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I'm a 19 year old female college student planning to move from the shoreline in CT to NYC sometime this summer. I was supposed to go to college there, but I didn't qualify for much financial aid (they offered me $1000 a semester, that barely covers books) and because my major is undecided, my parents (understandably) didn't want to spend the $60,000+ for me to go there.
After going to school for a year and a half, I decided to switch to online classes because for the most part, I find going to class is a waste of time. I absolutely dread going (I hate being on a schedule) and I can rarely force myself to pay attention. Although, I have no problem at all doing the work and learning it myself (I was mostly just frustrated being in classes that had required attendance, when all the teacher did was read from a Powerpoint presentation that was already available online, something I could do in the comfort of my own room) so online classes is just a much better option for me. I also travel a lot, so I like being able to have the freedom of not basing my traveling around having to go to class.
That being said! I'm hoping to move to the city sometime this summer. I just got a full time job and I make $31,000 (base pay, that isn't including bonuses, overtime, etc. And that $31,000 will increase after a year) - I'm able to transfer into the city (not sure exactly where it'd be, but I know I can) and I know that my salary would obviously increase with my living in the city (again, to how much, I'm not positive). My job pays my tuition, so paying for school isn't anything I have to worry about. Since they no longer have to pay for school/my apartment, my parents are willing to help me pay rent when I move. Obviously, they're not paying it all, but they'll be helping.
I'm not expecting to live in Manhattan, in fact, I'm probably not going to waste my time even looking for a place in Manhattan. I've read a ton of threads on this forum, as well as others, and done my own research, so I do have somewhat of an idea as to what to expect.
That being said, although I would like to live alone, I'm planning to live with roommates. Do you think I'd be better off finding a few people that want to rent a place out, or just finding someone that already has a place and wants to rent a room out? I obviously need to live somewhere relatively safe, as I'm 19, pushing 5'2", and weigh under 120. I'm in NYC (Manhattan, and I have friends in Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island) all the time and I've never ever felt unsafe, but there are obviously areas I should steer clear of.
I don't need anything huge, I just moved out of an apartment that I was sharing with three other people (two bathrooms and two large bedrooms, but once the bedroom was split in half it was no more than 12x13, at the VERY most) so I'm basically just looking for a room that's not a closet someone is trying to pass off as a room (no windows, no access to the kitchen, etc).
What are some areas you guys can recommend that I look in given what I said? I know it's difficult without a price range, but because I don't know how much I'll be making once I move, I can't really give one. I know it will absolutely be no less than $31,000 (what I'm making living in CT), and it's just me. My parents will be helping out a little with the rent, as well. Based on conversations with friends & just my own research, I definitely plan on looking in Queens and Staten Island. More than one person has told me to look in Bayside (that's about as "far out" as I want to go, though), so I'll probably check that out, too. Pros/cons?
Basically I'm just looking for more opinions on areas I should check out (and areas I should avoid at all costs, like I said, I'm young, small, and alone, so I'd obviously like to avoid sketchy areas if possible. I don't want to make myself sound dumb, because I definitely have common sense and I'm street smart, but I definitely have zero size advantage on pretty much anyone) and what I should expect cost wise, per month (as far as rent).
Also, the general consensus on finding places on Craigslist seems to be negative - can anyone vouch for that? Or has anyone had luck with Clist? I've found a few sites myself, but anyone have any recs?
I found my current apt on Craig's list and previous roommate situations on Craig's List-like forums.
If you already have lots of friends in the city, tell everyone you know to tell everyone they know that you are looking for a share. You do need to figure out what your budget is though.
You should also go see a bunch of shares listed on Craig's just to get a feel for what the market is like in the neighborhoods that you are interested in.
It's definitely better to move into someone else's place when you first move to the city instead of having to commit to a particular neighborhood. Just be safe - trust your gut when you meet the new potential roommate. I had some crazies when I was in college, but they make for good stories now. Ha.
I'll obviously figure out what the pay difference would be before I move there, so I'll be able to figure out an exact budget then. I just figured given the information, people could offer even a little insight.
I've looked a lot of the shares on Craigslist, and although I'd obviously have to go look at them myself, I've found quite a few that seem like they'd be a good fit. But I've read so much negativity about finding a place in NYC on Craigslist that I'm a little wary.
And oh god, I've only lived in a dorm once and an apartment once and I already have plenty of crazy roommate stories - that's actually why me and another roommate moved out! One of the girls was a hypochondriac pathological liar, and just all around psycho. Absolutely unbearable!
A detail that would help:
Exactly where (cross-streets) is your job located? This makes a big difference in terms of recommending areas. For instance, parts of Queens are very convenient to midtown, but if you were working on wall st. the recommendation might be more towards Brooklyn.
I think craigslist is a fine place to look for a roommate. I think most people's negative perceptions of craigslist has to do with "bait and switch" listings, which you won't find much of on the roommate board - probably only on the apartments board. Other negatives are that people can be flaky - you might make an appointment with someone and they don't show up.
And remember that the people who are offering a room in an apartment are going to be checking you out as well - they will want to know that you are reliable, can pay your rent, know your way around the city, can provide references, etc. so you might want to think in advance what would make you a good roommate, and when you reply to an ad, you could give details. I do think your age might work against you when you look for a place because 19 is going to sound very young to most people who are advertising.
