For current and future Yeshiva students

[201792]

Hello,

I'll be moving to New York in the summer to attend Yeshiva U.
I have 2 questions:
1. Did anyone get any acceptance packet? because I didn't.
2. Can anyone suggest a neighborhood to look for apartments in? I am interested in a decent "affordable" apartment so I guess that rules Manhattan out... Any nice neighborhoods in the Bronx?

Thanks a lot!

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[psybee]

Hello,

I'll be moving to New York in the summer to attend Yeshiva U.
I have 2 questions:
1. Did anyone get any acceptance packet? because I didn't.
2. Can anyone suggest a neighborhood to look for apartments in? I am interested in a decent "affordable" apartment so I guess that rules Manhattan out... Any nice neighborhoods in the Bronx?

Thanks a lot!

I Pm'ed you with more info but for our fellow YU students:

I just got an acceptance letter -- no packet like the other schools. Apparently something will be coming in the mail, though I know not when.

http://www.aecommunity.com/public/cgi-bin/main.cgi?page=features_main

is a Albert Einstein website (we are on thier campus, and the PhD is a joint program) with lots of helpful info about the area. I've visited and found it safe and nice.

 

[pinknyyy]

Hi! I'm going to be at Yeshiva too.. And nope no packages. But it would be nice before we like.. register and whatnot...

You might try upper east side... like wayyyy up there. Riverdale is nice but most of the Bronx isn't exactly known for being safe.

Haha see ya at orientation!

 

[Andy10]

I currently work in the building where Ferkauf is located, and I can tell you that the area right around the school is actually a very safe and nice neighborhood, with well priced apartments. The Bronx gets a bad rap, but many parts of it are much safer than peope imagine. That being said, part of it is personal preference and depends on where you grew up and what type of area makes you feel safe. In terms of a cheap apartment, you might also think about looking in Queens. Astoria is a very nice area which is generally significantly cheaper than the city.

 

[pinknyyy]

Well no not all of the Bronx is bad but... a lot of it is.

And Astoria might be a bit of a commute. I know I'm not looking forward to my commute from Queens next year.

 

[Andy10]

I don't know, maybe I'm just biased because I work here, but I hate perpetuating assumptions about the Bronx, especially because I work in the clinic above Ferkauf (not associated with the school) and we mainly service the Bronx population. They are great people who get stereotyped a lot because of where they come from. There are some unsafe areas in the Bronx, but there are unsafe areas in Manhattan too.

Astoria is a bit of a commute, but it's not too bad if you take the N across to 59th street and then catch the express bus up to the Bronx...about 45 minutes. It depends on whether you value a cheap apartment or a short commute more.

 

[psybee]

i agree w/ andy. i also work in the bronx, and while there are some bad areas, many of those are improving, and lots and lots of neighborhoods are fine. they just don't get much notice because they aren't destination neighborhoods (with the exception of arthur avenue and city island), like lots of areas in queens and brooklyn, both of which are places i love to hang out because there is so much going on (Pinknyyy -- are you a queens-ite? it's the most delicious borough ever. love astoria, flushing, jackson heights, sunnyside, lic, etc).

you can totally find a cheap, safe apt in the bronx, but it may be in a quiet middle or working class area that is not as diverse as some other areas. me, i love having awesome cafes, cocktail bars, and resturants -- indian, japanese, malaysian, 6 types of south american, several types of american, french, austrian, thai, chinese (several provences represented), belgian, english, turkish, i could go on and on -- within a 10 minute walk from my apt in brooklyn, as well as all my pals close by, so i'll be commuting. if i was moving to ny to go to yeshiva and had fewer ties and was less spoiled (and had an espresso maker at home so i could make my own fancy coffee if there are no cafes or starbucks) i'd look several areas of the bronx.

 

[psybee]

Hi! I'm going to be at Yeshiva too.. And nope no packages. But it would be nice before we like.. register and whatnot...

do you know when you register? i know we're in different programs, but looking at the academic calendar, it looks soon. then again, 1st year courses may just be set, and attended by only 1st years, so maybe there's no worry about getting closed out of classes like undergrad.

they've been updating the site, and now there's a big list of class descriptions for all the programs. exciting!

