$$$Price on NYC living$$$

[mad4music]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 7:35pm

Just wondering... to those people lucky enough to live in New York City... how much would you say the cheapest, tiniest, little po-dunk (yet still somewhat safe! no ax murderes plz)apartment in Manhatten would cost in monthly rent???

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 7:39pm

if you want to live nice and yet cheap, you should look at Astoria. I pay $600 for my share of rent and utilities.

It's not Manhattan, but it's still NYC--and it's nice.

Updated On: 7/31/05 at 07:39 PM

[Marlene]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 8:08pm

You can always find rather random deals if you hunt. I've actually had a friend find a sucessful roommate and place on craigslist. Rent is steep unfortunate, though I must second that there are nice neighborhoods in Queens that are worth a look as well. A friend of mine recently got a one bedroom in Park Slope for like 1,200. I honestly don't have a real definate clue...

[liotte]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 8:17pm

I found my roommate on craigslist and we get along great. My room is bigger than hers though, so I pay a little more than she does. But her rent is less than $1000 a month, on the Upper West Side.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 9:56pm

My wife & I live in a rent stabilized apartment in Rego Park with a great view of Manhattan from our bedroom window. Cost $ 653 a month

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 3:01am

Just in general, how hard is it to find living in New York City? I'm considering moving there after I graduate college...

I hear it's beyond impossible. Is it really THAT difficult?

[Marquise]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 5:52am

Jerbz you're lucky to be living in Astoria for *only* $600 of your share of rent/utilities. I was paying about $500 when I lived there in 1996-1998.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 9:17am

I have a rent-controlled place. $1900 a month on the Upper West Side.
Updated On: 8/2/05 at 09:17 AM

[Love4Cheno]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 9:19am

Don't be too intimidated in looking for NYC housing. I also found my share on craigslist. I live in Sunnyside, Queens- on a quiet, tree-lined street (which is nice after being in midtown all day). My bedroom is really large and I pay about $600/month. (It takes about 20 mins. to get to Times Sq.)

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 12:45pm

Craigslist is where I found my apt.

You can find a one bedroom apt in Astoria for $900 plus utilities.

I live in a nice sized 4 bedroom apt--which is rare. So, my rent is $500. The rest I listed covers electricity, gas, and cable TV and internet. Getting to split the last part 4 ways makes things very cheap indeed!

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 12:50pm

This thread interests me because I may be moving soon to NYC....how far away is Astoria? Is it hard to find a roommate/apartment if you are jobless at the time you arrive? What are some of the other cheap, convenient neighborhoods to check out....coming from someone who doesn't know Park Slope from Rego Park.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 12:54pm

Astoria is a 20 min subway ride to Times Square (which is nothing). Astoria is a lot closer to TS than Washington Heights or Inwood, which are both less expensive areas at the North tip of Manhattan.

Posted: 8/1/05 at 11:17pm

Living in NYC is a mind altering experience.

It's not just the cost of housing, everthing thing else is expensive, too, compared to most other places.

A family of 4 eating at a McDonald's can expect to pay $20 to $30, minimum.

A trip to the local first run movie theater will run $10.75 per ticket ($21.50 for two) plus another $11, or so, for one large popcorn and a seltzer water.

The "local" newspaper, TNYTimes is $1.00 per day.

Commuting via mass transit is #2.00 each way.

My cable bill runs nearly $80.00 per month (many channels including HBO which I never watch anymore).

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 11:24pm

BUT, you can buy cheaper daily newspapers for 25c to 50c and some are free

and, you can buy a monthly metro card for $76 that pays for itself if you ride it a lot

and if you have roomies, you only pay a portion of the internet cable cost

and you shouldn't eat at McDonalds anyway!

Posted: 8/2/05 at 12:02am

Well....

it's the Times or the Journal or it's not news worth reading

i don't have to ride mass transit because i walk to work

cable is cable

i don't eat at mcdonald's.

