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just got a work in Stamford, CT so basically looking where shoud i live, either in NYC and commute everyday to Stamford, or just live in Stamford close to work and visit NYC during the w/e.
Have read old post here (back from 2007) so not really updated on what's going nor the difference, but this is what i have collected so far: (without offending anyone)
*****quote***************
-Stamford is super boring, nothing compared to NYC
-Stamford is Mud and NYC is Chocolate
-Stamford Housing is almost equal expensive than NYC
-Why live in NYC and commute to Stamford every day if you wont have time during the week to enjoy NYC anyway?
-The amount of money you will spend in train/housing/taxes by living in NYC and commuting to Stamford will be huge.
-I can tell you that doing this trip five days a week round trip will suck the happiness out of your soul.
-If you have a job in Stamford and commute from NYC, you're doing yourself a disservice.
-If you live in NYC and work in CT or NJ, your tax accountant will tell you that you're crazy.
-stamford=terrible, there is no way around this. i am also deciding between NYC and Stamford but being from -CT, I really don't want to live in Stamford (people are downplaying how bad it is).
-Why live in STamford and have time after work if there is nothing to do?
**********unquote***************
Never been / live in NYC nor CT, im 31 yo single with an office-job from 9am to 6pm
Honestly, downtown Stamford is decent if small and trending more towards the upscale side. It ain't no NYC, but if you have to work in Stamford, it's good enough. I'm saying that in that I go to Stamford every once in a while to hangout with my friend who lives there. Cost wise, you'll probably also get more bang for your buck, but it's not cheap. You could honestly get a cheaper apartment in the city, I pay $500 less than my friend, but it's a bit of an apples to oranges comparison. Your lifeblood is the Metro-North should you not live in Stamford close to your job, and it's very expensive to commute on, especially if you need to take a subway to Grand Central, Harlem, etc.
To go through your fears:
-Stamford is super boring, nothing compared to NYC
> Not really. It's got a downtown core that's actually quite good. It ain't no Levitown or some other LI (generally) type suburb. NYC is NYC of course, so no it's nothing compared to it. You'd have to be deciding between Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, Paris, etc. to get to that level.
-Stamford is Mud and NYC is Chocolate
> For what you're looking for, it's more like Stamford is the chocolate you get at the grocery store, while NYC is the chocolate you get at the high end places like Mirabelle (btw, there are some very good chocolate places in NYC!)
-Stamford Housing is almost equal expensive than NYC
> NYC has more variety. You can easily be cheaper than Stamford. That being said, the quality overall is higher than NYC's housing. Whether this matters to you is up to you. NYC housing stock on average is much much older. Space depends on where you are. Too many factors here to go into.
-Why live in NYC and commute to Stamford every day if you wont have time during the week to enjoy NYC anyway?
> People do do this. It's a very YMMV. NYC shuts down very late, so it's easy to go out even at midnight on a Monday. However, create a budget. You'll be spending much more money in taxes and commute (Metro North) so you might not even be able to afford to.
-The amount of money you will spend in train/housing/taxes by living in NYC and commuting to Stamford will be huge.
> Add in city income tax and Metro North (think 3x as expensive as the subway) + subway if you live too far from a station. Housing is YMMV as I've mentioned.
-I can tell you that doing this trip five days a week round trip will suck the happiness out of your soul.
> Maybe. Commuting by train, especially commuter rail, is much better than driving. Buy a 3DS and play Pokemon, install apps to learn a new language, read the Power Broker, etc. You get the idea.
-If you have a job in Stamford and commute from NYC, you're doing yourself a disservice.
> Disservice to whom? People do this commute and it doesn't really disservice anyone. If anything, NYC benefits in income tax and MTA gets more of your transit dollars.
-If you live in NYC and work in CT or NJ, your tax accountant will tell you that you're crazy.
> I have never had a tax accountant, so maybe! Half the time they're crazy. They advised my friend to not open a Roth IRA and now the place he has his traditional doesn't even offer it. YMMV.
-stamford=terrible, there is no way around this. i am also deciding between NYC and Stamford but being from -CT, I really don't want to live in Stamford (people are downplaying how bad it is).
> It's a lot better than a lot of places. Visit Harvey, IL. Now THAT'S a terrible suburb. Blues Brothers be damned that gangs set up shop in the mall they drove through.
-Why live in STamford and have time after work if there is nothing to do?
> There are things to do. Harlan Social, the Italian Pub, etc. Imagine having nothing but chains and they're all in a 30 min drive AND they shut down at 5p. That's called nothing to do haha.
