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Hey everybody. I've been looking around here for about a week now, and your posts and replies have helped me a ton.
I just have a few questions. I'll start by saying that I hope to move to NYC very soon from Virginia. I'm originally from Upstate NY. I will be moving with two friends, and all three of us are 18. Any suggestions on which area I should decide on? I want to live in a real busy area and what-not, but also not very expensive. I cannot afford to live in Manhattan. Should I sell my car? Bring it with me? How are jobs looking for individuals in my age group? Any help would really be appreciated, along with anything I didn't mention that you'd like to throw in.
With respect to employment, it's your skills, rather than your age, that will be more important. What can you do? Are you going to be going to college? The job situation in NYC isn't good and unless you have some sort of talent or skill, it's going to be rough going.
Further, to get housing, you're going to need to prove employment.
The car will be a bit more expensive to keep in NYC, with insurance, and depending upon area, parking. Some areas are so tight for parking, and with alternate-side rules the vehicle must be moved for street cleaning; thus, you might have additional expense for a parking lot, garage, etc., since it's less expensive than tickets and/or tows. Also, if the car is new, you may not want to park it on the street, since it will get scratched, dinged, etc., rather quickly, again depending upon area. However, if you are in an area of an outer borough, or in New Jersey, a car is needed more often than in Manhattan.
So, it's up to the numbers as to whether or not you should keep it. Talk to your insurance company and get ballpark estimates for coverage in NY and/or NJ.
As for employment, do any of you have positions now that could transfer to New York? That can be a foot in the door, even if you are paying for the transfer at your own expense, since you would have a job when getting settled in the area.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
Alright, so I think I'll sell the car before I come then. That'll be $10,000 right there, cool.
No, I'm not currently employed. I have certain skills but no work experience to show for them, so that'll be tough. I know here, some places base your rent off your income. Is there anywhere in NYC that allows this? Anywhere that will allow me to move in while I look for a job, as long as I can prove I've got money?
Your best bets in that situation are either a sublet paid upfront, or dealing with an individual landlord, where you agree to pay them a deposit and money upfront. Sometimes landlords who manage their own smaller buildings, in which they may or may not live, use a different standard to determine whether or not they will rent to someone. It requires more leg work to meet with them and discuss options, since some management companies/larger buildings/agents will not consider the application without substantial liquid assets.
An alternative, however, is to find a guarantor/co-signer who makes the required amount of rent, generally 80x rent in gross income (annually). Parents, guardians, other family members, etc. who meet this standard can help you get the apartment; however, they are liable for the rent if you cannot make the payments. So, if you want an apartment, for 3, in an outer borough for $2.1k or so per month ($700 each in a 3BR), you would need a guarantor who can prove income in the $160-$170k range; and, each of you would need to have a job that pays around $28k so that you would be able to eat, and not have to rely on a parent to pay the rent.
Insofar as expense, it depends upon the area and the apartment. A higher floor walk-up will be significantly less expensive than a lower floor apartment in the same building in a good area. So, for a decent, middle class area like Astoria, that has a number of younger people in it, you could potentially find a 3BR (though not 3 equal size bedrooms) somewhere around $1700-$1800/month, which would require a minimum income for each of you in the $23-$24k range. If you needed a guarantor, they would need to prove income in the $135-$140k range.
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
Also, could anybody tell me which areas would absolutely not need a car? Who here doesn't use a car in NYC, and where do you live?
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