commute--transitioning hood).
Take what people say here with a grain of salt.
Good luck.
Bushwick? Are you crazy?
Flatbush Gardens...
Yes, take what people say on here with a grain of salt...
To the OP, with the money you are ready to spend you can find housing to rent in a decent area. In Brooklyn you may be interested in Park Slope and Greenpoint, Williamsburg is dirtier, ugly, and more shady then the other two but it isn't too bad although it has it's problems. These seem to be the best for a young women on your budget.
However for 2k a month you should be able to find at least a decent area in this city. Don't settle for less.
I agree with Hustla on this one. To suggest Flatbush Gardens and Bushwick to the OP, who has up to $2000 to spend on rent and doesn't know the city well, seems crazy to me. Why start with the crappiest places with the fewest amenities-- why not suggest the nicer ones that fit the OP's budget? I don't get that at all.
Astoria, Sunnyside, Forest Hills, Bay Ridge, Greenpoint -- all these fit the bill-with the possible exception of commute times, since I don't know where the office is. And while I have never been to Flatbush Gardens, I *have* been to Flatbush and East Flatbush plenty of times and I have read about Flatbush Gardens, and ALL of the places I mentioned are nicer and have far better amenities. (in my humble opinion)
But I would also really need to know the exact location of office before really making a strong suggestion.
I am 23 and am possibly moving to New York to work - my office will be on Avenue of the Americas and I have no idea where to live. From what I gather, this area is too expensive and so please could anyone give me some ideas.
I will be moving out alone and could be there for a couple of years so would like somewhere where I could set up base and create a good social life as most of my work colleagues are married with kids and drive to work so would need a friendly area.
Briefly:
- I wouldn't really want to spend more than 1500-2000 bucks a month unless it was seriously worth it
- Within 30 minutes commute of work
- Active nightlife (so I guess a younger crowd, and some bars/pubs, etc)
- Safe: given that I will be on my own!
- I wouldn't be running a car if that helps to narrow options...
I am sure you get a million of these but am hoping you good people could help. My priorities are flexible if it is worth it e.g. if there is a seriously good place to live 45 minutes away then would consider that too.
THANKS!!
Does your income support the 40X rent requirement in Manhattan? Just a hypothetical--you'd have to make 60-80 thousand a year to pay those rents. Otherwise you'll need a guarantor--a parent who makes 75 times the rent. Sometimes landlords are flexible on this, so I would get here, stay with a friend or sublet, and do your research.
Heya - yeah understand that you wouldn't put the effort in for someone you will never hear from again: fair enough. I will be checking this most days at work.
Some more info:
- First, I am an idiot and wrote the completely wrong numbers. I can go to USD3,000 but no more - not sure where I pulled that previous figure from!
- My income will be approx 80-100k
- Sorry, yeah, Avenue of the Americas is looooong (as I know when I tried to find the office the first time!!!). I'll be working at 46th and Sixth (think its only a couple of blocks from Times Sq.)
Thanks for your work so far on this.
I was thinking of maybe getting a week or two in a serviced apartment or something and then looking once I am actually out there but I would still need to narrow down the area as much as possible as really need to hit the ground running when I get there.
I don't know Manhattan well in terms of rentals, so the others can help you there.
But $3,000 would get you a 3-bedroom apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn, which is a lovely neighborhood, 30 minutes by subway to your office. (The F train lets you out at 42nd St. and Sixth Ave.) Obviously you could spend less and have a 1- or 2-bedroom.
I've just moved here too but from overseas and can say that rentals would be the big thing - I just hope you have some time and/or the company you are going to work for is going to put you up for a little while.
The basic rule I found is not just what you can afford but what the landlords are willing to work with. The rule of thumb is that you must make at least 40 times the monthly rent annually so if you are making 100K a year most landlords will only give allow you to rent $2500. The other thing you will need to look at is the upfront requirements of the place you are going to rent. Some landlards take first months rent, last months rent and one month security. Some take less some take more. Also if you end up going through a broker you are going to need to pay their fee which can be anywhere up to 15% of the first years rent. That's all up front when you sign the lease.
Sixth and 46th is a pretty busy place - near enough to Times Square and Rockefeller - midtown so its busy during the day and the night. The cheapest place around that area is Hells Kitchen/Clinton and you have transport etc. There are three subway lines that can take you anywhere in the city and its walkable to work. Two websites to keep in mind if you don't want to go through a broker are NY Bits - New York apartments, buildings and neighborhoods (http://www.nybits.com - broken link) and craigslist: san francisco bay area classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events . With nybits you will need to do a bit of legwork and go to the buildings on their list as not all of them have their vacancies posted on the website and most importantly look at the apartment itself. A lot of them look nothing like the photos. Most of the buildings are luxury/doorman buildings so pretty safe and if you stay east of 8th its still pretty lively at night I have found. The other place that one that was recommended to me was the East Village which is a bit of a hike to midtown (even with the subway which is crowded). And buses take a long time travelling along the eastside.
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