I need advice on where to live in New York. I'm looking for a good combination of cheap/safe/and close by to NYU's PT School! HELP PLEASE!
Housing in New York
- Thread starter Kray
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It is hard to find cheap in NY and especially by NYU. How cheap are you looking?
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The NYU area is pretty safe, however there are no cheap places in NYC unless you live way uptown or in the other boroughs. Also depends on what you think is "cheap"...
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In NYC you pay what you get for... cheap usually goes along with shady. 
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I agree with the rest. Try downtown Brooklyn, which is just a 15-20 min train ride to NYU. Or queens. Unless you want to live with 10 people or in a closet (literally), I wouldn't put "cheap" and "the city" in the same sentence.
I would go with Astoria, Queens. I lived there for two years before moving closer to Columbia because the commute was killing me.
The rent for a one bdrm is on average btwn $1000-$1400 (rent in NY is at a low point right now, but back on an upswing. Now's a good time to bite). You can find a lot of no fee rentals in Astoria because there are a lot of private landlords.
The commute to NYU will consist of taking the N/R to Lex (~15 min) and transferring to the downtown 6 for a a couple of stops (~another 10 min).
Astoria is a working class neighborhood, there are a lot of immigrant families and small businesses. It is VERY safe, I never felt unsafe where I lived in Astoria (30th Ave and 35th St). Steer clear of Long Island city tho! Astoria and LIC border each other and you may see that as the prices go down, so does the safety. Astoria has great cafes, bars, a huge park, gyms, museums, a multiplex, the "shopping" street (Steinway). You can also steer clear of the Brooklyn hipsters settling neighborhoods on the verge on gentrification, or that live in insanely expensive neighborhoods like Williamsburg (which, by the way, is extremely close to NYU). LES, the East/West Village, Murray Hill (all neighborhoods close to NYU) are all going to cost you, but you should look anyway, sometimes you can find great deals (just watch the fees).
Some tips: 1) use hopstop.com to find the total commute time it takes to get to NYU from where ever you are looking to live 2) use craigslist or New York Times real estate websites (NY Times has a map that shows the location of the apts) 3) PM me if you need. I'm a native New Yorker who knows how to find apts here.
Just remember apt hunting in NY is exhausting, you need time and lots of energy to find the one that's right for you.
The rent for a one bdrm is on average btwn $1000-$1400 (rent in NY is at a low point right now, but back on an upswing. Now's a good time to bite). You can find a lot of no fee rentals in Astoria because there are a lot of private landlords.
The commute to NYU will consist of taking the N/R to Lex (~15 min) and transferring to the downtown 6 for a a couple of stops (~another 10 min).
Astoria is a working class neighborhood, there are a lot of immigrant families and small businesses. It is VERY safe, I never felt unsafe where I lived in Astoria (30th Ave and 35th St). Steer clear of Long Island city tho! Astoria and LIC border each other and you may see that as the prices go down, so does the safety. Astoria has great cafes, bars, a huge park, gyms, museums, a multiplex, the "shopping" street (Steinway). You can also steer clear of the Brooklyn hipsters settling neighborhoods on the verge on gentrification, or that live in insanely expensive neighborhoods like Williamsburg (which, by the way, is extremely close to NYU). LES, the East/West Village, Murray Hill (all neighborhoods close to NYU) are all going to cost you, but you should look anyway, sometimes you can find great deals (just watch the fees).
Some tips: 1) use hopstop.com to find the total commute time it takes to get to NYU from where ever you are looking to live 2) use craigslist or New York Times real estate websites (NY Times has a map that shows the location of the apts) 3) PM me if you need. I'm a native New Yorker who knows how to find apts here.
Just remember apt hunting in NY is exhausting, you need time and lots of energy to find the one that's right for you.
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Svfina, I saw that you got into Columbia's DPT program. Are you planning on trying to apply for housing or are you going to try one of the apts around the campus? I'm from Florida so I'm going to try to apply through student housing with the Towers/Bard..but if I don't get a spot, then I guess I"ll have to do some hunting. Any suggestions?
Sure I can help! I'm happy to help a future classmate/ fellow NY DPT student.
My husband and I went up to explore the housing in the neighborhood about a month ago, but it was cold so we didn't get a lot done. The towers look really nice from the outside. The view of the Hudson from the buildings is probably one of the best in the city because the building stands on a rock cliff that is higher than most other parts of the city (hence the neighborhood name, Washington Heights) and it overlooks the Washington Bridge. The buildings also have parking garages, but I'm not sure who they are for....hmmm. The rent is very expensive though ~$1700. For a luxury building the price is right, but I would rather live in a smaller, quirky apt.
My husband and I are looking for one bdrms ~$1200 (rent is kinda cheap up there). We are going to start getting a feel for the apts in the neighborhood the week after next (my spring break). I'll let you know what I find in our preliminary search! Oh! and we are limiting our search from 160 to 175 btwn Broadway and Riverside Dr/Haven Ave. I want to live close enough to school so that I don't have to take the subway.
We are living in Columbia Housing now, but we get kicked to the street two weeks after I graduate so I don't think we'll be able to wait for a decision from the uptown housing. If downtown housing allows us to stay until Aug 1st, and we get housing up there, I'm going to apply for 106 Haven, which is a little further up the street from the towers.
My husband and I went up to explore the housing in the neighborhood about a month ago, but it was cold so we didn't get a lot done. The towers look really nice from the outside. The view of the Hudson from the buildings is probably one of the best in the city because the building stands on a rock cliff that is higher than most other parts of the city (hence the neighborhood name, Washington Heights) and it overlooks the Washington Bridge. The buildings also have parking garages, but I'm not sure who they are for....hmmm. The rent is very expensive though ~$1700. For a luxury building the price is right, but I would rather live in a smaller, quirky apt.
