Heading to New York
January 17, 2017 1:49 AM Subscribe
I've been offered a job at 70k per year (pre tax) located in Manhattan to start in September of this year. I'd like to live as close to midtown as possible, but I'm also aware that rent is very expensive. What are my options for: 1 to 2 roomies, or a studio apartment around 1,200 per month. I'd be fine with up to a 45 minute commute.
Other details:
My main desire for my neighborhood would be interesting stuff nearby, and a good food scene. Safety and walkability are also obviously important. I would sacrifice more travel time for any of the above.
I'd prefer my own bathroom. Feasible at that price?
I'd like a kitchen, but don't care how small it is.
No car, no plans of getting one.
No pets. No medical considerations. No allergies.
I'll also be starting on my student loans, so I would be willing to make sacrifices on living arrangements to pay those down and still enjoy city life.
Posted anonymously to keep my online and IRL seperate with the given level of personal detail. If clarification is necessary I can make a burner email.
Other details:
My main desire for my neighborhood would be interesting stuff nearby, and a good food scene. Safety and walkability are also obviously important. I would sacrifice more travel time for any of the above.
I'd prefer my own bathroom. Feasible at that price?
I'd like a kitchen, but don't care how small it is.
No car, no plans of getting one.
No pets. No medical considerations. No allergies.
I'll also be starting on my student loans, so I would be willing to make sacrifices on living arrangements to pay those down and still enjoy city life.
Posted anonymously to keep my online and IRL seperate with the given level of personal detail. If clarification is necessary I can make a burner email.
The neighborhoods on Staten Island that surround the ferry terminal are definitely within 45 minutes of midtown and will most likely be cheaper than anything you'll find in the other borooghs, though that is changing pretty quickly
posted by Venadium at 4:16 AM on January 17, 2017
posted by Venadium at 4:16 AM on January 17, 2017
Washington Heights should easily be under 45 minutes door-to-door to the west side of midtown. (It's an hour door-to-door for me to work in Soho and that includes 10 minutes of walking from the A train to work.) I had a bigger budget than you and was focusing on larger studios and 1 bedrooms, but I think $1200 is likely going to be very hard or impossible, but check StreetEasy instead of believing what anyone tells you on the internet. (I found a lot of what people told me about renting in New York to be wildly inaccurate and made it sound harder than it was.)
posted by hoyland at 4:32 AM on January 17, 2017
posted by hoyland at 4:32 AM on January 17, 2017
For $1200, I would look at a roommate situation in Queens or Washington Heights.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:40 AM on January 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:40 AM on January 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
Midtown is pretty much not going to happen unless you strike gold somehow. I'd say look into Queens for the widest options. I've got some friends who are very happy in reasonably priced areas with lots to do. It's just not as hip.
1200 would get you a decent roommate situation in a bunch of neighborhoods in Brooklyn, but a legal apartment on your own for that kind of money would put you deep deep deep into brooklyn.
posted by Blisterlips at 5:51 AM on January 17, 2017 [2 favorites]
1200 would get you a decent roommate situation in a bunch of neighborhoods in Brooklyn, but a legal apartment on your own for that kind of money would put you deep deep deep into brooklyn.
posted by Blisterlips at 5:51 AM on January 17, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'd check Astoria or Sunnyside in Queens. Wherever you are in midtown, you'll get there in 30 minutes from one or the other, and they're relatively affordable with good food. Having your own bathroom will be a complication in general--it'll make your rent more expensive, and it'll just be more difficult to find a place that affords you that.
posted by benbenson at 6:31 AM on January 17, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by benbenson at 6:31 AM on January 17, 2017 [7 favorites]
For $1200 I would look for a roommate situation as close-in to where you plan on working and socializing as possible. If I were you - and this is per my lifestyle/tastes - I'd be considering apartment-shares Astoria, Greenpoint, Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill, and maybe the UES and Harlem south of 125th st. I wouldn't get my hopes too far up for my own bathroom, but sometimes you luck out or you live in a two bedroom/two-bathroom with a couple renting the master bedroom.