 

[201792]

I came across this website and thought it could be useful for others:
www.trips123.com

 

[pinknyyy]

I'm registering May 22nd at our orientation... I'm not sure about what other programs are doing though!

Another good site like that is www.hopstop.com ... it gets me where I need to be! lol

And yes I am from Queens and I used to go to HS in the Bronx so that is where my bias comes from. Not gonna deny that there are definately places all over the city where I do not feel safe though.

 

[psychipt81]

I'm not going to be in ny for orientation, so I guess I will be registering through the mail. I live in uws now but am moving to long island city over the summer...the commute is a little long but like the others, i need to come home to lots of dif food and caffeine.

 

[pinknyyy]

Did you get your advisors yet? One of mine is psychoanalytic... I have a feeling we won't be working together for long. I got my fill of Freud/etc. in undergrad thank you very much.

 

[psybee]

just got my letter -- orientation the 28th. hooray!!!!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Did you get your advisors yet? One of mine is psychoanalytic... I have a feeling we won't be working together for long. I got my fill of Freud/etc. in undergrad thank you very much.

My common warning about Freud and his followers is that what you learn in undergrad and what you learn in grad school can be very different. Analytic work in particular is something you may hear of in undergrad, but may be very different (or absent) from grad work, while other dynamic flavors are more prevalent and much better supported in the literature (in comparison).

 

[lazza]

Hi Guys,

Sorry to invade your thread but I am an incoming med student from Denver starting at Einstein this August, and you guys are some of the few that are talking about actually commuting to AECOM.

I think most of the med students are living in the on site accommodation, but I am married and we have pets, so living there is not an option for my wife and I.

I was wondering how practical you think that commuting to Einstein is, and how you guys are planning to get there (public transport, car?)

We have been looking at getting an apartment in Harlem or the UES and I was thinking of commuting via the 2 or 5 subway to 180th and taking the bus. Or getting the 5 or 6 to (close-ish to) the school. As much as I would like to keep a car I just don't think that the cost is practical on med student budget (my wife works of course, but wont make enough to really support me that much).

Would it be it possible to live in other boroughs than manhattan/bronx? For example you guys mention Astoria, which seems like a nice area, and Brooklyn:

"And yes I am from Queens and I used to go to HS in the Bronx so that is where my bias comes from."

OR:

"within a 10 minute walk from my apt in brooklyn, as well as all my pals close by, so i'll be commuting."

How would you commute? I see someone else mention the subway/express bus from Astoria ("take the N across to 59th street and then catch the express bus up to the Bronx") but that would be $2 + $5 each way per day, no? That is $280 a month if you commute every day, which is a bit steep....and the express bus is not covered by a monthly transit card, right?

How would you recommend getting from Queens/Brooklyn to the Bronx? By car I assume as getting the subway from (for example) Astoria to midtown, then getting another subway to the Bronx and then a bus to the school sounds completely impractical?

How practical is it to own a car in NYC?

Any help or advice would be *really* appreciated!

Thanks so much!

 

[lazza]

Oh - I do see that you can get a "7 day express bus plus metrocard" for $41 a week, so that it $160 a month. It is still steep, but not quite as bad : )

Again - any advice would be really appreciated!

Thanks guys!

 

[psybee]

Hi Guys,

Sorry to invade your thread but I am an incoming med student from Denver starting at Einstein this August, and you guys are some of the few that are talking about actually commuting to AECOM.

I think most of the med students are living in the on site accommodation, but I am married and we have pets, so living there is not an option for my wife and I.

I was wondering how practical you think that commuting to Einstein is, and how you guys are planning to get there (public transport, car?)

We have been looking at getting an apartment in Harlem or the UES and I was thinking of commuting via the 2 or 5 subway to 180th and taking the bus. Or getting the 5 or 6 to (close-ish to) the school. As much as I would like to keep a car I just don't think that the cost is practical on med student budget (my wife works of course, but wont make enough to really support me that much).

