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Queens is a good idea. A lot more bang for the buck, cheaper rents, food, cheaper everything. You could live in long island city or astoria or sunnyside and just make one transfer and be on the UWS. Not a bad trip at all and your 2300 bucks will go a lot farther. The above mentioned areas are mostly safe. Safer than a lot of areas uptown on the UWS for sure. You don't have to live in Manhattan. Queens will not kill you.
Queens is a large county, and much, much of it is considerably more than a "hop" to Manhattan. Especially if OP will have to commute to Columbia, City College or Yeshiva. There's a reason why she specified UWS, and it may have been proximity.
Queens is a large county, and much, much of it is considerably more than a "hop" to Manhattan. Especially if OP will have to commute to Columbia, City College or Yeshiva. There's a reason why she specified UWS, and it may have been proximity.
Actually, it's probably easier to get to Hunter (68th and Lex stop on the 6 train) from Astoria or even Sunnyside (easy 15 minute ride on the 7 to Grand Central and then transfer to the 6 train) than it is from the Upper West Side.
I'm not in favor of annoying posts from realtors either, but I don't see anything wrong with the suggestion that Queens might be an option. And yes, the neighborhoods near Manhattan are just a 'hop' to Manhattan. Long Island City is a 5 minute subway ride.
Have you been to Astoria, Sunnyside or Long Island City lately?
Have you ever tried to commute from the Upper West Side to 68th and Lex? Even from Port Authority, commuting to 68th and Lex is a huge pain in the butt.
Real estate agents absolutely prey on people in this circumstance - no familiarity with the city and limited time.
I recommend the short-term sublet approach. It is what I did when we moved here. Rent a place for 3-6 months and get to know the city. Within that time, you'll have a better sense of what works for you and you won't be pressured to move into the first dump the agent shows you. You'll also meet people who will tell you the real pros and cons of the various places they live
I also agree with the other posters regarding expanding your search outside of Manhattan, but this requires more local knowledge. From your sublet you can spend evenings and weekends exploring the huge diversity of neighborhoods and housing types all over the city and have the luxury of saying "no" to few places that don't suit you. $2300 is a decent budget outside of Manhattan. You can get a very nice place for that kind of money in BK, Queens or NJ.
Craigslist has sublets, but it can be a frustrating mess. I've found sublet.com to be have a better "signal-to-noise" ratio. It costs about $100 or so for a three month pass to see the contact info from the owners and sublettors.
As for the sublet, stick to Manhattan. If you are somewhat comfortable with the UWS for now, that would work. Not only is Manhattan more of a sure thing, safety-wise, (since you are unfamiliar with outer-borough neighborhoods), but it's also central location from which to explore the whole city.
Also, try to find a sublet that is furnished and bring just your clothes and personal items. When you find more permanent housing, then you can move your furniture. You may find that you won't have space for all of it, or your couch won't make it up the stairs, etc. A trip to IKEA for all new stuff would probably cost less than a coast-to-cost move.
BTW - are you coming from Orange County, NY or Orange County, CA? (big difference!)
Actually, it's probably easier to get to Hunter (68th and Lex stop on the 6 train) from Astoria or even Sunnyside (easy 15 minute ride on the 7 to Grand Central and then transfer to the 6 train) than it is from the Upper West Side.
But areas like Richmond Hill and Howard Beach are not. OP should be cautious about where in Queens. I did state that it is a large borough.
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Have you been to Astoria, Sunnyside or Long Island City lately?
Lately? No, not lately.
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Have you ever tried to commute from the Upper West Side to 68th and Lex? Even from Port Authority, commuting to 68th and Lex is a huge pain in the butt.
Port Authority to 68th & Park is a breeze.* Try Penn Station to 83rd & East End Ave! That's a pain in every body part! And that's why I moved from the UES to the UWS at my first opportunity and haven't budged since. But yanners did not ask about the UES or even Manhattan; she specified the UWS, and as I said earlier, probably for a specific reason.
* #1, 2 or 3 Train or M-10 bus to 72nd St. M-72 bus to 68th Mad-Park. You're home. A zig-zaggy bus, but pretty much door-to-door service!
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