I'd live in a roommate situation "deep" into Queens or up in Washington Heights - for that kind of money - *only* if you are prioritizing things like space/a nice big new kitchen/etc. These are fine places to live if your lifestyle is more akin to a "go to work, then go home and cook a quiet dinner for yourself" sense (and going out isn't as much of a regular thing than it is an occasional "outing" that you plan in advance)
Not sure what your age/socializing habits are but if you're trying to enjoy the city as much as possible - museums, cultural events, trying new restaurants downtown, going to happy hours after work, a spontaneous brunch with a friend - it can become very frustrating very fast to be constantly commuting all the way back up to 181st st or to Jackson Heights or something.
posted by windbox at 6:33 AM on January 17, 2017 [5 favorites]
I'd live in a roommate situation "deep" into Queens or up in Washington Heights - for that kind of money - *only* if you are prioritizing things like space/a nice big new kitchen/etc. These are fine places to live if your lifestyle is more akin to a "go to work, then go home and cook a quiet dinner for yourself" sense (and going out isn't as much of a regular thing than it is an occasional "outing" that you plan in advance)
Not sure what your age/socializing habits are but if you're trying to enjoy the city as much as possible - museums, cultural events, trying new restaurants downtown, going to happy hours after work, a spontaneous brunch with a friend - it can become very frustrating very fast to be constantly commuting all the way back up to 181st st or to Jackson Heights or something.
posted by windbox at 6:33 AM on January 17, 2017 [5 favorites]
The 45 minute commute radius depends a lot on exactly where your job is. Walking to the subway station (bus stop) and waiting for the train (bus) can take as long as the actual travel time.
posted by SemiSalt at 6:41 AM on January 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by SemiSalt at 6:41 AM on January 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
Also: The best advice I got, and what everyone else I know did - sublet somewhere, anywhere, for a month or two while you get your footing and figure out what your lifestyle/scene is going to look like. You'll get a sense of where your coworkers live, how they like their neighborhoods, where you find yourself hanging out the most when you're not working - and then you'll go from there.
posted by windbox at 6:42 AM on January 17, 2017 [21 favorites]
posted by windbox at 6:42 AM on January 17, 2017 [21 favorites]
If you are a woman, you might be eligible for the Webster Apartments or similar.
"Rent: $1,200 a month, which includes two meals a day, housekeeping and social events.
Residency requirements: Women of all ages can apply as long as they are employed at least 35 hours a week or have an internship or fellowship of at least 28 hours a week. Full-time employees must make between $30,000 and $85,000 a year."
posted by metaseeker at 7:01 AM on January 17, 2017 [5 favorites]
"Rent: $1,200 a month, which includes two meals a day, housekeeping and social events.
Residency requirements: Women of all ages can apply as long as they are employed at least 35 hours a week or have an internship or fellowship of at least 28 hours a week. Full-time employees must make between $30,000 and $85,000 a year."
posted by metaseeker at 7:01 AM on January 17, 2017 [5 favorites]
Another option is Jersey City or Hoboken - I don't spend much time in either so I can't speak too much to food scene or stuff to do (though I'm told that it's significantly better than you might expect from New Jersey), but housing is significantly cheaper (your own place for 1,200 is way more reasonable) and you can be in Manhattan in ten minutes or so on the PATH (and midtown in ~half an hour). I live in Brooklyn and work in Chelsea, and I have coworkers who live in Jersey City and have a shorter commute than I do by half.
posted by Itaxpica at 7:08 AM on January 17, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Itaxpica at 7:08 AM on January 17, 2017 [2 favorites]
I love this map tool for seeing what would be within your commute range. I would nth Astoria/Sunnyside for somewhere within-budget and around a 30-45 minute commute depending on walking times, but probably a roommate situation - I was paying more than that for a 1 BR in 2009.
(On preview, all my coworkers who live in Jersey City/Hoboken have a shorter commute than me - that's another option to look at.)
posted by matcha action at 7:11 AM on January 17, 2017
(On preview, all my coworkers who live in Jersey City/Hoboken have a shorter commute than me - that's another option to look at.)
posted by matcha action at 7:11 AM on January 17, 2017
When my brother first moved there, he lived in Hoboken for a couple of years to get his footing, understand neighborhoods and what he liked to do, and had a really nice place that included a shuttle to the PATH station from his building. Definitely check out there.
posted by jillithd at 7:17 AM on January 17, 2017
posted by jillithd at 7:17 AM on January 17, 2017
I lived in Astoria from 2008-10 and rented a very very tiny 1BR basement apartment with my own bathroom in a house for $800/mo. It took around 35 minutes to get to my midtown workplace.
posted by vegartanipla at 7:21 AM on January 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by vegartanipla at 7:21 AM on January 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
You can find your own studio or (small, small) 1-bedroom for $1200 a month, but it'll take a lot of legwork and a lot of experience with the NYC rental market that you just don't have right now. I'm with everyone else--focus on finding a decent roommate situation in Queens or Brooklyn.
