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My wife and I have recently relocated to NYC. We will be working in a financial firm in downtown(wall street). Right now we are in short term sublet but we are trying to find some decent affordable accomodation in and around NYC. Some info abt us:
- budget for apt is around $1500-2000
- shd be atleast 1Bdr (600 sq ft+) with some parking available
- shd be within 30-40 mts commute to wall street area
- we have no children so schools are not a criteria
- just looking for decent unfurnished accomodation in safe neighborhood
While looking at the forum, I found that someone suggested Astoria. Are there any other neighborhoods that we may look into? I also saw that someone suggested Stamford but that seems to be more than a hr's commute to wall street. Are there any particular cities in new jersey area which we might consider? Any suggestions would be appreciated Thanks
Astoria is more convenient to Midtown Manhattan but is not as convenient for Wall Street, though it is probably within the 35-40 min. range. You can look in the southern part of Brooklyn, particularly around Bay Ridge, which is less than 35-40 minutes to Wall St. generally. Parking is going to be rare anywhere in NYC that's close in to Manhattan, in Bay Ridge and environs you can generally park on the street, which is not always so easy late at night but is not as tight as some other neighborhoods. For 35-40 mins to the Wall Street area in that price range, you're basically looking at Brooklyn or NJ. A lot of people look at Hoboken and parts of Jersey City, though anywhere you'd want to be in either might turn out to be a bit more than your price range. Not sure what 1-BR is getting in Hoboken these days but in Bay Ridge it's well within your range, many nice places are even more like $1200. The problem is that areas like Park Slope are so much more expensive than places like Bay Ridge that anything nice that's closer than Bay Ridge might be too expensive. But you can check the usual Brooklyn suspects: Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Fort Greene, Park Slope. For a decent 1 BR these days, you're probably looking at more like $2000 in a lot of those places.
I think you should consider Brooklyn as that will be an easier commute than Queens. If you can spend on the upper range of what you listed ($2000) you should be able to get a place in Williamsburg (stay on first three stops of L train), Prospect Heights (make sure you are not actualy looking in Crown Heights), and Park Slope or Windsor Terrace. I am not sure of the exact times for commutes for these places to Wall St.
Someone else may be able to advise about Jersey, but I think Jersey City (parts of it) and Hoboken are where alot of people live who commute to the Financial district.
Hi holden125, thanks for your suggestions.
What abt if we increase the commute to abt an hr? then what other options wd u recommend in this price range?
Ditmas Park in Brooklyn near the Courtelyou Rd. stop or Newkirk stop on the Q train may also be a possibility. There are alot of Victorian homes around there and sort of sleepy streets, so street parking is easier. The rents are pretty low for Brooklyn standards and you could definitely stay below $2000. The drawback is that the amenities are fewer, but it's definitely a nice, safe neighborhood with a very reasonable commute.
hint- you can check commute times from various neighborhoods or subway stops with the trip planner located on mta.info. Remember to factor in time getting to and from the subway and any waiting time as I think they only report the actual transit time.
Hi holden125, thanks for your suggestions.
What abt if we increase the commute to abt an hr? then what other options wd u recommend in this price range?
In that price range it wouldn't change much. It might open up even more of Brooklyn or NJ, and also parts of Queens but it doesn't change much. At your price range you're either looking at something smaller close in or moving farther away, but even at 35-40 minutes you're already in that range.
An issue to consider is whether you'd rather have a smaller place closer in or a bigger place farther out. In addition to the size issue, there's an issue of the type of neighborhood. Within Brooklyn, for example, the closer you get to Manhattan the more people you have from somewhere else, while the farther you get the areas are more likely to be populated by predominantly local people. Bay Ridge is such an area and while I love it, it might not be some people's idea of "living in New York," and it might be a bit harder to make friends in the neighborhood. Others looking for a more authentic New York experience embrace it. I don't know where you're coming from or what you're looking for but it's something to consider.
You could also look at parts of Staten Island, especially nearer the ferry, but that's even more local than Brooklyn. Some people like it, others hate it (I don't much like it myself). It's the most suburban of the boroughs to be sure.
Personally, among the neighborhoods in southern Brooklyn, I'd go with Bay Ridge, which has a lot of local shops, bars, and restaurants. Some of the others, like Sheepshead Bay, are more suburban in the sense of driveways and fewer pedestrians about, though parking there can be easier. Bay Ridge, however, has the R train which goes straight into lower Manhattan, while other trains in Brooklyn (N, Q, D, B) go over the Manhattan Bridge and bypass lower Manhattan, requiring a transfer. From Bay Ridge to Rector St on the R, which is near Wall Street, is generally about 30 minutes at rush hour.
Ditmas Park in Brooklyn near the Courtelyou Rd. stop or Newkirk stop on the Q train may also be a possibility. There are alot of Victorian homes around there and sort of sleepy streets, so street parking is easier. The rents are pretty low for Brooklyn standards and you could definitely stay below $2000. The drawback is that the amenities are fewer, but it's definitely a nice, safe neighborhood with a very reasonable commute.
hint- you can check commute times from various neighborhoods or subway stops with the trip planner located on mta.info. Remember to factor in time getting to and from the subway and any waiting time as I think they only report the actual transit time.
Ditmas Park is nice. On the map it's closer to Manhattan but by train to Wall St. it's about the same as Bay Ridge since it would require a transfer. Compared to Bay Ridge, I'd say there are fewer amenities in Ditmas Park. Bay Ridge is kind of a self-contained town unto itself, inside the highway loop in SW Brooklyn if you look on google maps or something. Along 3rd and 5th Avenues between 65 St and the Verrazano Bridge there are nonstop shops and restaurants.
I commute from Astoria to the Wall Street area (W train from Astoria Blvd. to Whitehall Street) and it takes about an hour door-to-door, depending on how long I have to wait for the train (they don't call it the "Whenever" for nothing).
Ditmas Park is nice. On the map it's closer to Manhattan but by train to Wall St. it's about the same as Bay Ridge since it would require a transfer. Compared to Bay Ridge, I'd say there are fewer amenities in Ditmas Park. Bay Ridge is kind of a self-contained town unto itself, inside the highway loop in SW Brooklyn if you look on google maps or something. Along 3rd and 5th Avenues between 65 St and the Verrazano Bridge there are nonstop shops and restaurants.
I didn't realize it would be the same commute time. In that case, I would choose Bay Ridge over Ditmas Park as I think the rents are probably about the same.
I commute from Astoria to the Wall Street area (W train from Astoria Blvd. to Whitehall Street) and it takes about an hour door-to-door, depending on how long I have to wait for the train (they don't call it the "Whenever" for nothing).
Yeah, I imagine it's about half of that time getting to 42 St and the rest of it getting down to Whitehall. Astoria's more convenient for midtown than downtown the same as Bay Ridge is good for downtown but rough for midtown.
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Thanks