Would it be it possible to live in other boroughs than manhattan/bronx? For example you guys mention Astoria, which seems like a nice area, and Brooklyn:

"And yes I am from Queens and I used to go to HS in the Bronx so that is where my bias comes from."

OR:

"within a 10 minute walk from my apt in brooklyn, as well as all my pals close by, so i'll be commuting."

How would you commute? I see someone else mention the subway/express bus from Astoria ("take the N across to 59th street and then catch the express bus up to the Bronx") but that would be $2 + $5 each way per day, no? That is $280 a month if you commute every day, which is a bit steep....and the express bus is not covered by a monthly transit card, right?

How would you recommend getting from Queens/Brooklyn to the Bronx? By car I assume as getting the subway from (for example) Astoria to midtown, then getting another subway to the Bronx and then a bus to the school sounds completely impractical?

How practical is it to own a car in NYC?

Any help or advice would be *really* appreciated!

Thanks so much!

i live in brooklyn, and it'll be a 1.5 hr commute each way for me, but as i've said in other posts, i have my reasons for staying in the BK. i'll take the subway -- the 5. for me, i take a local train 3 stops, like 5 minutes, and then transfer to the 5, and it's a straight shot. long, but i'll get a seat, and a monthly subway card is $81 bucks. it's a 10 minute walk from the 5 to campus -- unless the weather is really awful or you have bad knees or something, there is no need to take a bus from the 5.

transferring bunches of trains and buses is a pain, but as long as you keep subway lines in mind when you look at neighborhoods, there is no reason you have to transfer, or transfer more than once. i and other posters have posted links to subway trip planners -- those may be helpful.

you can definately live closer and have a shorter commute. feel free to pm me, but there are lots of less expensive (in NYC terms) nabes. ones that are closer to AECOM are many parts of the bronx,of course (morris park is nice, as are other bronx nabes. i am not an expert on the bronx, but the areas i've been in and like are cute family type nabes -- not hip, not a lot of bistros and boutiques like you'd get in brooklyn and manhattan and parts of queens, but safe and not expensive). east and west harlem and the UES are also more affordable parts of The City and will not be a bad commute.

i have many ties, social and $$ to brooklyn so i'm staying here, but if i were moving i'd totally look at living in the bronx. you're going to be at school all the time anyway, so why not let your money go to a bigger nicer apartment, since the bronx is more affordable, and let your time be spent, well, not on the subway. just my 2 cents.

i don't like the express bus because i get really carsick, and if i'm going to be on transportation that long, i want to get some reading done. also, it may be called expresss, but you are still subject to manhattan traffic, which can be a nightmare. but it is very comfortable (especially if it doesn't make you sick -- then you can go to sleep on it!), a/c, clean, and more civilized than the subway, and i know lots of folks who like those buses. as you have discovered, it's about 2x as expensive as the subway pass.

i don't drive. like, i never have. you don't need to here. BUT if you live in the bronx or the right nabe not in manhattan, it may be worth it. be warned, parking can be a bee, traffic may rob you of all altruistic motivations, and insurance in NYC is some of the highest in the country. people i know who have cars to travel between outer boroughs seems to find it most worthwhile -- like if you decide to live in riverdale in the bronx (nice area!) or somewhere in queens. but listen to others over me. my BF drives and manhattan driving makes him very unhappy. at the same time, 1/2 my friends keeps cars (all live in BK) so there must be something to it.

congrats on med schoo!

 

[pinknyyy]

t4c -- You might be right. But I have spent a number of classes with the old head of the NYU clinical program head as my professor. And I didn't enjoy it. I'll listen to it... but I deffinatley dont buy it all.

