Housing/Living in NYC while getting a PhD

[TMB8579]

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So, I got into a program in NYC and would like to move to Manhattan in order to be closer to the school (currently living in one of the other NYC boroughs). I've noticed there are other threads that focus on different areas of the country and thought it might be a good idea if us New Yorker's (or soon to be New Yorker's) had our own thread. Any advice on locations (whether we should totally move there or avoid like the plague!) and ways to stay on a budget while living in such an expensive city are WELCOME! From what I've been reading, I should prepare to be dirt poor for the next 5-6 years, so any ideas on how to cut corners here and there (specifically in NYC) would be helpful. Thanks!

 

[NYCPsych]

congrats!
where'd you get in & what neighborhoods are you considering? 🙂

 

[PsychStudent84]

I may move into nyc as well. I heard the washington heights area is pretty cheap. Perhaps we could room together if you are looking for roommates. I am going to be a 1st year doctoral student. STill deciding between 2 schools though.

 

[psybee]

the island of manhattan is a pretty safe place to live, if expensive. above 125th street, and more so above 145th can be cheaper (as in under 2000 for a 2 bedroom). parts of the bronx brooklyn and queens are cheaper, often much much cheaper, and even if you're paying the same as in manhattan, you will usually get more space. how you feel about a particular nabe though all depends on your personality and your familiarity with urban living. to someone from the country, suburbs, or smaller (cleaner) nicer cities, many cheap and safe nabes, would look like crackdens, and they would not be happy. for someone from LA or detroit or chicago, they'll quickly see the moms with thier babies in strolers out at night and the old men hanging out on stoops and see that this neighborhood is totally fine, and start looking for the little hole in the wall joints with amazing local food.

one suggestion i would make is start reading TIMEOUT magazine, which has great info on nyc, and get in touch with students from your school to get thier thoughts on places to live. talk to a few people. i'm going to commute 1.5 hours through 2 boroughs each way because i love my nabe so much, and my apt is cheap. other would think i was insane.

good luck! i've lived here for 13 years -- pm me if you want any info.

 

[Messipsych]

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[GiantSteps]

Former Governor Elliot Spitzer's call girl Ashley Dupree was able to afford a $4,000/ month Manhattan apartment and she did not even have a college degree! So I think Ph.D. candidates living in Manhattan should be entitled to an apartment at least as nice as Ashley Dupree's!

 

[ny1020]

I live in NJ - 30 minute bus ride in - $80 a month bus pass and $1300 for a nice two-bedroom. Free parking and good prices on everything else. I think it's a great deal, but I don't pay for the monthly nyc metrocard, which can be an additional $80 per month.

My one tip is, if you're going to be in Manhattan, then I wouldn't recommend bringing your car. In fact, it will be much more of a hassle and great cost to keep it here.

If anyone has any more questions, I'm sure all of us would be happy to help!

Checking out craiglist will give you a good sense of what you can get and where....

 

[empathiosis]

Former Governor Elliot Spitzer's call girl Ashley Dupree was able to afford a $4,000/ month Manhattan apartment and she did not even have a college degree! So I think Ph.D. candidates living in Manhattan should be entitled to an apartment at least as nice as Ashley Dupree's!

I doubt that SDN'ers will be practicing the type of therapy that allowed Ms. Dupree to afford that rent however.

 

[spillsomepaint]

this is a great thread! i'll be making the move up to nyc in august, and while i am immensely excited, i'm also quite nervous. any money saving tips are immensely appreciated as i'm sure what i live on in richmond, va will be very different than what i will need in nyc.
also- is it suicide to bike around? i've only visited the city a couple of times, but in richmond we bike everywhere. i'll probably be living in grad housing my first year, and then brooklyn after that, but can people actually bike around with ease?