Bayside is not on the subway line. I'm not sure if you can take a bus to the subway or if your only commuting option is the LIRR. If LIRR is your only option, you need to factor in the monthly train fare, which I think can be expensive.
There are plenty of other places in Queens that are affordable in terms of roommate situations and are subway accessible.
A detail that would help:
Exactly where (cross-streets) is your job located? This makes a big difference in terms of recommending areas. For instance, parts of Queens are very convenient to midtown, but if you were working on wall st. the recommendation might be more towards Brooklyn.
I think craigslist is a fine place to look for a roommate. I think most people's negative perceptions of craigslist has to do with "bait and switch" listings, which you won't find much of on the roommate board - probably only on the apartments board. Other negatives are that people can be flaky - you might make an appointment with someone and they don't show up.
And remember that the people who are offering a room in an apartment are going to be checking you out as well - they will want to know that you are reliable, can pay your rent, know your way around the city, can provide references, etc. so you might want to think in advance what would make you a good roommate, and when you reply to an ad, you could give details. I do think your age might work against you when you look for a place because 19 is going to sound very young to most people who are advertising.
Bayside is not on the subway line. I'm not sure if you can take a bus to the subway or if your only commuting option is the LIRR. If LIRR is your only option, you need to factor in the monthly train fare, which I think can be expensive.
There are plenty of other places in Queens that are affordable in terms of roommate situations and are subway accessible.
good luck.
Like I said in the ad (and if I didn't, sorry, I meant to) I'm not sure exactly where in terms of location, I'd be working - I just know I'm able to transfer to a location in NYC. I know it's pretty difficult to give me any advice without knowing where I'd be working/exactly how much I'd be making, but I figured it was at least worth a try!
And I know 19 (I'll be 20 in April) will sound young, but I have proof of employment (and what I make) and have all positive, long term previous job references from Yale University as well as a local place, and can get a positive "recommendation" from the place I previously had an apartment - and my parents are going to co-sign or whatever.
And I'm not trying to make you defensive with mentioning your age - I am just trying to make you most prepared so that when you do start contacting people about roommate situations you can say the right things to them to let them know you are a serious person to consider.
In terms of areas, many of the nicer parts of Brooklyn are overpriced for what you get, so I suggest you look for areas that are under the radar (although nothing much is really under the radar).
One poster on here regularly recommends southern brooklyn like Gerritsen beach (I believe that's what it's called) which would entail a longer commute but would be much cheaper than many other areas.
Also look at Bay Ridge, Kensington and Ditmas Park.
Areas to avoid since you want something very very safe would be Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens and Prospect Park South (though I am not saying no one should move there because of safety issues- it's just that you expressed a desire for a very safe area and some spots in these areas are sketchy)
In Queens you could try Astoria, Jackson Heights, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Woodside or Sunnyside.
I came out of lurking to reply to this thread because I went through a similar process not too long ago and thought you might find my input helpful..
First of all: People will be discouraging and tell you that you can't live here on $31k. They're 100% wrong, so don't let that get you down. I make $33,000 in an entry-level job (with a degree), live in a good neighborhood in Brooklyn, and rarely feel impoverished. I can eat out and go out for drinks a few times a week without worrying about it and even manage to put away a few bucks here and there. If you're young and don't have many financial responsibilities, and you don't need new clothes and toys every few weeks, you'll be fine. Most of my friends in the city live on comparable salaries, by the way. If you're not going into finance, low starting salaries are a rite of passage in NYC.
If you're looking to room with people, your best bet is probably to look for people already in apartments who need new roommates. The advantage with this is that in most decent outer-borough neighborhoods, rents have really gone up over the last two or three years. Many of the people posting ads for roommates have been living in their apartments for a while, meaning the rent they (and you) would pay is very likely going to be lower than what you'd pay to sign a new lease today. For instance, you probably wouldn't find a lease on a decent 3-bedroom apartment in Park Slope for less than $3000, but it isn't too hard to find a share in a 3-bedroom place for $800-900, and sometimes even less.
The downside with living with strangers of course is that you don't know what you're getting into. But at least if it's a room-share situation from Craigslist, you can pack it up and leave if you find yourself with psychos. You don't have that advantage if you lock yourself into a lease.
Hey, I would definitely advise you to consider Staten island, especially the St. George Area, which is about 30mins to get to NYC by the Ferry, and it is FREE! In Staten Island you will get more living space, in addition, the rents are not quite as outrages as Brooklyn or NYC and there is plenty of deals. I myself am going to starting my first year of law school at :CUNY school of Law in Flushing queens and am planning to move out there, since it is closer, I am familiar (I live in Annadale, all the way in the South Shore, and it takes me about 2 hours to get to school), and cheap, rather than going to the city for a closet. I have found a couple good apartments, since I work as a Real Estate Agent in my Families Real Estate firm. Since I know the high cost for many students, I convinced my brother who is the broker to offer RENTAL Discounts for Students.
Well I hope it helps, if you have any questions just contact me at CVLAW1@AOL.com
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Hey,