The only other piece of advice I would give would be to try and live off a train that will get you right to work, no transfers. Transfers aren't terrible, but they add stress and unpredictability to a commute.
posted by Automocar at 8:34 AM on January 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
The only other piece of advice I would give would be to try and live off a train that will get you right to work, no transfers. Transfers aren't terrible, but they add stress and unpredictability to a commute.
posted by Automocar at 8:34 AM on January 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
$1200/mo. means deeper Queens for you unless you get very lucky. Now there's nothing wrong with chasing luck--that's why people come to Manhattan, after all, and very often you will find at the basis of someone's personal success story that they stumbled into a good housing situation--so you should hustle around as much as you're able (I would look within walking distance of the ABCD stop at W. 145th, for instance, as it's far north enough to temper the rent but due to the express train gets you to midtown in reasonable time), but you should also be emotionally prepared for Queens.
Hoboken and Jersey City (especially) have seen radical rent increases in any neighborhood that has decent PATH access, so I wouldn't pin all my hopes there.
DO NOT FORGET TO APPLY FOR INCOME-BASED REPAYMENT ON YOUR STUDENT LOANS. Don't pay anyone to help you--you can do it yourself, for free, at ed.gov.
posted by praemunire at 8:52 AM on January 17, 2017 [3 favorites]
Hoboken and Jersey City (especially) have seen radical rent increases in any neighborhood that has decent PATH access, so I wouldn't pin all my hopes there.
DO NOT FORGET TO APPLY FOR INCOME-BASED REPAYMENT ON YOUR STUDENT LOANS. Don't pay anyone to help you--you can do it yourself, for free, at ed.gov.
posted by praemunire at 8:52 AM on January 17, 2017 [3 favorites]
Heya. I live in a 2-bedroom in Sunset Park (South Brooklyn) and am currently looking for a roommate for $1K/month. MeMail me if you have any interest. My commute to Midtown is 40 minutes door-to-door. However, Midtown is a large area, and as others have pointed out upthread, this can change depending on where exactly in Midtown you work. A transfer or walking over an avenue can add up to 10 minutes.
I also recently did a sweep of the Brooklyn rental market, specifically for studios and one-bedrooms, within 45 minutes of Midtown. The only neighborhood where I saw anything in your range was Crown Heights. This sweep included talking to people in my network - people who have been here for years who in turn have their own networks. Several of them had "great deals" and it was nowhere near your price.
$1200 is definitely more than enough for a great apartment share though, and you might be able to get your own bathroom if you're willing to live at the edge of your radius. In particular, I saw some listings for some really beautiful apartments for room shares in that range in Bushwick, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Fort Greene. Issues though are train access (L-train, which will be closing, G-train, which doesn't go to Manhattan, and nothing, in the case of Fort Greene) and having to share the apartment with more than one person. Bed-Sty might also be a good neighborhood for shares. Apartment shares in brownstone Brooklyn (Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill) that I saw were over $1200 more often than not.
I would avoid living on the F train. Lots of construction, delays, and crowding on a regular basis. When I lived on that line my commute was 45 minutes on paper but often crept up closer to an hour. B, D, N, and Q are good lines. I'm not as familiar with 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. JMZ was good when I was frequently visiting that part of Bushwick, but that was a couple years ago. L train is closing as noted upthread.
I recently had to take the train from work to Astoria on a regular basis, and it only took 30 minutes. I haven't looked recently, but prices in Queens are still less insane in Brooklyn from what I know. Still, I have no desire to live in Queens because (1.) more people in my demographic (unmarried professionals in 30s) that I know live in Brooklyn, and there is less stuff in Queens.