 

[psybee]

this is a great thread! i'll be making the move up to nyc in august, and while i am immensely excited, i'm also quite nervous. any money saving tips are immensely appreciated as i'm sure what i live on in richmond, va will be very different than what i will need in nyc.
also- is it suicide to bike around? i've only visited the city a couple of times, but in richmond we bike everywhere. i'll probably be living in grad housing my first year, and then brooklyn after that, but can people actually bike around with ease?

i can't bike, but my freinds in brooklyn bike everywhere. manhattan can be more tricky, but lots do it. always wear a helmet. be very careful, people are *****s and on thier cellphones and even though they are the one with the car and should mind that responsibility, the onus really is on you to protect yourself. bike culture can be very strong here -- there is critical mass, where biking activists swarm the streets every month (and critical ***, where they do it in thier underwear). i have heard biking over bklyn bridge is awesome. there is great biking, i have also heard in floyd bennet field (bklyn) and jacob riis (queens).

the best way to save $ here is to cook (and do happy hour -- check out myopenbar.com for listings of open bars events day by day in nyc😉). the chinese kitchen, by deh-ta hsiung is great and will introduce non-chinese folks to the (inexpensive!) glory of the produce and goods in the chinese markets and provides all sorts of delicious recipies. i can easily make an amazing dinner for 2 in under 5$ with leftovers. for me, learning about chinese, indian and other ethnic cuisines, with thier respective markets whose price and freshness puts supermarkets in the dust, really helps to keep costs down, and of course introduces you to new cultures.

 

[ny1020]

Another thing I thought of is that for those of you who have come to depend on discount stores like Target, Wal-mart, Costco, etc. won't find them in Manhattan. So you'll need to go to Jersey or the boroughs to access them.

 

[TMB8579]

congrats!
where'd you get in & what neighborhoods are you considering? 🙂

Thanks for the congrats! I'm going to CUNY's Clinical program (which I still can't believe! 🙂).

I'm thinking about moving there w/my partner. The areas I'm considering are west Harlem and Washington Heights (super close to the campus and rent is lower than the rest of the island). The only real concern I have is safety - I keep hearing bad things about these areas. I just don't want to regret having moved there mid-way through my 1st year and then having to look for a place somewhere else. Can anyone whose lived around there tell me whether the danger is real or just prejudice based on the populations that live there?

 

[psybee]

i lived in west harlem back in 2003-2004. i am a short white girl who dresses funky (lots of neon and vintage and sequins) and i stood out so much, but i didn't have any problems, and i lived directly across and next to the projects. i moved because the rent went up, among other issues, but not due to the nabe itself. i am very friendly, and got to know the neighbors, kept my $ in the nabe and became a regular at places (mannas soul food steam table for to go food, sylvias, lenox lounge, m&g diner, and there is tons of new stuff i'm not as familiar with) and it was fine. once and a while i'd get a touch of animosity due to the impact of gentrification, and i was a gentrifier, of course, so i understood, and it was just folks loudly complaining in the booth next to me or something. no big deal and rare. when i was going out really late and dressed really differently, i would take a car home, but that may have not been necesary. washingtion heights is really nice too, and both areas have lotsof culture, great food, and shopping, and the express trains there are awesome. also, i love ihop and they have one. yum.

also the salvation army in e harlem on 125th is pretty great, and the harlem marshalls is where i get all my fancy skin/bath stuff for super cheap.

congrats on cuny -- it's an awesome program!

Thanks for the congrats! I'm going to CUNY's Clinical program (which I still can't believe! 🙂).

I'm thinking about moving there w/my partner. The areas I'm considering are west Harlem and Washington Heights (super close to the campus and rent is lower than the rest of the island). The only real concern I have is safety - I keep hearing bad things about these areas. I just don't want to regret having moved there mid-way through my 1st year and then having to look for a place somewhere else. Can anyone whose lived around there tell me whether the danger is real or just prejudice based on the populations that live there?

