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So, you have no job and will join the thousands of preexisting NYC based photographers.
Just seems like a bad idea.
It´s crazy to me seeing how even with these harsh realities, people still think they will simply arrive in NYC and find a job quickly, if at all. Nobody in their right mind right now would make a move from their location to be IN NYC unless they have a very good job lined up or something to that effect.
This couple´s budget is $2000 and they want to live in a nice area. Yeah, lol. Good luck.
It´s crazy to me seeing how even with these harsh realities, people still think they will simply arrive in NYC and find a job quickly, if at all. Nobody in their right mind right now would make a move from their location to be IN NYC unless they have a very good job lined up or something to that effect.
This couple´s budget is $2000 and they want to live in a nice area. Yeah, lol. Good luck.
Agreed. Anytime in recent years before Covid would have been a great time. We are in one of the roughest times now and it may get even worse. Without a job lined up and the high cost of $$$% needed to move its not a great idea now.
And itrying to do this in the middle of a pandemic. NYC was hit hard by covid and will be hit hard again in the second wave in the fall. Population density and diversity were found to be deadly as apartments overpacked with poorer immigrant and minorities fueled the spread of the virus. Nothing like going into an elevator that hundreds of people with asymptomatic covid are in every day to increase your risk.
Jackson Heights was one of the harder hit areas. Google Elmhurst General Hospital to get a feel for how things went down in Western Queens during the outbreak. There is no reason to think it will be any different in round 2.
We shut everything down during the pandemic. Photography studios were closed. Now there is a large exodus of people leaving NY due to wanting to live in a less dense area and wanting to get away from rising crime and a general feeling of the inmates running the asylum now. Our economy will be hurt very badly as those with money will go, leaving more poorer people and less tax base behind.
Now is not the time for the move. Stay where you are established until this is over
I lived in Sunnyside during the 1990's and loved it.
Sunnyside is not a huge area. Skillman Avenue to 39th Avenue (the northern perimeter) between 44th Street to 52rd is good. Anything south of Queens Boulevard is crappy. Apartment buildings on 43rd street are okay.
Property management companies require you to have an annual salary of 40 times the rent in order to be approved as a new tenant. So your rent is $2,000 per month, you have to prove you make $80,000 a year.
As a note - A man stabbed two people on the 7th train last week at the Sunnyside. It is highly unusual for this to happen there, but everything in NYC is crazy now.
To explain, there's nothing in LA more for me to do at the moment. My wife and I have been wanting to hit up NY to live for some time now (actually mulled it over before coming to LA 17 years ago). Calabasas (or Calabadass) was nice but too far out from everything as a photographer and while looking up places in NY we also found that Sunnyside could be most comparable to Glendale CA as far as rent price and ease of travel. We want to keep our budget to as close to $2k as possible going as high as maybe $2200.
This could be a 12 month thing for us or turn up much more, but we feel now's the time to try it out. We just want to be prepared for what to expect, have realistic notions of doing this now during COVID (or within the next few months) and transplanting my photography roots there.
I also looked around Jackson Heights but wasn't sure how much of a distance that would be to Manhattan overall for us or for potential photography clients. A lot of what I do is travel photography, but I do open my place up for headshots, portraits and fashion as well so don't want to space myself psychologically too far away from that action.
Hopefully, by Nov 1st we could be New Yorkers but we are jotting down any potential roadblocks in the meantime.
One thing you should read up on are express services on NYC subway routes. Jackson Heights has an express stop on 74th street which puts you three stops from Manhattan proper. That being said, Astoria and Sunnyside are probably a better starting point overall and more Glendale-ish as Jackson Heights is much denser and a larger mix of fairly recent immigrants than Astoria and Sunnyside. Another thing to mention is that Astoria is quite sizable as a neighborhood with decent variation. How many months of living expenses do you think you have saved up and will your spouse be able to transfer her work?
Quote:
Originally Posted by YorktownGal
I lived in Sunnyside during the 1990's and loved it.
Sunnyside is not a huge area. Skillman Avenue to 39th Avenue (the northern perimeter) between 44th Street to 52rd is good. Anything south of Queens Boulevard is crappy. Apartment buildings on 43rd street are okay.
Property management companies require you to have an annual salary of 40 times the rent in order to be approved as a new tenant. So your rent is $2,000 per month, you have to prove you make $80,000 a year.
As a note - A man stabbed two people on the 7th train last week at the Sunnyside. It is highly unusual for this to happen there, but everything in NYC is crazy now.
Sunnyside’s supposedly great now, too, according to friends I have in the area. I go to visit and babysit every once in a while, and it seems pretty alright. They live north of Queens Boulevard, but I used to know people living south of it and it definitely didn’t seem crappy then or now and I like the restaurants there, but it is obviously that households north of Queens Boulevard is higher income.
Last edited by OyCrumbler; 07-19-2020 at 04:04 PM..
So, you have no job and will join the thousands of preexisting NYC based photographers.
Just seems like a bad idea.
I have a job currently working from home which I can do for several months after moving at the least, but there's no guarantee (since it's based in LA) that I could continue working from home if things start getting back to normal. I also have photography and writing income that continues to roll in that's not based on where I live, but would like to set up shop with my photography in NY eventually for clients.
We don't need the nicest place possible for our budget of $2200. We want to live near Manhattan for work and photography opportunities and am happy to trade our laid back lifestyle in Glendale CA for the grind. In researching Astoria, LIC and Sunnyside seem to fit best but unsure if further out in Jackson Heights or so would work as well for what we want to accomplish. We could afford more than $2200 but I don't need to waste money when it's just the two of us now (kids have grown and moved out). We are not super rich by any means but not poor living paycheck to paycheck either so finding work is not an essential need at the moment.
This will be a change for us no doubt but are ready for that change and looking forward to it. Just preparing ourselves a bit more before we make the leap so we aren't caught off guard.
The main reason for this move is to take the next step forward with our lives. To be inspired to create and write new things in a city that's constantly moving as well as continue to enjoy life as it comes. I could live about anywhere, but my goals of expanding my photography base are still alive as I've already done so much in the past 15 years.
I want to thank you guys for some great information as all of these posts are helpful
I have a job currently working from home which I can do for several months after moving at the least, but there's no guarantee (since it's based in LA) that I could continue working from home if things start getting back to normal. I also have photography and writing income that continues to roll in that's not based on where I live, but would like to set up shop with my photography in NY eventually for clients.
We don't need the nicest place possible for our budget of $2200. We want to live near Manhattan for work and photography opportunities and am happy to trade our laid back lifestyle in Glendale CA for the grind. In researching Astoria, LIC and Sunnyside seem to fit best but unsure if further out in Jackson Heights or so would work as well for what we want to accomplish. We could afford more than $2200 but I don't need to waste money when it's just the two of us now (kids have grown and moved out). We are not super rich by any means but not poor living paycheck to paycheck either so finding work is not an essential need at the moment.
This will be a change for us no doubt but are ready for that change and looking forward to it. Just preparing ourselves a bit more before we make the leap so we aren't caught off guard.
The main reason for this move is to take the next step forward with our lives. To be inspired to create and write new things in a city that's constantly moving as well as continue to enjoy life as it comes. I could live about anywhere, but my goals of expanding my photography base are still alive as I've already done so much in the past 15 years.
I want to thank you guys for some great information as all of these posts are helpful
I am confused. You say you have a job, but you are posting about getting unemployment.
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