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If you are willing to look in The Bronx,which you probably should,you will easily be able to find a large 1 br,probably with a new kitchen and bath,in a very decent neighborhood about 35 mins from midtown on the subway for $1,200/mo or less.
A lot of the pre war buildings in The Bronx have huge apartments by NY standards and you might find a 600 or 700 Sq ft studio big enough. Those can be found for about $900/mo.
Many of the apts advertised as 1br's in The Bronx are really Jr 4's.They have an extra small room (8 x 10 ) that was originally a D/R.In Manhattan these are called 2br's.
How much might parking typically run in Brooklyn or Queens? Are there any areas where street parking is reasonable, or does it tend to be too unpredictable and/or costly?
It depends upon the part of Queens, since Eastern Queens is going to be much easier to keep a vehicle than areas where the development was not planned for as many vehicles, such as Forest Hills, parts of Bayside, LIC, etc.
I would figure that you'd pay around $150-$200 or so for a garage in parts of Queens, which is much less expensive than Manhattan. An attended open lot might also work for you, as could a street in Queens that does not have alternate side regulations, but those can be rare. Many two and three family houses in Queens also have parking in driveways or garages for a nominal fee added to the rent, so that might also work.
Generally speaking, it is much easier to keep a vehicle for occasional use (not daily commuting if possible) in parts of Queens, parts of Brooklyn, Staten Island, and parts of The Bronx as opposed to the entire island of Manhattan. There are deals in Manhattan, on the far west side or up in Inwood, but they're not exactly the most conveinent locations for most residential living. Even in an outer borough, it's not uncommon to keep the car a subway stop or two away in a garage where you get a better deal, though it can be more of a hassle than a neighborhood garage.
Street parking works for some in certain areas, but it depends upon the neighborhood, whether or not there is alternate side parking regulations, and what kind of a vehicle you will be putting on the street.
How do people typically commute from the Jersey side to Manhattan? Do you have to transfer from the rail system in Jersey to the New York City subway system? How expensive does that tend to be compared to riding the subway from Brooklyn to Manhattan? (I only ask because I've oftentimes found that riding multiple systems can be a headache, both logistically and cost-wise.)
Most people, when they are from out of town and considering Jersey, stay near the train lines. The most common and easiest is the PATH train. It is essentially a subway line that connects manhattan to the NJ communities of hoboken, jersey city, harrison and newark. I linked a map below. PATH service is impeccable,imo, even at off-peak hours like Sunday morning, 3AM. It costs $1.75 for a single ride, but if you were commuting each day, plus sometimes for social stuff, you'd probably buy an unlimited monthly card for $54. The only complaint that Ive regularly heard is that the PATH trains are JAMMED for the morning commute and some ppl need to buy metrocards on top of them to get to work/social stuff in NYC. So...its sort of like you should only live in NJ if your rent is at least $54/month cheaper than a similar neighborhood that is actually in NYC.
As for transferring from PAth to subway. Again, imo, its real easy. You can see from the map that the Path gets you to either lower manhattan or lower mid-town manhattan. All the stops except for Chris St are near NYC subway lines that can get you whereever your job may be.
I'm not trying to make the claim that Jersey City is some wildly cheaper place than similar neighborhoods in NYC. Its not. My friend in downtown JC got a sick deal, even compared to all my other friends who also have sick deals all over the metro.
O, and btw, to compare his "in the middle of all that is young and hip" place to a similar one in NYC: I have two friends who share a 550 sq.ft 2BR in the East Village that pay $2200. Its really nice just small. So,I think the NYC price is better on that front, as well.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey - PATH (http://www.panynj.gov/COMMUTINGTRAVEL/path/html/map.html - broken link)
(2) Would it be realistic to find a single bedroom apartment within reasonable distance of Manhattan for less than $1200/month? How 'bout under $1000/month? Would I be able to find a non-craphole for that amount?
(3) What options should I consider for my scenario? I assume Brooklyn and Queens are options, but what other places? Jersey? Westchester County? I'm going to say that a 30 - 45 minute commute would be what I'd ideally like to keep to if at all possible. I'd also prefer to use public transit, as well.
You can considered Forest Hills (71st and Continental Ave), Queens, NY. Convenient to restaurant and shops on Austin St. And if you want a nice quiet neighbor walk, you can walk inside the Forest Hills Garden area. Studio are around $900-$1000 and you can definitely find 1 bedroom around $1200 on Craigslist.com . It is 20mins away from Midtown (53st and Lexington Ave, take E express). If you work near Wall Street, it will take you about 1 hr.
If you are willing to look in The Bronx,which you probably should,you will easily be able to find a large 1 br,probably with a new kitchen and bath,in a very decent neighborhood about 35 mins from midtown on the subway for $1,200/mo or less.
A lot of the pre war buildings in The Bronx have huge apartments by NY standards and you might find a 600 or 700 Sq ft studio big enough. Those can be found for about $900/mo.
Many of the apts advertised as 1br's in The Bronx are really Jr 4's.They have an extra small room (8 x 10 ) that was originally a D/R.In Manhattan these are called 2br's.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'd actually thought about the Bronx briefly, but wasn't sure if it was a good option or not. So does the Bronx typically tend to be less expensive than Brooklyn? What might be advantages and disadvantages with Bronx vs. Brooklyn?
It depends upon the part of Queens, since Eastern Queens is going to be much easier to keep a vehicle than areas where the development was not planned for as many vehicles, such as Forest Hills, parts of Bayside, LIC, etc.
I would figure that you'd pay around $150-$200 or so for a garage in parts of Queens, which is much less expensive than Manhattan. An attended open lot might also work for you, as could a street in Queens that does not have alternate side regulations, but those can be rare. Many two and three family houses in Queens also have parking in driveways or garages for a nominal fee added to the rent, so that might also work.
Generally speaking, it is much easier to keep a vehicle for occasional use (not daily commuting if possible) in parts of Queens, parts of Brooklyn, Staten Island, and parts of The Bronx as opposed to the entire island of Manhattan. There are deals in Manhattan, on the far west side or up in Inwood, but they're not exactly the most conveinent locations for most residential living. Even in an outer borough, it's not uncommon to keep the car a subway stop or two away in a garage where you get a better deal, though it can be more of a hassle than a neighborhood garage.
Street parking works for some in certain areas, but it depends upon the neighborhood, whether or not there is alternate side parking regulations, and what kind of a vehicle you will be putting on the street.
Thanks for all the info!
I drive a '99 Acura Integra, so I don't think it would be much of a crime magnet.
You can considered Forest Hills (71st and Continental Ave), Queens, NY. Convenient to restaurant and shops on Austin St. And if you want a nice quiet neighbor walk, you can walk inside the Forest Hills Garden area. Studio are around $900-$1000 and you can definitely find 1 bedroom around $1200 on Craigslist.com . It is 20mins away from Midtown (53st and Lexington Ave, take E express). If you work near Wall Street, it will take you about 1 hr.
Why does it take so long to get to Wall Street comparatively? Is it just because the setup of the subway system?
Why does it take so long to get to Wall Street comparatively? Is it just because the setup of the subway system?
Yes. It is just because of the system. It is only four stops from 71Ave to 53rd and Lex. The E Express runs express in Queens only, it runs local in Manhattan. It isn't that bad at all. If you work near the Wall St, then you walk to E at WTC. You are guarantee a seat on the way home. 1 hour of sitting is better than 30 mins of standing, especially during rush hours.
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