 

[psybee]

never mind -- gossiping is bad karma

 

[lazza]

i live in brooklyn, and it'll be a 1.5 hr commute each way for me, but as i've said in other posts, i have my reasons for staying in the BK. i'll take the subway -- the 5. for me, i take a local train 3 stops, like 5 minutes, and then transfer to the 5, and it's a straight shot. long, but i'll get a seat, and a monthly subway card is $81 bucks. it's a 10 minute walk from the 5 to campus -- unless the weather is really awful or you have bad knees or something, there is no need to take a bus from the 5.

transferring bunches of trains and buses is a pain, but as long as you keep subway lines in mind when you look at neighborhoods, there is no reason you have to transfer, or transfer more than once. i and other posters have posted links to subway trip planners -- those may be helpful.

you can definately live closer and have a shorter commute. feel free to pm me, but there are lots of less expensive (in NYC terms) nabes. ones that are closer to AECOM are many parts of the bronx,of course (morris park is nice, as are other bronx nabes. i am not an expert on the bronx, but the areas i've been in and like are cute family type nabes -- not hip, not a lot of bistros and boutiques like you'd get in brooklyn and manhattan and parts of queens, but safe and not expensive). east and west harlem and the UES are also more affordable parts of The City and will not be a bad commute.

i have many ties, social and $$ to brooklyn so i'm staying here, but if i were moving i'd totally look at living in the bronx. you're going to be at school all the time anyway, so why not let your money go to a bigger nicer apartment, since the bronx is more affordable, and let your time be spent, well, not on the subway. just my 2 cents.

i don't like the express bus because i get really carsick, and if i'm going to be on transportation that long, i want to get some reading done. also, it may be called expresss, but you are still subject to manhattan traffic, which can be a nightmare. but it is very comfortable (especially if it doesn't make you sick -- then you can go to sleep on it!), a/c, clean, and more civilized than the subway, and i know lots of folks who like those buses. as you have discovered, it's about 2x as expensive as the subway pass.

i don't drive. like, i never have. you don't need to here. BUT if you live in the bronx or the right nabe not in manhattan, it may be worth it. be warned, parking can be a bee, traffic may rob you of all altruistic motivations, and insurance in NYC is some of the highest in the country. people i know who have cars to travel between outer boroughs seems to find it most worthwhile -- like if you decide to live in riverdale in the bronx (nice area!) or somewhere in queens. but listen to others over me. my BF drives and manhattan driving makes him very unhappy. at the same time, 1/2 my friends keeps cars (all live in BK) so there must be something to it.

congrats on med schoo!

Thanks for the advice!

Yes - I will definitely be looking in the Bronx too, just that it is not only me who will be living in NY, my wife has to live and work there too so I am considering the overall lifestyle. I do not mind commuting to school if we live in a somewhat more interesting area and it seems that, as you mentioned, Manhattan and some of the other boroughs may have a little more going on than the section of BX where AECOM is situated (especially since we very likely will not have a car).

I am not really considering the express bus too seriously - $80 a month fits in my budget much better than $160!

That is good to know that it is 10 mins walk from the 5 to the school - I got the subway to my interview at AECOM but ended up getting a bus from morris park stop because I did not know where I was going! Do you know what kind of walk it would be from the Parkchester stop (on the 6) to Einstein?

Thanks for the help - it will definitely help me work out what my options are going to be, and good luck with the coming year!

 

[psybee]

Thanks for the advice!

Yes - I will definitely be looking in the Bronx too, just that it is not only me who will be living in NY, my wife has to live and work there too so I am considering the overall lifestyle. I do not mind commuting to school if we live in a somewhat more interesting area and it seems that, as you mentioned, Manhattan and some of the other boroughs may have a little more going on than the section of BX where AECOM is situated (especially since we very likely will not have a car).

I am not really considering the express bus too seriously - $80 a month fits in my budget much better than $160!

That is good to know that it is 10 mins walk from the 5 to the school - I got the subway to my interview at AECOM but ended up getting a bus from morris park stop because I did not know where I was going! Do you know what kind of walk it would be from the Parkchester stop (on the 6) to Einstein?