[Corine2]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 7:19am

NYC is very expensive. Updated On: 8/2/05 at 07:19 AM

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 9:43am

Just wait until around four in the afternoon, go to Port Authority, and buy a reduced price New York Times for fifty cents.

[Love4Cheno]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 9:49am

If you're creative, you can save money in certain ways.

Read the NY Times for free online.

Use your Unlimited Metrocard as often as possible (avoid cabs).

Shop at Westerly Health Food Store, where you get a 10% discount if you're a performer.

Subscribe to a papering service for free/low cost theatre tickets.

Live in Queens if Brooklyn and Manhattan are out of your price range (I cannot believe how many of my friends spend 75% of their paychecks on rent, and then complain about not having any $)

Go to bars during Happy Hour- almost every bar in NYC has it.

Curb your addiction to $7 Frappucinos and Jamba Juices.

[AndiV]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 9:55am

i live in a nice sized one bedroom (soon to be two bedroom) in Brooklyn Heights on the promanade for $762.50 ($1525/2). our cable is about $60 a month total. subway pass is cheaper than car payment, insurance and gas. you can find cheap ways to do things if you try.

NYC is expensive...but if you are smart with what you spend your money on, it's not bad. if you consider the opportunities you have here vs. other places, it's great. :)

finding an apt. is a PAIN. what is ridiculous is that in NYC the RENTER pays someone to find them an apt. (sometimes...that's the easiest way), while in other parts of the country, the property OWNER pays a mgmt. company to rent the place. crazy!

Updated On: 8/2/05 at 09:55 AM

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 10:08am

I live along the Harlem/Washington Heights border. With rare exceptions, the train service is super reliable, even late at night. It stops at far too many stations but even with that the trip to midtown is never more than 30 minutes.
And my rent is SUPER cheap and rent-stabilized. It's not the best neighborhood but it is just that: a neighborhood. Everyone knows everyone (and it would help if I spoke Spanish better) and there's actually a fair amount of safety in that.

[Love4Cheno]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 10:12am

^^^ There's a Starbucks in that area. If there's a Starbucks, you're ok.

[KMF_NYC]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 10:36am

at the risk of sounding like the broken record -- do not discount Jersey City -- you are 8 minutes to World Trade/Lower Manhatten, 12 minutes to West Village and 20 minute to mid-town (33rd/Street and Broadway) on the PATH subway for only $1.20 versus the NYC transit at $2.00).

Yet somehow you say JC to someone in "the city" and they look at you and "apologize" -- it really cracks me up because I think -- OK -- I am 4 blocks from the river with an unobstructed view of NY Harbor and the Statue of Liverty -- you look at an airshaft, it took me 10 minutes to get to this restaurant and it took you over 30 -- I have over 1800 square feet of living space and you have 1/4 to 1/3 of that and you are apologizing to me because my area code is 201 and yours is 212 and I can save enough to have a car????

I am fortunate enough to own my unit/building, however rents in the Downtown area are in line iwth the outerbouroughs. Downtwon JC (Grove Street/Van Vorst Park and Hamilton Park) has gone through a MAJOR renaissance in the past few years with renovations of turn of the centruty brownstones and many bistros, pubs, restaurants.

On the Hudson are also many full service highrises, etc for those that prefer that style of living -- you can always see/find shares that are in line with what others here have posted.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 10:41am

Cheno, we don't have a Starbucks directly in my hood just yet. I imagine it's forthcoming, there's actually a PERFECT spot for it right across the street from me.

[AndiV]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 10:50am

i work in JC...it's great. were it not for my roomie and the expense of moving again, i'd consider it.

i lived in washington heights for a while as well. it was fine...and it's true about how knowing everyone makes it safe. that and the fact that many of those neighboorhoods are very faimly oriented, even though that looks culturally different than one would see in suburban America.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 12:39pm

"and I can save enough to have a car????"

But do you need a car to live comfortably in Jersey City? Many people prefer Manhattan despite the rent costs because at least they can get everywhere they need to go on foot or by train.