Transportation = $70 per month for an unlimited ride Metrocard (only in Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, doesn't get you to NJ). The transit authority is whining that they still can't meet their bills, so you can expect it to be even more than that by the time you get here.
The YMCA is run like a hotel now, long term living there is not really an option.
I live just a few blocks from NYU. The only reason I can afford it is because I live in a rent stabilized apartment. The apartment next to me is for rent. It is a 1 bedroom (the bedroom is only big enough to fit a bed). I think the owner is asking $2200 a month.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.