Thanks for the help - it will definitely help me work out what my options are going to be, and good luck with the coming year!

i'm glad to help! i'm not sure about the 6 -- i'd say ask an mta customer service rep, but i had asked the booth person when i got off off the 5 if i could walk, and he looked at me like i was crazy. i decided to anyway and lo it was just a short and pleasant distance away. lets you pass by italian bakeries/coffee shops on the way to school, which i know i will frequent come the fall. this is why i like to walk whenever possible -- to eat the tasty pasteries.

i posted on this thread a link to a "surviving at AECOM" site, which is actually made for y'all but is useful for us as well. i'm not sure, but there must be contact info for current AECOM students, and hopefully they can give you some of thier expereince.

 

[pinknyyy]

I just looked at the map... it looks a bit far from the 6... the 5 is definitely a better choice.

 

[lazza]

Thanks again guys,

Yeah - the 5 looks like a much better option, though unfortunately the 5 does not seem to stop on the UES or East Harlem (at least according to google maps) It stops at 86th and then 125th streets.

How is transferring on the subway? What about non peak times? Obviously life is easier the less transfers involved, but if I transfer it makes more areas in central Harlem and the UES practical (i.e. I could take the 2 or the 6 and then transfer to the 5).

 

[psybee]

Thanks again guys,

Yeah - the 5 looks like a much better option, though unfortunately the 5 does not seem to stop on the UES or East Harlem (at least according to google maps) It stops at 86th and then 125th streets.

How is transferring on the subway? What about non peak times? Obviously life is easier the less transfers involved, but if I transfer it makes more areas in central Harlem and the UES practical (i.e. I could take the 2 or the 6 and then transfer to the 5).

actually, 125th is part of east harlem, as 86th is a part of the UES. (the farther east and up you go, the cheaper it is, but of course then there is more of a walk to/from the train)

regardless, one transfer, especially in the very beginning part of your trip, shouldn't be a big deal. i'm not sure how the transfer from the 2 to the 5 is, but some of the transfer points from the 6 to the 5 are even on the same platform - get off the train on one side and wait for your express on the other. shouldn't be a problem either way. it's good to think of all these things now, but don't put too much pressure on yourself to find the perfect place all the way from denver. you can only prepare yourself so much for living in NYC without actually living here. you may get a sweet place right off the 86th street stop near great cafes and whatnot, and then fall in love with carroll gardens in brooklyn, or flushing, queens, and be on the train with me for like a zillion hours.

 

[lazza]

actually, 125th is part of east harlem, as 86th is a part of the UES. (the farther east and up you go, the cheaper it is, but of course then there is more of a walk to/from the train)

regardless, one transfer, especially in the very beginning part of your trip, shouldn't be a big deal. i'm not sure how the transfer from the 2 to the 5 is, but some of the transfer points from the 6 to the 5 are even on the same platform - get off the train on one side and wait for your express on the other. shouldn't be a problem either way. it's good to think of all these things now, but don't put too much pressure on yourself to find the perfect place all the way from denver. you can only prepare yourself so much for living in NYC without actually living here. you may get a sweet place right off the 86th street stop near great cafes and whatnot, and then fall in love with carroll gardens in brooklyn, or flushing, queens, and be on the train with me for like a zillion hours.

Yeah, makes sense!

I was just trying to some of this information in my head while I am still here (with easy access to the internet : ) I am sure it will all change once I get out there, but at least I know where to start looking.

I am planning to move out about a month before school starts so I hopefully have time to find a place and get a bit settled before school starts. I know that trying to rent in NY can be a bitch.

Thanks for your help guys! It is always good to ask the locals about this kinda stuff!

 

[psybee]

Yeah, makes sense!

I was just trying to some of this information in my head while I am still here (with easy access to the internet : ) I am sure it will all change once I get out there, but at least I know where to start looking.

I am planning to move out about a month before school starts so I hopefully have time to find a place and get a bit settled before school starts. I know that trying to rent in NY can be a bitch.

Thanks for your help guys! It is always good to ask the locals about this kinda stuff!

no prob! remember us fondly when you are an MD and are collaborating with a PhD!

 

[psybee]

i thought there was a new york thread, but i can't find it so i'm posting this here -- a funny, often blue, and very often true thread on yelp.com about what people wish they had known before moving to new york:

http://www.yelp.com/topic/new-york-things-you-should-have-been-told-before-you-moved-to-nyc