Housing for NYC residents

[banannie]

I always thought I'd like to go to NYC for residency. But after spending a couple of years in a spacious house in North Carolina, I think it would be hard to adjust to living in a hole in Manhattan that costs 2-3 times as much. While I'm willing to trade in some domestic comforts for the chance to live in new york, my husband-to-be is not very fond of the idea for several reasons.

So what kind of married-people housing do these residencies have available, and at what prices? Where can I find such information (I don't apply until next year)???? And, does this housing allow you to have a cat?

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[robotsonic]

So what kind of married-people housing do these residencies have available, and at what prices? Where can I find such information (I don't apply until next year)???? And, does this housing allow you to have a cat?

If you have been living in a large house for the past few years, a NYC apartment may be a bit of a shock... but in my biased opinion that is more than compensated for by what NYC offers.
Not all residency programs offer housing, although a few have very nice housing (most notably Cornell, which guarantees very nice subsidized housing right next to the hospital on the upper east side). For those that do, you are probably looking at paying about $1400 per month for a 1-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. Take a deep breath; I know it's shocking. The residency salaries are higher in NYC to make up for this, and you honestly just get used to it, since everyone you know is also paying outrageous prices for their tiny apartments. The programs outside of Manhattan tend to have much cheaper housing - if you are willing to live in the uppermost region of the Bronx for Einstein, housing is just $400 a month. Needless to say, the location kind of sucks. In Manhattan, if your program does not offer subsidized housing, you will probably pay $1600 to $2200 for an ok one-bedroom (as it is Manhattan, there is really no upper limit to the rents on apartments, but I'm assuming you aren't doing hedge funds in your spare time). The subsidized housing offered by some programs is almost always cheaper, larger, and in a better location than what you will be able to find on your own. To get better deals, you will have to leave Manhattan, but then your commute can become prohibitively long.

It is very easy to have cats in NYC. Even if they aren't technically allowed, cats aren't really the noisy types that upset the neighbors, so it's pretty easy to keep cats with no problems. Many residents have dogs, too. It won't really be a problem to have cats. I've got 2 of them in my apartment.

 

[GoPistons]

you will be fine... most programs have housing...

St. Lukes... Cornell... Montefiore... NYU... Mt. Sinai... Columbia... Winthrop all have housing that varies by price, location, quality...

Better housing can get you a 1 BR from $1000-1500k/mo.

I haven't seen 1 BR housing at any program for more than 2k/mo.

The cheapest housing I have ever seen is Winthrop and Sloan Kettering... substantially less than 1k/mo.

anyway, yes you will take a substantial hit in terms of size of the place you will live... also, NYC has high local and state income taxes... but residencies here also have higher salaries... you will save some money by not needing a car i.e. paying for insurance/gas...

don't expect that you will save much money during those residency years... but you will definitely have enough money to enjoy manhattan...

 

[toughlife]

how about living in New jersey or the bronx and commuting to manhattan?
is that possible at all?

 

[trotter]

Is anyone aware of how housing compares in Brooklyn versus Manhattan/NYC?

Furthermore, how is it living in Brooklyn compared to NYC? I've heard that the former has become almost as interesting a place to live as the latter (although I've never been to Brooklyn, and only to Manhattan once).

thanks

 

[jc237]

Is anyone aware of how housing compares in Brooklyn versus Manhattan/NYC?

Furthermore, how is it living in Brooklyn compared to NYC? I've heard that the former has become almost as interesting a place to live as the latter (although I've never been to Brooklyn, and only to Manhattan once).

thanks

Brooklyn Hts is definitely a hopping place to live since it's 1-2 subway stops from downtown Manhattan, with of course a great view of it if you life in an apartment that faces it. The area is right by the water. Nice restaurants, bars, lots of subway stops, and a NYSC. The rent here is comparable to Manhattan's, perhaps just a tad cheaper. I heard Park Slope ain't too bad either, but the Hts is definitely a better place to live, IMO. They got brownstones in these places that cost several million dollars, so you know these areas ain't too bad. But the commute from Brooklyn might be too far if you're doing your residency in one of the big hospitals in Manhattan.

 

[Retinamark]

I'm moving to NYC in July for a fellowship & have been looking online at apartments. Craigslist.com is good, but not many of the ads have pictures. Can anyone reocmmend a good website to look for rental apartments that has lots of pictures.

 

[jadedbearsprite]

For those who either won't be going to be a program that offers subsidized housing or are going to look for housing on their own, be aware of the "apartment broker." NYC is unique in that even though you are just looking to rent, the majority of apartment buildings don't allow you just to walk right up and rent. They have a broker company or individual broker through whom they show apartments through and sign lease agreements. therefore, in addition to the first month's rent and security deposit, there is also a broker's fee, which is usually a percentage based on the monthly rent. Otherwords, not only is the rent expensive, but so is getting in in the first place. In addition, some landlords demand that if the renter does not have an annual income 40x the monthly rent, then there must be a guarantor/cosigner who makes annually ~70-80x the monthly rent. And some landlords stipulate that the guarantor needs to live in the city or at least in the tristate area (NY/NY/CT). It's been a couple years since I looked for a new apartment, so things may have changed drastically, but from what I hear, this is still how things work in the rental business of NYC. Just a heads up.

 

[eyestar]

Also, never sign a lease without looking at the apt. Some ads give great descriptions but when u see it, it will be really crappy. Utilities may not be included and most of the apts. don't have laundry facilities in the building.
Location wise, its cheaper to live in brooklyn compared to manhattan-commuting from brooklyn-manhattan is not that bad.
I personally like living in manhattan (lots of bars)- so paid $1400 for a small 1BDR. So it really depends on what u want.