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Asked a lot I'm sure, but my situation is specific. Short version of the question at the bottom in bold.
I moved to Manhattan from Atlanta, and really wish now that I hadn't - is it affordable? Yes. Am I able to build my savings and pay off some debt? Not really.
I live around 104th st in the city, and I am a Field Engineer - I travel frequently. Frequently to the point that I've asked to go back to Atlanta, but my company likes the idea of having someone in Manhattan..ostensibly just so they can tell customers that they have someone here...sounds all fancy ().
That said, I really just have a 2k per month storage unit, ridiculous taxes (F me for forgetting to change my allowances) and a really god-awful quality of life if I'm being honest. Why anyone not making millions would choose to live here, is beyond me.
After doing this years taxes, and realizing that I'm not really saving anything but what I put in my 401k, company be damned but I'm out of New York City. I'll be within a distance that will make them happy, but preferably not in NY state.
I have moving costs to worry about now, getting my security deposit back (landlord isn't the best), actually finding a new place, and having the cash on hand to get in the door. The most stressful thing is turning out to be choosing where to start looking, because most of the people I ask about it are die hard New York/NJ folks - if I have someone tell me to look at Astoria, or Hoboken one more time, I might just bust my last final nut.
What city (preferably in NJ or CT) is within 1 to 1.5 hour by train, safe, and would have a studio-1BR available for ~$1500 or less? No car, 1 person. Relatively close to an airport.
Only local things I would be concerned with are grocery stores - as I'm home only half the time (if that), I really don't care what's around me. I've read tons of posts on the matter, but haven't come across any where the OP didn't have to be in the city every single day for work.
It's funny, because everyone I ask laughs when I ask about Newark. I mean I don't like EWR, but the airport is about all I know of the area.
I'm assuming they are suggesting it's a bad neighborhood, but every city has places I wouldn't go.
Try Rockaway Park. Close to the airport (JFK), decent area and you can get to Lower Manhattan in a little under an hour if you take the Rockaway Park A train during rush hour times. Off-peak is more like 75-90 minutes depending on delays, etc.
It's funny, because everyone I ask laughs when I ask about Newark. I mean I don't like EWR, but the airport is about all I know of the area.
I'm assuming they are suggesting it's a bad neighborhood, but every city has places I wouldn't go.
Yeah, Newark isn't the safest place in the world. Not as bad as Atlanta by the numbers though. Irvington, NJ (second highest crime in NJ) is safer than Atlanta by the numbers, which says a lot about Atlanta.
With no car, you pretty much have to stick to the urban areas. Harrison, NJ might work. If you don't want to be in New York state you should probably ask in the NJ forum.
Yeah, I was more hoping to find people that work here and commute though - I should have worded that better also...I'm not terribly opposed to NY state, as long as I'm a ways away from the boroughs. The Rockaway area looks alright, but I grew up with the Gulf Coast so I'd probably be disappointed if I moved there with thoughts of the beach being a commodity. The distance from the city is nice, proximity to JFK works...but I just wonder why things are cheaper there. Is it the perceived difficulty in getting to Manhattan? Or is it sketch city?
I hate to say it, but I sort of have to - I'm a white guy, so I'd also want to fit with the demographic. Atlanta has bad areas - I lived in Brookhaven for 8 years, just NE of Buckhead....still own a condo there actually. There are always occasional newsworthy things that happen, but for the most part that's within Midtown/Downtown, or the lower part of the Perimeter in general.
With the amount of time I spend inside my apartment when I'm actually "home", I could get by somewhere that falls between "you live where?" and "damn, how much money do you make". I draw the line when I'm the extreme minority (Buford highway area of DeKalb County, for example) just as a general convenience issue.
Yeah, I was more hoping to find people that work here and commute though
I take this to be a reply to nybbler's post suggesting that you try the NJ forum. Wouldn't it be as easy to find someone living in NJ and working in Manhattan as someone working in Manhattan who commutes from NY? What's the difference? I also think you should try the NJ forum.
I have been retired a few years but, over a number of years, I did business in Clifton, Little Ferry N. Bergen, & Paterson, NJ. All are under or about an hour from Penn Station. Became friends with a couple of the people who I did business with and their homes in Clifton & Little Ferry. I was pretty much in and out in less than a day, but they didn't seem bad to me. One of the guys was a low 6 figure guy and the other other approached 7, so this may or may not help you.
Bottom line is that there are tons of easy commute cities in NJ.
Check out CT. Any stop between Fairfield and Stamford is less than 90 minutes to Grand Central with Fairfield being the furthest away. IMO Fairfield County Ct is closest to what you would find in the Atlanta area that you are accustomed to.
You should be able to find a studio or 1 bedroom for $1500 or less.
The largest cities within the 90 minute radius to NYC are Stamford and Norwalk with small towns all around. Fairfield County has good transit service of buses for local transit needs, and Metro North railroad to NYC. Many people live in the larger cities without a car. Everything runs on a schedule and ends at a certain time. You would have to check that thoroughly.
There is plenty of shuttle service to the airports all over the county.
Cons: Commuting times longer you may have to switch to a subway ride when you get to Grand Central. Also commuting is more expensive.
I agree with looking at Long Island. LIRR gives you a decent commute into the city and it's relatively close to both JFK and LaGuardia airports.
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