I completely agree with the advice to park yourself somewhere temporary for a few months until you figure out your lifestyle. For example, as someone pointed out above, having a transfer in your commute is obnoxious, but it didn't occur to me until I moved here and started my commute.
posted by unannihilated at 10:05 AM on January 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
I also recently did a sweep of the Brooklyn rental market, specifically for studios and one-bedrooms, within 45 minutes of Midtown. The only neighborhood where I saw anything in your range was Crown Heights. This sweep included talking to people in my network - people who have been here for years who in turn have their own networks. Several of them had "great deals" and it was nowhere near your price.
$1200 is definitely more than enough for a great apartment share though, and you might be able to get your own bathroom if you're willing to live at the edge of your radius. In particular, I saw some listings for some really beautiful apartments for room shares in that range in Bushwick, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Fort Greene. Issues though are train access (L-train, which will be closing, G-train, which doesn't go to Manhattan, and nothing, in the case of Fort Greene) and having to share the apartment with more than one person. Bed-Sty might also be a good neighborhood for shares. Apartment shares in brownstone Brooklyn (Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill) that I saw were over $1200 more often than not.
I would avoid living on the F train. Lots of construction, delays, and crowding on a regular basis. When I lived on that line my commute was 45 minutes on paper but often crept up closer to an hour. B, D, N, and Q are good lines. I'm not as familiar with 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. JMZ was good when I was frequently visiting that part of Bushwick, but that was a couple years ago. L train is closing as noted upthread.
I recently had to take the train from work to Astoria on a regular basis, and it only took 30 minutes. I haven't looked recently, but prices in Queens are still less insane in Brooklyn from what I know. Still, I have no desire to live in Queens because (1.) more people in my demographic (unmarried professionals in 30s) that I know live in Brooklyn, and there is less stuff in Queens.
I completely agree with the advice to park yourself somewhere temporary for a few months until you figure out your lifestyle. For example, as someone pointed out above, having a transfer in your commute is obnoxious, but it didn't occur to me until I moved here and started my commute.
posted by unannihilated at 10:05 AM on January 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
FYI the Webster Apartments usually has a years-long waiting list.
posted by greta simone at 10:13 AM on January 17, 2017
posted by greta simone at 10:13 AM on January 17, 2017
Almost everyone I know who works in Midtown lives in Queens - Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside. You'll get to Midtown from those places within 30 minutes.
Commuting from Brooklyn to Midtown sucks unless you are directly off a train line which goes close to your office - if not it can easily take an hour+.
Agreed that you are absolutely not gonna find even a shitty studio for less than $1400+ within an hour of Manhattan, but with roommates you can easily get a great place with a $1200 budget. Not sure how possible your own bathroom would be, though.
I've never not found roommates on Craigslist, it's not at all sketchy and has generally worked out great. I certainly would sublet until you know the city better - I was here for over three years before I even signed a lease.
I lived in Astoria from 2008-10 and rented a very very tiny 1BR basement apartment with my own bathroom in a house for $800/mo.
Almost ten years is a long damn time, and this is astonishingly far from what the Astoria market is like now. Everyone I know there is paying the apparently-standard-for-the-boroughs $700-$1200 a month for a share. The only person I know in Queens with a studio lives in Jackson Heights - and was dating the landlord's son when she signed the lease.
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:39 AM on January 17, 2017 [2 favorites]
Commuting from Brooklyn to Midtown sucks unless you are directly off a train line which goes close to your office - if not it can easily take an hour+.
Agreed that you are absolutely not gonna find even a shitty studio for less than $1400+ within an hour of Manhattan, but with roommates you can easily get a great place with a $1200 budget. Not sure how possible your own bathroom would be, though.
I've never not found roommates on Craigslist, it's not at all sketchy and has generally worked out great. I certainly would sublet until you know the city better - I was here for over three years before I even signed a lease.
I lived in Astoria from 2008-10 and rented a very very tiny 1BR basement apartment with my own bathroom in a house for $800/mo.
Almost ten years is a long damn time, and this is astonishingly far from what the Astoria market is like now. Everyone I know there is paying the apparently-standard-for-the-boroughs $700-$1200 a month for a share. The only person I know in Queens with a studio lives in Jackson Heights - and was dating the landlord's son when she signed the lease.
