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Location: from houstoner to bostoner to new yorker to new jerseyite ;)
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I'm in Jersey apartment hunting in Brooklyn and Queens and I've been finding lots of 1BR starting around $1200. As far as cost of living in NYC being worth it, I think "comfortably" is highly subjective. If this includes living in Manhattan and going out every night, then I guess you'll want to make $150K> a year. But if you make different lifestyle choices, life can be doable on far less than that, and without roommates. I have friends making $50-60K who are doing pretty well for themselves. They don't live a Sex in the City lifestyle, but they have fulfilling jobs and social lives. It can be done.
I agree that $2K isn't enough saved unless you have a job lined up already. You'll blow through that fairly quickly, just on moving into a place alone.
If considering Jersey, please take into account the cost of commuting. The price of a monthly pass from where I am currently (almost $200) combined with the cost of a 30-day unlimited Metrocard for the city is extremely not worth it, IMO. I'd rather live in the boroughs and put that $200 towards rent.
I'm in Jersey apartment hunting in Brooklyn and Queens and I've been finding lots of 1BR starting around $1200. As far as cost of living in NYC being worth it, I think "comfortably" is highly subjective. If this includes living in Manhattan and going out every night, then I guess you'll want to make $150K> a year. But if you make different lifestyle choices, life can be doable on far less than that, and without roommates. I have friends making $50-60K who are doing pretty well for themselves. They don't live a Sex in the City lifestyle, but they have fulfilling jobs and social lives. It can be done.
I agree that $2K isn't enough saved unless you have a job lined up already. You'll blow through that fairly quickly, just on moving into a place alone.
If considering Jersey, please take into account the cost of commuting. The price of a monthly pass from where I am currently (almost $200) combined with the cost of a 30-day unlimited Metrocard for the city is extremely not worth it, IMO. I'd rather live in the boroughs and put that $200 towards rent.
Depends on where you live , but if you live near the PATH a monthly Pass will be no more then 54$ , which is quite cheap in the NYC Metro. That said he can live by himself , in the Ironbound section of Newark , or around Journal SQ / Historic Downtown of Jersey City. Living in the Suburbs and commuting to NYC will set you back 200-300$ a month depending where you live. Living in Urban Jersey still is the cheapest , 60% of Urban Jersey is safe now. You'll need to have at least 10k to live here i would say , most of the 10k is adjustment & backup money.
The general rule is 40x rent = annual income, so you should be ok paying $750 per month. I am not sure if there are studios in the Bronx or on Staten Island for that price - in any case, people who are making 30K in NYC generally have roommates. Even at 40K and more.
Crap, in Manhattan, even at $100K some have roommates!!!!
I've made "starry eyed" moves to affordable southwestern cities (loved the canyons and mountains) from New York City. They were wonderful (and affordable) adventures made when the economy was in decent shape. New York City, however, will wipe the stars from your eyes pretty quickly in this bad economy. You will find the economic adjustment to living in NYC to be pretty drastic if you want a reasonable lifestyle on 30K, if you can find work. I strongly recommend making a couple of visits here first, to get a real sense of what life would be like at your income level in the present economy. This is probably the riskiest of times to make such a move economically.
Location: from houstoner to bostoner to new yorker to new jerseyite ;)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey
Depends on where you live , but if you live near the PATH a monthly Pass will be no more then 54$ , which is quite cheap in the NYC Metro.
That's true... and that's still an additional $54 on top of an $89 Metrocard monthly to get around the city, which I assume he would want to be doing on a regular basis. I just wanted to point out the cost of commuting from outside the five boroughs as a hidden cost he may not have taken into account-- like me.
I am tentatively planning a trip there later this year. I plan to stay in a hostel for 10-14 days to keep expenses low and to get a good feel for the city.
I strongly recommend that you visit before you move. And don't stay in Manhattan but someplace like the HoJo's on Queens Boulevard. You want to replicate your potential lifestyle/commute. The commute is essential. It's great going out in the East Village. Spending over an hour each way on the subway is not. It's possible to live here on 30K, but it will be hand-to-mouth and nearly impossible to save up for another move if you don't like it.
It's obviously not "worth it" for you in monetary terms. Only you can decide if the cultural and social amenities are worth the cost.
No its not. I'm only here because I had to settle for a job here after college and times are too hard to be picky about location.
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