Cheap, nice studio within 30-45 mins of Manhattan?

August 17, 2008 7:05 AM

Where can you get a clean, safe studio apartment, if possible in a cool area with cheap good restaurants, for under $700/month or less, within 30-45 minutes via mass-transport of Manhattan?
posted by shivohum to home & garden (20 comments total)

Boy, that's asking a lot. Have you checked out HousingMaps yet? (Warning, I would imagine a number of the places for $700/mo are lacking, say, a private bathroom, a kitchen, etc.)
posted by gramcracker at 7:54 AM on August 17, 2008

New Jersey. I have a friend who lives in a studio apartment in Bloomfield, New Jersey--very close to various PATH stations, only about a 20 minute commute to New York on the train--for which she pays $700 a month.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:59 AM on August 17, 2008

You can get studios in the heights area of Jersey City for $700, but I don't know that you would particularly enjoy living in those areas. Downtown Jersey City has some cute restaurants, bars and brunch places but is priced accordingly.

The Ironbound neighborhood in Newark might be an option, too.
posted by bcwinters at 8:00 AM on August 17, 2008

It's a bit of a long shot, but you might be able to find something like that in Astoria or Jersey City. Also, there are lots of outlying areas of Brooklyn (that I don't know much about) where $700 might be doable, but maybe someone else can chime in. Red Hook maybe? It been on the verge of gentrification for a while and Ikea has improved transportation in the area.
posted by kimdog at 8:02 AM on August 17, 2008

With some luck and persistence, you could find what you're looking for in Queens. Anyways, a well-crafted Craigslist search should give you a good idea.
posted by limon at 8:43 AM on August 17, 2008

I think you might have better luck with a share. Any apt in the city, ( I don't speak for NJ) for less than 700. is likely to be a serious hole. I've seen some incredibly unbelievably disgusting cheap apts, no windows, etc. You can probably find a decent share for 700 in a reasonably nice apt not too far out in Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx.
posted by beckish at 8:48 AM on August 17, 2008

I have to agree with the New Jersey suggestions. Look for places along the PATH train or NJ transit lines that go directly into NY Penn (so you don't have to transfer in Hackensack).
posted by spec80 at 9:01 AM on August 17, 2008

seriously, get a share. you'll find a nicer place in a nicer apartment in a nicer location than you could find as a studio.
posted by lia at 9:27 AM on August 17, 2008

Fort Lee, NJ. It's on the other side of the GWB. Lots of cheap asian restaurants.
I would avoid Queens. Fort Lee is practically crime-free. Everyone's well-behaved.
posted by Zambrano at 9:27 AM on August 17, 2008

look into East Rutherford NJ, big train station there. East Rutherford has had a lot of new apartment buildings going up lately, so there might be some studios for you.

don't bother with the PATH, only stops are: Hoboken, too expensive. Jersey City downtown, too expensive.
Jersey City Journal Square - don't want to live there, and even so I believe prices have gone up above 700.
Harrison - don't know much about this one, except that there were some ads for houses by the PATH. When I took the PATH all the way to Newark it didn't look that nice or safe. But like I said, I might be wrong.

Newark- don't even look there.
posted by spacefire at 9:50 AM on August 17, 2008

Possibly Ridgewood, Queens
posted by miss tea at 9:57 AM on August 17, 2008

Seconding the Ironbound Newark suggestions - it's relatively safe and cheap portuguese/brazilian neighborhood and the strip along Ferry street has some cool bars and restaurants. If you look long enough -and- get lucky, you might be able to find a bedroom share in downtown Jersey City for under $700. In any case, if you go the Jersey route, I recommend finding something along the PATH line - the train runs 24/7, never less frequently than every 30 minutes, and is pretty reliable; other spots are going to make you dependent on NJ Transit trains and/or buses.
posted by ripple at 10:45 AM on August 17, 2008

This isn't going to happen at all. In terms of Brooklyn, which is the only area I know anything about, you might, if the moon is full and Venus is in the seventh house, be able to find a place that cheap in Bay Ridge or Bensonhurst. But that's more like an hour to 90 minutes away from Manhattan.
posted by nasreddin at 10:54 AM on August 17, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Spacefire, shivohum didn't specify as to whether there's a car available to get them to public transportation. I realize this may be an issue, but if you have a car, many of the towns immediately outlying Newark (the Oranges, Bloomfield, Belleville) are quite safe. Belleville's my personal favorite. Lots of cute Italian restaurants there.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:34 AM on August 17, 2008

Having literally just moved two days ago from Astoria to Jersey City (needed a change after 5 years), I cannot recommend Astoria (particularly the northern part, near Ditmars Boulvard) enough for people moving to NYC. Lots of good restaurants (not just Greek, either), close proximity to the N/W (which take you through the heart of Manhattan and are more reliable than the 7), quiet, safe (I never felt threatened walking home at 2AM) and the rents are cheapish. You can find a lot of private houses with space to rent, and the further away from the train you go the prices drop considerably.

That said, $700/mo is still pushing it, so keep your eyes open and consider the total package, not unlike job compensation. $800/mo might sound out of your price range but if all utilities are included, you may end up ahead.

Also: based on what you're looking for, avoid brokers. I dealt with a couple when we were starting to look to move, and it was not a pleasant experience. I didn't understand their services for what they wanted in a fee (1 month's rent). I would pound Craigslist pretty hard, which is how we landed the place we just moved out of.
posted by Remy at 12:11 PM on August 17, 2008

Gotta agree with nasreddin - this is the "cheap, fast, good - pick two" problem. You're either going to need to lower your standards (a share instead of an apt), raise your costs, or increase your commuting time in order to find anything.
posted by timepiece at 12:12 PM on August 17, 2008

You're going to have a really tough time getting this without some really good luck - $700 mo for a studio in a safe neighborhood and a short commute time hasn't existed for some time. I'd have to second the raise your budget or lower your standards comments.
posted by Calloused_Foot at 3:15 PM on August 17, 2008

I used to live in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and nasreddin's suggestion that it's an hour to 90 minutes from Manhattan is absurd. On a bad day, it took 35/40 minutes to midtown on the express.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:36 PM on August 17, 2008

My ex used to live in Bay Ridge. A subway trip home from the bars in Manhattan, in the later hours when the trains are far less frequent, could easily take 90 minutes certain nights. But even 45 minutes, twice a day? That's a haul. And that's the EXPRESS.

That said, I'd definitely live there- perhaps the ONLY detriment is the distance- it's affordable and SAFE, and neighboorhoody, with Real New York streets with great brownstones. It has zero 'hipster' cachet, which won't last.

But really, what everyone else said, find a share. There are PLENTY.

Jersey City would only work, IMO, if you are actually in the area and can check out various places to get an idea of your comfort level for a given block. Some parts of JC are very nice and Hoboken-like, others are like sub-Newark. Harrison, at least the part near the PATH, could work, but much like JC, you need to really check out a bunch of places. I'd prefer living in the duller, more working-class Harrison, than a currently slightly dodgy but possibly to-be gentrified block of JC for the same price, if that helps at all.

Realistically, you need about double your budget for any kind of studio that you'd want to live in within the NY metro. A 'nice' studio in the most desirable neighboorhoods of Brooklyn or Hoboken would be like triple yer budget.
posted by tremspeed at 4:27 PM on August 17, 2008

Excellent, thanks for the advice everyone!
posted by shivohum at 5:57 AM on August 19, 2008