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:39 AM on January 17, 2017 [2 favorites]
Inwood is about 30 minutes to midtown on the A train and I think maybe you can still get a studio for $1200 but I left a couple of years ago. If you get a place near 190th on up, you'll get a seat in the morning and can read or work or learn to knit or whatever. My guess is your other best bet is like Jackson Heights but I'll let someone else field that. Inwood was a little dull when I lived there but a bunch of restaurants were starting to pop up and I think it's good on that count now; maybe not so good for things like bookstores and culture--you'll end up doing that stuff on your way home and finding (or at least I did) that once you're home, you're home. Having friends in your neighborhood is super important in NYC, because you may not feel like getting back on the train to see people and they may think of your affordable neighborhood as a faraway land.
Anyway, given your laid backness about what you're looking for, you should have an easy time living pretty well in NYC on 70K unless your student loans are really substantial. The main thing that makes NYC impossible is wanting to have living space like one would have in a normal place.
posted by Smearcase at 10:46 AM on January 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
Anyway, given your laid backness about what you're looking for, you should have an easy time living pretty well in NYC on 70K unless your student loans are really substantial. The main thing that makes NYC impossible is wanting to have living space like one would have in a normal place.
posted by Smearcase at 10:46 AM on January 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
Oh and, if you ever want anyone to visit you at home, do not live in New Jersey or Staten Island. Some may accuse me of being a snooty hipster for saying this, but seriously: for anyone living in Brooklyn or Queens, that can easily be a 90-120 minute trip, with multiple transfers and (in the case of New Jersey) an extra ticket not included in their Metrocard. No one will ever visit you, and dating opportunities will be curtailed.
Inwood is also a good choice, it's very beautiful up there with all the trees and parks. Visiting friends have remarked that it 'doesn't look like NYC' and it's not a bad commute to Midtown. (When I lived up there, people were consistently surprised that the streets in Manhattan even went that high, so it's not exactly central. But for commuting to Midtown it's pretty good.)
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:49 AM on January 17, 2017 [8 favorites]
Inwood is also a good choice, it's very beautiful up there with all the trees and parks. Visiting friends have remarked that it 'doesn't look like NYC' and it's not a bad commute to Midtown. (When I lived up there, people were consistently surprised that the streets in Manhattan even went that high, so it's not exactly central. But for commuting to Midtown it's pretty good.)
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:49 AM on January 17, 2017 [8 favorites]
Can you have the moderators edit the post to say which borough your job is in and which part of the borough? Because if the 45 minute commute thing is important then it's necessary to know which neighborhood you'll be commuting to.
posted by I-baLL at 11:28 AM on January 17, 2017
posted by I-baLL at 11:28 AM on January 17, 2017
Can you have the moderators edit the post to say which borough your job is in and which part of the borough? Because if the 45 minute commute thing is important then it's necessary to know which neighborhood you'll be commuting to.
OP says the job is in Manhattan, and that they want to live as close to midtown as possible (so presumably the job is there as well).
posted by Itaxpica at 12:05 PM on January 17, 2017
OP says the job is in Manhattan, and that they want to live as close to midtown as possible (so presumably the job is there as well).
posted by Itaxpica at 12:05 PM on January 17, 2017
OP says the job is in Manhattan, and that they want to live as close to midtown as possible (so presumably the job is there as well).
Yes, but which side of midtown? Different subway lines feed the east and west side so the location definitely affects what neighborhoods would be most convenient. Is the job closer to Times Square or to Grand Central?
posted by praemunire at 12:48 PM on January 17, 2017 [3 favorites]
Yes, but which side of midtown? Different subway lines feed the east and west side so the location definitely affects what neighborhoods would be most convenient. Is the job closer to Times Square or to Grand Central?
posted by praemunire at 12:48 PM on January 17, 2017 [3 favorites]
Yeah, OP, generally speaking you want to avoid having to transfer during your commute if at all possible, because if you have to take two train lines (or, god forbid, three), there is a greater chance for the MTA to fuck you somehow - you might miss a connection and wind up waiting on the second platform for ten minutes waiting for the second train, and there are twice as many chances for subway delays or closures to affect you.
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:29 PM on January 17, 2017
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:29 PM on January 17, 2017
If you're willing to have roommates, would you consider sharing a senior citizen's home? Here are a few resources; I'm sure there are others.
