Moving to NYC-advice

[gertiecummings]

Posted: 1/12/11 at 7:21pm

I've finally decided to make the move from Seattle to New York. My ideal moving date is September 1st. I've never moved to a new city all by myself before, so does anyone have any great advice to offer? (Good neighborhoods to live in, how to get a survival job but still do auditions, etc.) What do you wish you would've know before you moved to NY, or a new city in general? Thanks a bunch.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 1/12/11 at 7:48pm

Have gads of money, and at least 2 jobs, or 1 that's over 80K. Good nabe vs. affordable nabe are 2 entirely different things.

Budget: Rent
Con Ed
Transportation
Food - (in)
Laundry
Furniture
Household supplies
Office Expenses
Drugstore/Medical/Personal items
Union Dues
Dry Cleaning
Professional Expenses
Clothing

Etc, Etc.

Oh, and this does NOt include "entertainment" (clubs, eat
ing out, theater, movies, cultural events, etc.)

[gertiecummings]

Posted: 1/12/11 at 8:23pm

I'm trying to get as much money saved up as a can. I plan to either sell or trade in my car when I move, not to mention anything else I won't need. And by good nabe I mean "affordable/I won't fear for my life whenever I go home". I'm definitely open to living in any of the burrows.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 1/12/11 at 9:18pm

There are job listings on playbill.com. A good pair of walking shoes would be a sound investment.

Check for sublets or people looking for roommates. Just make sure you really feel comfortable with someone before moving in with them. We don't want any SWF stuff to happen to you.

[singtopher]

Posted: 1/12/11 at 9:41pm

You don't need to make 80K to survive in the city. There are plenty of affordable safe areas. I recommend Washington Heights or Astoria. These are both very popular with the actors. I love Astoria: Nice and neighborhoody, safe, lots of families, great restaurants, plenty to do, 30 min to Times Square on the subway. Rents in those areas can be anywhere from 500-800/mo for a room in a nice apartment.

If you want a fantastic, in the heart of the city, fabulous neighborhood, go ahead and double those rents.

[gertiecummings]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 12:26am

Is there any point in trying to get a job or sublet before I move there, or is it best just to wait until I'm in the city?

[Eris0303]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 12:35am

If I were in your shoes I would definitely try to secure a place to live before I get there. Unless you have friends you can crash with you'd end up at an overpriced hotel.

As for the job...you could at least try to secure some interviews beforehand. But, if you find a place willing to do a phone interview then that would be great.

[gertiecummings]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 12:40am

I just worry about scams. If I was looking for a place to live in Seattle, at least I know I could actually see the place before I sign anything.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 12:45am

Well, are you on facebook and are you friends with people who already live in NYC on there? You could always post that you're looking for a sublet. There's usually someone who knows something. I see people talking about sublets all the time.

ETA: I would recommend opening your search to NJ as well. My younger brother lives in Weehawken, NJ and can see NYC from his place.

Updated On: 1/13/11 at 12:45 AM

[singtopher]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 8:47am

Sublets are a great way to get your feet wet.

The best jobs for actors are waiting tables/bartending. The catch being that most restaurants in the city are looking for waiters with 2+ years of NYC experience. I've never even worked in a restaurant, so that was completely out of the question for me. Bartending can be hard to come by as well if you're male.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 8:57am

I am in the process of moving there now. I left Denver because of the economy. I am not moving with a lot of money. I left Denver last Friday and am living with my ex in PA now. Going up to NYC next week to check out a part time job offer among other things. Decided to switch all of my searches on Monster, etc. to NYC this week. I have been working on this for about 4 months and have 2 options for a place to stay once I find a job. Hopefully the connections I have will help that happen faster. I am considering living in Jersey also. It's cheaper. I suggest that if you are signed with a temp agency, see if your agency has an office in NYC and get your info transferred. Mine has 5 offices in Manhattan. I have to go to one and present ID to get my info. transferred from Denver. That is one thing I am doing next week. I figure it is going to take me at least 5 to 6 months to get settled and find a place but luckily, I have support here. And I agree, you can live there on less than 80K. I have friends doing it.

[madbrian]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 9:04am

I grew up in Astoria, and I loved it there. It's known as a Greek neighborhood, but it is in fact very diverse. Easy access to Manhattan. Jersey towns can be cheaper, but the commute to Manhattan can be more expensive, and often tied to restrictive schedules (unless you're near a PATH train).

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 9:28am

mad, I would look to be near a PATH train if I lived in Jersey.

[siny]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 10:53am

The only problem with living in NJ and working in NYC is that every year you will have to file 2 state tax returns, which is a PITA. You can find apts. in outer boros that are as cheap as anything in Jersey.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 12:59pm

Filing two returns is really no big deal. I have done it in the past. You just have to make sure to send the right forms to the right place! I learned that lesson when I sent the wrong forms out in 1991 from Denver.

[gertiecummings]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 9:30pm

I have no restaurant or bartending experience. I work as a nanny right now for College Nannies and Tutors, and I saw they have a couple New York offices.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 9:38pm

I was also going to suggest opening up your search to Jersey cities. I've lived in Bayonne my entire life (save those 4 years of college) and it's pretty convenient getting to Manhattan (although not as convenient as it should be given how close we are). I would second Weehawken and also recommend Jersey City and Hoboken.

If you really want to live IN New York, though, definitely the outer boroughs.

[gertiecummings]

Posted: 1/13/11 at 9:56pm

I know beggars can't be choosers, but I've been dreaming of living IN New York my whole life. I don't know if I could stand looking across the water from New Jersey.

[gertiecummings]

Posted: 1/14/11 at 1:15am

I've never done a sublet before. Do most of them come furnished or unfurnished? I have no clue what to do about my bed (queen sized), desk, dresser, etc.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/14/11 at 8:10am

gertie, my problem is that I really don't like taking transportation underground. Especially under water.

[nygrl232]

Posted: 1/14/11 at 8:22am

Gertie, bring your stuff with you to the city, and put the bigger items into storage until you find a longer term situation.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/14/11 at 4:08pm

Hauling furniture from Seattle to NYC is going to cost you a fortune. Unless the pieces have special meaning or are antiques, I would either put them in storage in Seattle or sell them.

If you are planning to find work as a nanny, there are many opportunities. I don't know if it's your style, but you might even find a live-in position.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 1/14/11 at 4:26pm

"I've never done a sublet before. Do most of them come furnished or unfurnished? I have no clue what to do about my bed (queen sized), desk, dresser, etc."

The only time I have heard of somebody getting an unfurnished sublet was when they were taking it for a very extended period of time (in this case it was for a full two years). Other than that you can almost always count on it being furnished, as the basic point of the sublet is for the person you are subletting from to be able to leave most of their stuff in one place and not have to deal with moving/storage issues.

The Facebook group "Gypsy Housing" might be a good place to start. It is mainly actors and other theatre personnel, and many of the people there are very well experienced in the "art" of subletting. You'll find people posting anything from very short-term (a couple of weeks) to long-term (ranging from a couple of months to a year, depending on their gig).

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7030462319

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/14/11 at 5:34pm

Since my move was due to the economy, I got rid of a LOT of things. I put the things I want here into storage in Denver with friends who will ship them to me once I get settled. The good thing is that I am able to store them for free for as long as I need. I am staying with my ex right now and the only things I shipped to PA to his place are the clothes I will need, important documents, my computer, my MP3, some odds and ends and my mother. (Her urn. She got frisked at Denver International Airport.)

[gertiecummings]

Posted: 1/15/11 at 2:20am

Thanks for all the help you guys. I'm starting to feel a little less daunted. A little.