How to find a place in NYC for a short term period?
August 13, 2010 8:12 AM Subscribe
I will be moving to the greater NYC area in 6 weeks and need to find a furnished short term lease that puts me in reasonable distance from the two hospitals where i'll be working. How possible is this on a students budget?
I will be moving to New York City in September to start working at Bronx Lebanon Hospital and Lutheran Hospital in Brooklyn. At the end of February, I will be moving to Baltimore to work at two hospitals for 6 months as well. Given that I need both a short term lease, and it to be furnished, I am completetly clueless as to where to start. Studio/1BR doesnt matter. Shared apartment is not an option since like many cats, I dont like sharing my space. Ideally, id like to pay under 2k a month. Any help NYC MeFites?
I will be moving to New York City in September to start working at Bronx Lebanon Hospital and Lutheran Hospital in Brooklyn. At the end of February, I will be moving to Baltimore to work at two hospitals for 6 months as well. Given that I need both a short term lease, and it to be furnished, I am completetly clueless as to where to start. Studio/1BR doesnt matter. Shared apartment is not an option since like many cats, I dont like sharing my space. Ideally, id like to pay under 2k a month. Any help NYC MeFites?
That is a lot to ask for for only 2k, especially given that the two hospitals are at the far ends of the city. How long are you willing to commute?
Check out the sublet section of Craigslist. You could probably find something up near the Bronx Hospital, around Fordham, perhaps, but then you'd be stuck with a long commute to Brooklyn. Anywhere in the middle of the two (Manhattan) is going to be very pricey.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 8:17 AM on August 13, 2010
Check out the sublet section of Craigslist. You could probably find something up near the Bronx Hospital, around Fordham, perhaps, but then you'd be stuck with a long commute to Brooklyn. Anywhere in the middle of the two (Manhattan) is going to be very pricey.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 8:17 AM on August 13, 2010
2,000/mo for housing isn't exactly a "student's budget," in fact, you can get a nice place pretty much anywhere that isn't Manhattan (and even Manhattan if you're willing to live in, say, Chinatown.) Greenpoint is roughly equidistant from the two of them, although you'll be making a lot of transfers. Astoria, too, but same problem. You can find a rathole sublet in Hell's Kitchen, if you really need to live in Manhattan for that kind of money, but I'd really advise against it.
My opinion: pick a place nearer Lutheran and make time for a commute to the Bronx. Or, live on the UWS/Spanish Harlem/Harlem and make time for a commute to Brooklyn.
posted by griphus at 8:22 AM on August 13, 2010
My opinion: pick a place nearer Lutheran and make time for a commute to the Bronx. Or, live on the UWS/Spanish Harlem/Harlem and make time for a commute to Brooklyn.
posted by griphus at 8:22 AM on August 13, 2010
This is an ample budget for a sublet in Brooklyn — probably a fairly nice bit of Brooklyn. I have done things like this many times, and ultimately never found anything half as good as Craigslist's sublets/temporary board. I realize this answer does not address precise geographical matters.
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 8:26 AM on August 13, 2010
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 8:26 AM on August 13, 2010
Adding another comment to say that you can definitely get a place in Manhattan for less than $2k. I live in a high-rise on the UWS, and while we have rent control (score!) the studios in our building go for about that.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:29 AM on August 13, 2010
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:29 AM on August 13, 2010
Don't have a whole lot of input except to agree that 2K is absolutely enough. My boyfriend sublet his studio apartment, furnished, for about 1400/month this summer. It is in the lower east side, a pretty trendy area. Small, but definitely not a rathole. You would find more space in Brooklyn and the Bronx but if you want to live in Manhattan, you can do it, and you can even live in a nice neighborhood. Just keep looking on Craigslist and I'm sure you'll find something suitable.
You also don't mention, are you bringing a car? That would be a big consideration for Manhattan vs. outer boroughs.
posted by coupdefoudre at 8:32 AM on August 13, 2010
You also don't mention, are you bringing a car? That would be a big consideration for Manhattan vs. outer boroughs.
posted by coupdefoudre at 8:32 AM on August 13, 2010
Coupdefoudre makes a great point: Do not live in Manhattan with a car unless you're willing to pony up for parking. However, there are very few places you'd want to live in the Bronx that won't make your commute to Lutheran ridiculous.
posted by griphus at 8:36 AM on August 13, 2010
posted by griphus at 8:36 AM on August 13, 2010
Response by poster: I am not bringing a car because of my commute. I really appreciate all the responses. Its got me all kinds of stressed out because of the complexity of the task. As it stands currently, im at 1.5 hours between the two hospitals by train and walking to the train stops. thats fairly obscene but enterely livable if i choose one hospital over the other.