My husband and I are looking for one bdrms ~$1200 (rent is kinda cheap up there). We are going to start getting a feel for the apts in the neighborhood the week after next (my spring break). I'll let you know what I find in our preliminary search! Oh! and we are limiting our search from 160 to 175 btwn Broadway and Riverside Dr/Haven Ave. I want to live close enough to school so that I don't have to take the subway.
We are living in Columbia Housing now, but we get kicked to the street two weeks after I graduate so I don't think we'll be able to wait for a decision from the uptown housing. If downtown housing allows us to stay until Aug 1st, and we get housing up there, I'm going to apply for 106 Haven, which is a little further up the street from the towers.
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Hey guys,
I might be able to help out with any questions about Columbia's housing (not the financial part, but the advantages/disadvantages). I had an apt off campus but stayed many nights on campus during late night studying/projects at Bard/Georgian/Towers/etc...
Message me
I might be able to help out with any questions about Columbia's housing (not the financial part, but the advantages/disadvantages). I had an apt off campus but stayed many nights on campus during late night studying/projects at Bard/Georgian/Towers/etc...
Message me
I lived in the East Village too. Ha ha. The East Village used to be known for it's tenements and horrible drug problem in Tompkins Square Park (The bway show Rent was set in the East Village). Now the park is really great, there's a dog run and even a playground along with a small pool for kids. Don't go in the park at night though, walk around it. St. Marks Place is the place to go out, as well as the street that leads you to the subway at Cooper Square.
The neighborhood has an idyllic and free spirited feel to it, there are some great community gardens and the artist James de la Vega has a store on St. Marks Place (his sidewalk chalk drawings are all over the city, they say things like "Become your dream"). A lot of young people live there. I loved it there, but I'm not sure I would love it as much anymore as I'm going on 30. Well... maybe it wouldn't be that hard to fall in love with it again.
There are some things that I should warn you about though. 1) The apartments are really small and expensive. 2) I lived in an apt building where half of the apts were rent controlled (meaning that a family member has lived there since before 1971). The people that lived there were interesting, to say the least. Those are the people who lived in the neighborhood during the "bad" times. So, be careful about the building you choose 3) Don't live past Ave B, Ave C gets shady. I saw a naked woman get on a bus on Ave C. Yes, this could happen anywhere, it's just more likely to happen on Ave C in the East Village!
The neighborhood has an idyllic and free spirited feel to it, there are some great community gardens and the artist James de la Vega has a store on St. Marks Place (his sidewalk chalk drawings are all over the city, they say things like "Become your dream"). A lot of young people live there. I loved it there, but I'm not sure I would love it as much anymore as I'm going on 30. Well... maybe it wouldn't be that hard to fall in love with it again.
There are some things that I should warn you about though. 1) The apartments are really small and expensive. 2) I lived in an apt building where half of the apts were rent controlled (meaning that a family member has lived there since before 1971). The people that lived there were interesting, to say the least. Those are the people who lived in the neighborhood during the "bad" times. So, be careful about the building you choose 3) Don't live past Ave B, Ave C gets shady. I saw a naked woman get on a bus on Ave C. Yes, this could happen anywhere, it's just more likely to happen on Ave C in the East Village!
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Thanks for the info! That seems to go along with what I've read elsewhere about the East Village. The bit about rent controlled apts and being careful about is something to look out for.
Where else in the city (Manhattan) would you recommend for a late twenty/early thirty something couple in the medical field look to live?
As part of a late 20s early 30s couple, if I had my pick I would love to live on the UWS in the high 70s or low 80s near the Museum of Natural History. Rent is high there though, so my second choice would be a little farther up in the 90s or low 100s (I live in the 120s now). It really depends on what you are looking for. The UWS has had quite a baby boom in the past ten years. Even still, I think that nearer to the park (Central, not Riverside) you see less of that residential part and more of the business part (shopping, restaurants, an awesome flea market, bars), which is good if you don't have a family yet but may be thinking about it. The commute to any of the downtown NYU medical buildings will take about 45 min.
Otherwise...hmm. The UES is kind of boring, I wouldn't even think of living near times square, not really into chelsea...these are all personal opinions, I'm sure others have great things to say about these neighborhoods. Tribeca, Soho, West Village and such are cool - but expensive. You may want to consider Brooklyn Heights. Whenever I've looked there it seemed expensive, but it is a really great neighborhood. you can try to get the best info you can about certain neighborhoods, but there are so many variables that you will most likely move many times before you find the right fit. Hope this helps! Gotta go study for midterms!
Otherwise...hmm. The UES is kind of boring, I wouldn't even think of living near times square, not really into chelsea...these are all personal opinions, I'm sure others have great things to say about these neighborhoods. Tribeca, Soho, West Village and such are cool - but expensive. You may want to consider Brooklyn Heights. Whenever I've looked there it seemed expensive, but it is a really great neighborhood. you can try to get the best info you can about certain neighborhoods, but there are so many variables that you will most likely move many times before you find the right fit. Hope this helps! Gotta go study for midterms!
Thanks for the info. Your opinions pretty much jive with what I've heard from other native new yorkers. I have also heard good things about park slope, although, I think at first we would want to try living in manhattan, just for the experience, if nothing else.
Wasn't so impressed with SOHO, dunno why??
Loved Tribeca, but it looks like many apts there are bigger than we can afford (ie 3-4 bedrooms at a minimum of $4000/mo). Guess ya have to pay the big bucks to be Jay Z's neighbor..haha.
Do you think the east village and UWS are relatively more quiet at night than the west village?
Good luck on your midterms!