 

[sweetrelief]

I am moving out to Brooklyn at the beginning of August. When do you think it will be reasonable to go out there and look for apartments? I live pretty far away from there right now. Also, I have been keeping my eye on craigslist for a general sense of prices in certain areas. Any other suggestions of places to look?

 

[psybee]

I am moving out to Brooklyn at the beginning of August. When do you think it will be reasonable to go out there and look for apartments? I live pretty far away from there right now. Also, I have been keeping my eye on craigslist for a general sense of prices in certain areas. Any other suggestions of places to look?

are you trying to find your own apartment, or find a room? if you are willing to pay a brokers fee for your own apt (1 month rent, usually) and have 1st, last, and security, you can find a place pretty quickly. go to the areas you are interested in and you are likely to see many brokers offices. I found my current apt through a broker in one day, moved in next month. apts are usually not available to see til about a month or so before the are open, and competition can be fierce. you usually need to show proof of income and do a credit check. if you will need a cosigner, have that all lined up so things can move smoothly. if you are going this route, give yourself a week or long weekend, contact brokers via phone, first and do it a month or so before you'd move in. i have heard "rapid realty" has low/no fees.

craigslist for non-fee is great, but harder to find. the easiest if to find a room in someone elses place. brooklyn is full of great neighborhoods, some more expensive and chi chi than others. it's all a balance of what you want from a nabe with how much $ you are willing to spend.

where are you going to school? some nabes in brooklyn will be really close to certain express lines, so even if you're at fordham or rutgers, the commute may be long but pretty painless, other areas combined with schools are a pain in the butt (like living in williamsburg or greenpoint and going to LIU).

 

[HTS25]

Hey everyone!

I've lived in NYC for the past 3 years and I'm staying here for my PhD. I love it here so congrats to everyone who is moving here!!

I live on the Upper East Side in the 80's on 2nd Ave. The further east you go (away from the subway) and the further north you go the cheaper the rent tends to be. This area is definitely more expensive than Harlem or Washington Heights but there are some buildings with pretty good deals. I would definitely suggest getting roommates because it's going to be pretty expensive to find a studio/one bedroom.

Lots of my friends are moving out to Brooklyn recently...Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Cobble Hill are pretty popular neighborhoods and you'll definitely get a LOT more space than you will in Manhattan.

Definitely check out the no-fee apartments on Craigslist...broker fees tend to be 15% of the year's rent so avoid one if possible!! Sometimes people list apartments under "no fee" but they're really not, so be sure to ask.

Okay that was really long...feel free to PM me if you want. Where is everyone going to school?

 

[psybee]

just thought of this -- a great place to get affordable but super sturdy kitchen stuff is in the bowery at resturant supply stores. i have gotten great sturdy glassware there.

here3's an awesome article by mark bittman (whose cookbooks are awesome, btw) on building a complete cookware rig for around $300 at resturant supply stores).

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/d...2400&en=2e284eeb54d96d4f&ei=5087 &oref=slogin

 

[Thrak]

Hey everyone!

I live on the Upper East Side in the 80's on 2nd Ave. The further east you go (away from the subway) and the further north you go the cheaper the rent tends to be.

Wait, you mean there's no subway on 2nd ave?

 

[HTS25]

Wait, you mean there's no subway on 2nd ave?

Very funny! Maybe 10 years from now they'll finish that up. I'm going to keep my apartment until then!

 

[Ng269722]

hey everyone,


i was just wondering if anyone has any input on either Teachers College Columbia or NYU's Counseling Ph.D programs?

I have been accepted to a masters in mental health counseling at both institutions and plan on continuing into a ph.d program. I can't decide on either school and i am just looking for any type of feedback (financial, location, personal experiences etc)

thank you!

 

[spillsomepaint]

If you aware of any research interests you might have now, I would try to pick a school based on the faculty they have. Also look into what type of aid is offered by the schools at the phd level.
and i did read somewhere on the board a while ago that columbia has had some trouble with its accreditation. but that's all i know about that.