posted by Heliochrome85 at 8:36 AM on August 13, 2010
posted by Heliochrome85 at 8:36 AM on August 13, 2010
Don't worry too much about the commute times. I grew up (and still live) near Coney Island, as the rent is dirt-cheap, so it takes me an hour fifteen to get to work in midtown every morning and it's not so bad. Plus, it's not like commuting for an hour by car (you don't have to concentrate/you can read and study/relax/etc.) but it'll take some getting used to. You're definitely better off having a long commute to one and a quick commute to another rather than a medium-length commute to either.
posted by griphus at 8:44 AM on August 13, 2010
posted by griphus at 8:44 AM on August 13, 2010
To help you decide where to live, you might use soma lkzx's TripTrop NYC, which lets you see how long it takes to commute to any particular place in the city using heatmaps.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:49 AM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ocherdraco at 8:49 AM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Will you be commuting during "normal" commuting hours? Late night and weekends can change how long it takes to get places fairly drastically (express trains run local).
You want something that is along your commute. There are a few good options here on both the West/East side and in Spanish Harlem. I know nothing about Brooklyn except that people who live there are very enthusiastic about it.
Honestly, what I'd do is put your question up on something like Facebook and ask people to spread the news about what you're looking for.
posted by sciencegeek at 8:55 AM on August 13, 2010
You want something that is along your commute. There are a few good options here on both the West/East side and in Spanish Harlem. I know nothing about Brooklyn except that people who live there are very enthusiastic about it.
Honestly, what I'd do is put your question up on something like Facebook and ask people to spread the news about what you're looking for.
posted by sciencegeek at 8:55 AM on August 13, 2010
Response by poster: im currently being offered a place in Bay Ridge which is within 6 blocks of Lutheran. Is this a reasonable place to live? It would make my commute to Lutheran very short, while keeping my transfers down to 1 ( Union Square from the Yellow Line to the Green Line)
posted by Heliochrome85 at 8:55 AM on August 13, 2010
posted by Heliochrome85 at 8:55 AM on August 13, 2010
Bay Ride is awesome. :-D Hell of a commute to the Bronx, though.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:56 AM on August 13, 2010
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:56 AM on August 13, 2010
Here, I went to TripTrop and triangulated the places in NYC most convenient to both hospitals by overlaying the results on top of one another. The lightest colored areas are the ones with the shortest commute both ways. It looks like Union Square, Bleecker Street (at the 6), Waverly Place, Grand Street in Chinatown, and Herald Square (not sure how much residential space there is there) are the best places with the commute being 40 min in either direction.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:08 AM on August 13, 2010
posted by ocherdraco at 9:08 AM on August 13, 2010
Also, you should know that the colored lines on the subway maps are not individual lines, but groupings of lines. The "green line" is the 4 and 5 express trains, and the 6 local train, and the "yellow line" is the N and Q express trains and the R local train.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:10 AM on August 13, 2010
posted by ocherdraco at 9:10 AM on August 13, 2010
Response by poster: yeah, ive been to the city more times than i can count. that being said, ive never lived there, and as far as im standing right now, i think finding an apartment is harder than chinese calculus :D
posted by Heliochrome85 at 9:22 AM on August 13, 2010
posted by Heliochrome85 at 9:22 AM on August 13, 2010
Here, I went to TripTrop and triangulated the places in NYC most convenient to both hospitals by overlaying the results on top of one another. The lightest colored areas are the ones with the shortest commute both ways. It looks like Union Square, Bleecker Street (at the 6), Waverly Place, Grand Street in Chinatown, and Herald Square (not sure how much residential space there is there) are the best places with the commute being 40 min in either direction.
Unfortunately, this is some of the most expensive real-estate in the city.
A big question - what are your obligations at both hospitals? Will you be spending more time at one hospital or the other? Do you have a sense of your hours? Are you looking to have some kind of social life as well?
If you're splitting your time, I'd consider looking in the area near the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues. Roughly, this would be the southern end of Fort Greene, the western end of Prospect Heights, or the northern end of Park Slope. A 1br sublet for $2k isn't unreasonable in any of those areas, and they're all safe, fun, diverse neighborhoods.
The intersection of Flatbush & Atlantic, aside from being a car-traffic nightmare, is one of the largest subway nexuses in the city. You'd be able to reach both hospitals on a single train (the R heading south to Lutheran, the 4, B, or D to Bronx Lebanon). Luckily, the R, the 4, and the D all run pretty regularly all night.
