Is it common to move around a lot within the city?

[Aeran]

Originally Posted by Chava61

I have lived in 6 different locations (within NYC) plus moving within a building from an apt. to apt.

Me too! I've lived in NYC close to 30 years now and lived at 7 different locations and moved within the same building twice. But have been at my current apt for about 17 years now. I don't have it within me to move anymore God willing.

[BugsyPal]

It really depends.


The Furman Center did a study on rent stabilized tenants a few years ago and found over 90% of those living below 96th street had been in their apartments for 20 or more years.


This echoes what you hear from many long time New Yorkers who have RS or RC apartments; most are lifers and aren't leaving except feet first in a wooden box.


Part of this is simple economics and market forces. Up until say the 1980's and perhaps part of the 1990's it wasn't that difficult to find a RS apartment at or even below market rate below 96th street. Leaving aside eviction most persons moved when they got bored of their apartment/area, changed jobs, wanted to be closer to family or a lover, found something cheaper.... that sort of thing. But this was when NYC in particular Manhattan still looked like something out of Kojak.


By the time Rudy G and subsequent mayors cleaned up and made NYC (in particular Manhattan) safe and attractive for whites to live in again; white flight reversed. Now you cannot find a RS apartment below market rate in Manhattan or most anywhere else in NYC for love nor money. Well not unless you win an 80/20 lottery or know a landlord.


Market rate tenants of course move around all the time; but since rent control or stabilization makes up a vast amount of NYC apartment housing stock one of the side effects is people don't often move.


The above is one of the reasons why NYC has a perpetual shortage of "affordable" or "low income" housing. Once people get into such units they never leave (of their own free will), this even when household income increases.


There are married couples both gay and straight that legally (on paper) live in separate RS apartments. Sometimes in the same building, others elsewhere. The normal thing upon marriage is for people to combine two households into one; but the lure of a below market RS apartment is just that powerful.