New York Foundation for Senior Citizens Homesharing
Senior Homeshares
posted by Joleta at 3:17 PM on January 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
New York Foundation for Senior Citizens Homesharing
Senior Homeshares
posted by Joleta at 3:17 PM on January 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
Consider Riverdale. Close to Midtown by train or subway, and pleasant, but cheaper than most of Manhattan. Also, seconding Washington Heights, and Inwood.
posted by JimN2TAW at 4:09 PM on January 17, 2017
posted by JimN2TAW at 4:09 PM on January 17, 2017
I don't think anyone with a budget below about $2600 should even try to do a long distance apartment hunt in NYC. Arrange a sublet (we can help narrow down the neighborhood with more info on your work location), pay for storage for your stuff if your need to (seriously this may be one of the few times that makes sense) and come!
posted by Salamandrous at 1:09 PM on January 18, 2017
posted by Salamandrous at 1:09 PM on January 18, 2017
I don't think anyone with a budget below about $2600 should even try to do a long distance apartment hunt in NYC. Arrange a sublet
(Just for reference) In most of my/my friends' experience, "hunting for an apartment" in NYC generally MEANS hunting for a sublet. I don't know many people who signed leases the moment they moved here unless they had some sort of insanely lucrative finance job. It's absolutely normal to do sublets for a while until you have a better idea where you want to live, especially because
1. Most rentals want first, last, and deposit to move in.
2. The best apartments can generally only be found through apartment brokers who will charge you as well.
3. You currently have no one to consider signing a lease with, and will not be able to find your own place on that budget.
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:20 PM on January 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
(Just for reference) In most of my/my friends' experience, "hunting for an apartment" in NYC generally MEANS hunting for a sublet. I don't know many people who signed leases the moment they moved here unless they had some sort of insanely lucrative finance job. It's absolutely normal to do sublets for a while until you have a better idea where you want to live, especially because
1. Most rentals want first, last, and deposit to move in.
2. The best apartments can generally only be found through apartment brokers who will charge you as well.
3. You currently have no one to consider signing a lease with, and will not be able to find your own place on that budget.
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:20 PM on January 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Oh and, if you ever want anyone to visit you at home, do not live in New Jersey or Staten Island. Some may accuse me of being a snooty hipster for saying this, but seriously: for anyone living in Brooklyn or Queens, that can easily be a 90-120 minute trip, with multiple transfers and (in the case of New Jersey) an extra ticket not included in their Metrocard. No one will ever visit you, and dating opportunities will be curtailed.
I just came in to say that when I lived in Astoria, I would occasionally visit my BFF in Staten Island. She lived near and would drive me to the ferry after we were done hanging for the evening. It was a 2.5-3 hour commute home at night (I'd take the 4/5 to 59th, then transfer to the N). So, yeah.
SI sure is cheap though.
posted by AlisonM at 4:44 PM on January 23, 2017
I just came in to say that when I lived in Astoria, I would occasionally visit my BFF in Staten Island. She lived near and would drive me to the ferry after we were done hanging for the evening. It was a 2.5-3 hour commute home at night (I'd take the 4/5 to 59th, then transfer to the N). So, yeah.
SI sure is cheap though.
posted by AlisonM at 4:44 PM on January 23, 2017
« Older How do I move past being an unsuspecting &... | Could Brexit be prevented altogether? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
I always recommend streeteasy.com for apartment hunting in NYC. You'll be able to search by neighborhood, apartment amenities, and price. It'll be good for finding studios, and while it won't help you find a place with roommates you can look up what 2/3brs in various areas cost and so get an idea of what you might expect to pay with roommates.
As far as specific neighborhoods, I'd look in lower Manhattan (anything south of Chelsea, with a specific eye towards the Lower East Side or the East or West Village - a lot of that will be out of your price range but it can't hurt to look), the Upper West Sude, or Washington Heights (though depending on where you are in midtown that might be pushing the limits of your commute time) for Manhattan; Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, or Clinton Hill for Brooklyn; and maaaaaybe Long Island City or Astoria for Queens.
A warning: avoid anything in Brooklyn on the L train; they'll be closing it for a full year and a half for repairs in 2019.
posted by Itaxpica at 3:05 AM on January 17, 2017 [3 favorites]