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I'd search Rego Park for a 2 bedroom and I'd cut down on the baby clutter. Kid's don't need a mountain of junk that most parents bury them under.
I could not stand 480 square feet.
Oh, I believe in less clutter as well. We only have the stroller, the little play mat and a rocker. He has minimal stuffed toys, but he's too young any way. And a little shelf of books. I can't stand baby clutter as well. With everything mentioned and our furniture there is very little space.
We thought about Rego Park, but I wasn't crazy about it being very Bukharian. Not that I have anything against them, it's just so homogeneous. Mostly kosher places and very clannish. But perhaps I have a skewed view? Any reason for Rego over KG?
480 sq feet is rough. It's fun when you are without a kid, working and going out all the time, especially in Astoria. The thing that makes it appealing is the brand new construction and terrific neighbors, all responsible, clean and professional.
Do you live in Briarwood? I just remember going to Briarwood for apt hunting back in 2006, and there was pretty much nothing but buildings. I guess I'm comparing it to Kew Gardens. There is a small indie theater, fish market, supermarket, grocery stores, shoe repair shops, flower shops, etc, but the best thing about it was the beautiful park. We are no longer into clubs, and very rarely go out to restaurants, now that we have the little one. But Briarwood doesn't offer any of what I listed above, at least from what I remember, but maybe it's changed a bit. I would chose KG over Briarwood, but the latter is definitely more affordable. Thanks for the analysis though, definitely more practical. How does your wife like Briarwood, I would imagine she spend most of her time there with the kids, that area must be important to her beyond financial benefits.
You must have bought a while back. Everything reasonable half a million these days. Gotta get out of NYC.
I don't live in Briarwood.
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
480 sq feet is rough. It's fun when you are without a kid, working and going out all the time, especially in Astoria. The thing that makes it appealing is the brand new construction and terrific neighbors, all responsible, clean and professional.
Thats why you pay so much for your studio, it's new and modern. Yes prices have rose in Astoria over the last several years but you can find a 2 bedroom there for anywhere from $1900-$2500. You don't NEED to be paying what you do, there are cheaper options!
So your suggestion is to move into a 2br that's equivalent or less?
my honest assessment is you need to become wiser with the way you manage your money. You are paying transplant prices when it not necessary. You should be seeking to learn how locals find deals (discounts) and the many ways they are able to save money if you are seriously committed to living in NYC for the long term.
Thats why you pay so much for your studio, it's new and modern. Yes prices have rose in Astoria over the last several years but you can find a 2 bedroom there for anywhere from $1900-$2500. You don't NEED to be paying what you do, there are cheaper options!
You're right, it's possible to find a 2br in Astoria for $1900. I've seen those. They are have bathrooms from the 60s, kitchens from the 80s, walkups and tiny spaces, and of course barely ever renovated. And the reason they are still pricey is because many potential tenants are ok with those conditions. I guess they think it's so cool, so New York! Or many people in NYC are total slobs.
my honest assessment is you need to become wiser with the way you manage your money. You are paying transplant prices when it not necessary. You should be seeking to learn how locals find deals (discounts) and the many ways they are able to save money if you are seriously committed to living in NYC for the long term.
You're absolutely right about money management. Everyone who moves now is paying transplant prices, thanks to transplants, including manhattanites. As for finding deals, I wouldn't know how. As for staying in NYC, it's seems like we have no choice. It's so hard to leave NYC apparently.
Im sorry I am going crazy in my apt because its small and my sons room was really meant to be a office ( no closet). Riverdale is you best bet and I don't see how it would be a pain to get to 90th street.
As for the person who said NYC is for singles obviously didn't grow up here. My whole life I remember being kids everywhere not just in queens and bk. It used to be a time when kids roamed by themselves (in places they shouldn't have been anyway). I remember sneaking downtown when all my friends on the regular growing up. However, most of their parents live in rent stabilized giant pre-war apartments and don't have to squeeze up like families do now.
I am totally unfamiliar with the Bronx, I'm such a Queens person. I know a little bit of Brooklyn, but Bronx and Staten Island are pretty much a mystery to me, minus the gardens, the stadium and the zoo of course. I can't imagine anything decent for $1500, and a 2 bedroom at that.
I agree that you need to actually look at what's in the Bronx before dismissing the whole borough. When we moved out of my husband's Astoria studio about two, three years ago and were searching for a two-bd we never even considered the Bronx. It was as though the borough didn't even exist. But, after renting in Manhattan for a couple of years we found a gem in the Norwood neighbourhood of the Bronx and it just didn't make sense to keep giving thousands to a landlord when we could be paying ourselves every month in equity. Now we have over 1300sq ft in a well-maintained building, paying the same as when renting when we combine mortgage and maintenance (so actually we are paying less than when renting when you consider the small tax rebate and equity).
If we were renting in the Bronx we'd be paying a fraction of what space costs anywhere else this accessible to Manhattan.
Our place is surrounded by green spaces, pretty near to the zoo and gardens, and we have good access to both the east and west sides of Manhattan on the subway, plus Metro North.
I think the Bronx is an option that you need to see before making judgement on. My husband was open to considering the Bronx before I was...I was like you. He kept telling me about the different neighbourhoods, but it fell on deaf ears. I came around after I saw in person what was actually available and the benefits.
If you *carefully* research the different pockets in the borough you can find a neighbourhood that suits your lifestyle.
(By the way, when your family is ready, did you know that it's easier to get approved for a mortgage than for a rental?)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Entangled
Age. Turning 37 this year.
If it's any comfort, I was 40 last year and got an unexpected "surprise".
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