Don't sweat the commute - it's a lot easier than driving. Bring an ipod, a bottle of water, and something to read. I would have never gotten through graduate school without all the time I had to read on my subway commute.
posted by swngnmonk at 10:02 AM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Unfortunately, this is some of the most expensive real-estate in the city.
A big question - what are your obligations at both hospitals? Will you be spending more time at one hospital or the other? Do you have a sense of your hours? Are you looking to have some kind of social life as well?
If you're splitting your time, I'd consider looking in the area near the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues. Roughly, this would be the southern end of Fort Greene, the western end of Prospect Heights, or the northern end of Park Slope. A 1br sublet for $2k isn't unreasonable in any of those areas, and they're all safe, fun, diverse neighborhoods.
The intersection of Flatbush & Atlantic, aside from being a car-traffic nightmare, is one of the largest subway nexuses in the city. You'd be able to reach both hospitals on a single train (the R heading south to Lutheran, the 4, B, or D to Bronx Lebanon). Luckily, the R, the 4, and the D all run pretty regularly all night.
Don't sweat the commute - it's a lot easier than driving. Bring an ipod, a bottle of water, and something to read. I would have never gotten through graduate school without all the time I had to read on my subway commute.
posted by swngnmonk at 10:02 AM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
A side note - Google Maps does a lousy job of showing this, but the 3 subway stations at Flatbush & Atlantic are all interconnected underground. Riding any of the 2,3,4,5,B,D,N,Q,R trains to those stops allow transfer to any of the others.
posted by swngnmonk at 10:09 AM on August 13, 2010
posted by swngnmonk at 10:09 AM on August 13, 2010
Nthing Craigslist sublets.
I'd try for something in Brooklyn convenient to the N/R and 4/5 lines. I'd suggest Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, or another Brooklyn neighborhood within walking distance of the Atlantic/Pacific subway hub.
posted by Sara C. at 11:28 AM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'd try for something in Brooklyn convenient to the N/R and 4/5 lines. I'd suggest Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, or another Brooklyn neighborhood within walking distance of the Atlantic/Pacific subway hub.
posted by Sara C. at 11:28 AM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Chinatown could be affordable, walking distance of Grand Street would take you into the less-trendy, below-Delancey part of the Lower East Side. But I have had young friends recently move to Chinatown and they just love it.
Not much residential in the Herald Square area that doesn't start to become Flatiron and therefore $$$. To get affordable you'd have to go west and then that undermines the convenience of the commute.
I love Brooklyn and will have to be dragged out of the borough by my fingernails but Chinatown could be doable for you. IF YOU DECIDE TO SUBLET PLEASE KEEP THESE THINGS IN MIND:
It will be cheaper for you to find a sublet through the current leaseholder than through a landlord, but it is riskier. That said, as long as you are paying your rent DIRECTLY TO THE LANDLORD every month, then you're golden - or if you have to sign a sublease.
If you're on a month to month, handshake deal you could find yourself in trouble, because you could be paying your rent faithfully every month to the current lease holder - only for it to never reach the landlord. This happens ALL THE TIME. It even happened to friends of mine. You also need to figure out if you're switching the bills into your name.
That said, when I first moved back here I did a sublease and it was fine. I did everything I told you to not do. We switched the cable bill into my name since I wanted internet. She paid Con Ed, I paid her.
posted by micawber at 12:14 PM on August 13, 2010
Not much residential in the Herald Square area that doesn't start to become Flatiron and therefore $$$. To get affordable you'd have to go west and then that undermines the convenience of the commute.
I love Brooklyn and will have to be dragged out of the borough by my fingernails but Chinatown could be doable for you. IF YOU DECIDE TO SUBLET PLEASE KEEP THESE THINGS IN MIND:
It will be cheaper for you to find a sublet through the current leaseholder than through a landlord, but it is riskier. That said, as long as you are paying your rent DIRECTLY TO THE LANDLORD every month, then you're golden - or if you have to sign a sublease.
If you're on a month to month, handshake deal you could find yourself in trouble, because you could be paying your rent faithfully every month to the current lease holder - only for it to never reach the landlord. This happens ALL THE TIME. It even happened to friends of mine. You also need to figure out if you're switching the bills into your name.
That said, when I first moved back here I did a sublease and it was fine. I did everything I told you to not do. We switched the cable bill into my name since I wanted internet. She paid Con Ed, I paid her.
posted by micawber at 12:14 PM on August 13, 2010
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posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:14 AM on August 13, 2010