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I will be moving to New York this Fall to go to Grad school.
Coming from the UK I want to really get that classic New York feel, wherever I end up. I am not so interested in the upper Manhattan neighbourhoods.
I would like somewhere that is near enough to good night life (and great food choices!) but with a more intimate feel (if that exists). I dont want to have nightclubs at my door step, yet I want to be close enough that it would not be a problem should I want to go wild on occasion. I'd like to avoid vomit on my doorstep on a Monday morning. I really dont want to get lost in the swarm of New York - I hated the touristy spots around Times Square
. It would be great to have a local coffee shop where I could get to know waiters, get work done etc.
In terms of apartments, my rent margins are flexible (not extortionate, please). The most important aspect is space - I would rather not live in a good area that has small cramped dark apartments - I did that for my undergrad. I wont be living in New York forever, so I want to feel comfortable in my house and make the most of it. I would like to have space and light!
I have been to New York a few times, and have a good feel for certain areas (superficial as it may be). I loved the look/vibe of the Soho. What are the apartment prices like there? Sizes etc? Equally, the East Village has appeal but I worry it gets too crazy at nights? I dont want to live in a brownstone in Greenwich area.
I did not spent so much time in the Chelsea area - based on my requirements, does it sound more appropriate?
I am open to moving to Brooklyn too. However, I know very little about it.
Any advice would be much appreciated! I realise this sounds fussy; but I feel that i wont get anywhere unless I get specific.
I'm not a New York real estate expert, but you're going to get asked what your budget is. Rents vary vastly from neighborhood to neighborhood. A studio apartment in Chelsea could easily run you $3,000.
Chelsea gets crazier at night than the LES/EV difference is the east side is more hipster and Chelsea is gay. You can find something for 3 grand although I wouldn't ever want to spend that on a tiny apartment when you can cross the bridge into brooklyn and get something for like half that. Neighborhood doesn't have a u in America btw
Your budget and yr commute are the two most determinant things about choosing someplace to live. You are used to stiff London rents, so expect more of the same in NYC. And also consider finding a roommate. That may not be your first choice, but it will cut down on expenses and perhaps make the transition here a bit easier. (Visiting NY and living here are way different things.) But start by querying the housing offices of the school you're attending. It is difficult to find a place in NYC from across the Atlantic. And depending on how long you're here, it might be best to take some recommended short-term housing until you get the lay of the land and know more about the neighborhoods.
But where do you have to be and what is yr commute? To NYU? Columbia? Rockefeller U? Cornell Tech? Polytechnic? Those are all in very different parts of the city. Hard to make a recommendation without knowing. You could find a great apartment somewhere and end up with a 90 minute commute to get to school, which will give you the New York experience, but probably not the one you want.
Lastly, don't be too picky. Most students can't afford to be. You list no brownstones, no Upper Manhattan, maybe no East Village, no Soho (that area IS extortionate), no Times Sq or touristy areas, no small apartments in nice neighborhoods -- this big city is rapidly shrinking!
FWIW, Students here in NYC that I know have found their own places for reasonable prices (maybe $2000 or less), in Yorkville (E 80s and 90s between the east River and Third Ave), Hamilton Heights (125th to 145th Streets along Broadway), the East Village (vomit-on-the-steps notwithstanding, but more tame now than it's pricier than it used to be), and in Brooklyn, parts of Park Slope and Clinton Hill. All are studios, big shared apartments, or one-bedrooms in walk-up buildings, and the vibe in each neighborhood is different. There are also many neighborhoods in outlying parts of Queens and Brooklyn that might work for you -- more old-school New York -- but then transportation may pose a problem.
Firstly, apologies for the initial post. I was having trouble with my home wifi so asked a friend to post on my behalf. I did tell him my general specifications but did not intend for it to come across as being so ridged! Reading what he wrote does make me sound highly picky. I am far more open minded!
Anyway my wifi is back up and running now, so I can take over.
I will be going to NYU, and would like to be relatively close by...The reason why I am against brownstones is because I feel they are, generally more expensive. This was also the reasons for wanting to stay away from upper Manhattan. Would I be correct in thinking this?
I loved the feel of Brooklyn (I stayed in Bushwick for a week), but dont think I would like to live there for two years.I feel that if I am moving to New York, I would like to be in Manhattan.
Is there any real difference in terms of apartments between the East Village and Lower East Side?
What's your budget? You do realize that you want to stay in some of the most expensive neighborhoods in New York. Do you have money saved up or will you be working on a student budget? Are you coming in on a visa? That will limit the amount/type of work you can get and therefore affect your budget for rent.
I did not realise that I was looking at the most expensive neighborhoods at all. I figured that they were not the cheapest. Honestly, I have only spent 14 days in New York, a time during which I didnt pay the faintest attention to real estate prices. What I am going by is memory ("Oh, I liked spending time Soho...I didnt like the feel of Chelsea.."). That is partly why I am looking on here.
I am strongly considering Brooklyn; it does seem to be cheaper. Would you say it is substantially cheaper? I wouldnt really want to go further away from Manhattan than Williamsburg. My classes are at night; so I would rather not have to constantly commute on the subway late at night. Are they usually quite busy? I know some train lines here in London are always packed, regardless of time or day. Others, you would want to avoid at all costs.
I am coming on a visa - I have yet to really explore what types of work are available.
Can I ask, is there a reliable trusted real estate agent website that anyone can recommend me?
Nobody cares about what you like and don't like. Nobody cares that you're going to grad school. Nobody cares that you spent 14 days in NYC. Nobody cares about your nightlife expectations. Nobody cares that you want to go "wild" (whatever the f that means) on occasion. Nobody cares that you don't want vomit at your doorstep. Nobody cares that you don't want to get lost in the swarm of NYC. Nobody cares that you don't want to be near the touristy spots. Nobody cares about how much space you need. Nobody cares about your stupid coffee and want to meet your waiters. Nobody cares about the fact that you need light. Nobody cares that you don't want to commute on the subway at night.
Nobody cares about anything that you need/want unless you give us a number: your budget. How much money do you have saved up? How much money do you plan to make once you're across the pond? What the f do you mean by your rent margins being flexible? 1k? 20k?
To be honest, you are WAY too picky for this city, unless of course you're a part of the royal family. If you're not, forget about half of the things on your stupid wish list. I can't wait till you show up and you get smacked with reality. I'm sorry for being a dick.
PS. Upper Manhattan has some of the cheapest rents on the island.
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