Also, if you do decide to live in the city, Harlem 125th and Grand Central are the superexpress (or just express?) stops. If you want the fastest commute possible, these are the two stations to live near. You may not be able to take the area around Harlem 125th. West Harlem is a lot more pleasant than East Harlem.
Also also, my friend in Stamford visits me every 2-3 weeks. It's really not as bad as you think.
Also, if you do decide to live in the city, Harlem 125th and Grand Central are the superexpress (or just express?) stops. If you want the fastest commute possible, these are the two stations to live near. You may not be able to take the area around Harlem 125th. West Harlem is a lot more pleasant than East Harlem.
also also, my friend in Stamford visits me every 2-3 weeks. It's really not as bad as you think.
Dear Javawood,
thanks a lot dude, u really deserve an award (or a beer) for taking the time, really appreciate it.
have read every line you wrote and taken notes of it. thanks again.
With the poor knowledge i have i also discover that living in Harlen close to 125th will be a faster and cheaper option that living in Midtown close to GCS in order to avoid a metro ride to the station.
Still though for your comments, seems train to stamford is expensive, compared to live walking distance from the office (in Stamford)
I just dont know much about the Harlem West/East area tbh, have heard good and bad things and google streetview is not very fair with the area have to say.
will keep diggin but have an idea already.
thanks again
thanks a lot dude, u really deserve an award (or a beer) for taking the time, really appreciate it.
have read every line you wrote and taken notes of it. thanks again.
With the poor knowledge i have i also discover that living in Harlen close to 125th will be a faster and cheaper option that living in Midtown close to GCS in order to avoid a metro ride to the station.
Still though for your comments, seems train to stamford is expensive, compared to live walking distance from the office (in Stamford)
I just dont know much about the Harlem West/East area tbh, have heard good and bad things and google streetview is not very fair with the area have to say.
will keep diggin but have an idea already.
thanks again
I'm not going to be the best to answer this as I go to Harlem very infrequently and generally prefer the northwestern parts, which aren't convenient to Harlem-125th station, but...
East Harlem in general isn't good. It's either the most hood or 2nd most hood part of Manhattan (the area north of say 130th and east of Edgecombe is pretty bad too). I think 116th ok in parts, the area right next to Central Park is ok, and Pleasant Ave is alright which is unfortunately a bit of a trek through what I consider as pretty eh areas. The city is in general safer than it ever has been, however East Harlem is a really ugly representation of dense urbanization. I'd say the feel of East Harlem doesn't really hit until about 103rd st, but that's 22 blocks from the Metro North Station. Last time I went up there was to go to some office on Park and 122nd in September. Not very pleasant. Good wine bar on 108th and Lex though (ish, might be 105th).
West side I find there's better food, better bars, the Apollo, etc. It's more fun, safer, and better transit to other areas of the city (A, B, C, D, 1, 2, 3 to me). Gotta be careful around the projects and social service stuff as with anywhere, but otherwise it's pretty good. I like Riverside a lot, almost got an apartment near 145th looking out into the water!
It seems like you’ve done a lot of research and understand the pros and cons of each option. There’s no right or wrong. Just pick one place to live and do it for a year. You can always try out the other option next year.
just got a work in Stamford, CT so basically looking where shoud i live, either in NYC and commute everyday to Stamford, or just live in Stamford close to work and visit NYC during the w/e.
Have read old post here (back from 2007) so not really updated on what's going nor the difference, but this is what i have collected so far: (without offending anyone)
*****quote***************
-Stamford is super boring, nothing compared to NYC
-Stamford is Mud and NYC is Chocolate
-Stamford Housing is almost equal expensive than NYC
-Why live in NYC and commute to Stamford every day if you wont have time during the week to enjoy NYC anyway?
-The amount of money you will spend in train/housing/taxes by living in NYC and commuting to Stamford will be huge.
-I can tell you that doing this trip five days a week round trip will suck the happiness out of your soul.
-If you have a job in Stamford and commute from NYC, you're doing yourself a disservice.
-If you live in NYC and work in CT or NJ, your tax accountant will tell you that you're crazy.
-stamford=terrible, there is no way around this. i am also deciding between NYC and Stamford but being from -CT, I really don't want to live in Stamford (people are downplaying how bad it is).
-Why live in STamford and have time after work if there is nothing to do?
**********unquote***************
Never been / live in NYC nor CT, im 31 yo single with an office-job from 9am to 6pm
appreciate the help and opinions
East Harlem is not as bad as it used to be, but it is still sketchy. West Harlem is different, more parks, more bars, restaurants, just a more pleasant living.
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