Touro NY class of 2013 (HOUSING)

[sQuissh]

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Basically, I know that the cost of living in NY is really high, but if anyone knows of good locations around school or is looking to room together... I'm sure there are many of us in the same boat... 😀

 

[Sparda29]

I'd recommend Astoria, Queens. Really nice vibrant neighborhood, about 20 minutes away by bus.

 

[fugm]

Basically, I know that the cost of living in NY is really high, but if anyone knows of good locations around school or is looking to room together... I'm sure there are many of us in the same boat... 😀

agreed. lets start a class thread.

 

[optimistic01]

count me in.

I'm on the westcoast, and not really familiar with NYC. I know rent is killer out there, but I'd like to live in the city.

 

[xshooshix]

count me in.

I'm on the westcoast, and not really familiar with NYC. I know rent is killer out there, but I'd like to live in the city.

Try the upper east side or upper west side. I lived on the UES for a summer and I hated it. The subway route blows on the upper east side end, and switching to cross to the west side is takes a little time as far as commuting is concerned. Like Sparda has mentioned, Astoria is the place to be, and rent is really not bad. At the time I lived there, anything above W or E 125 st. was considered bad. My friends now tell me that everything has changed and there are some people living over the 100s because rent is slightly cheaper.

I used to live in a decent sized 1 Bedroom between Delancy and Grand. It was borderline Chinatown/Lower East Side. Groceries and produce was really cheap (compared to prices in the city), and I basically lived off $1 dumplings everyday. Chinatown is a good walk to SoHo if you're into shopping. There's no tax on clothes under $100... and from one Californian to another, you'll probably find yourself molding with the rest of crowd (always in a hurry, want things expedited). At the time, (three years ago) rent was 1550. Who knows how much rent costs now, anyway good luck apartment hunting.

A word of advice (assuming you're a woman) don't take the J train at night, if you happen to take it one day.

 

[phenhamenal]

Ok so does anyone know how much we have to pay Touro before we actually start classes? I remember Dr. G-patterson told us that we would have already paid 1/2 of our year's tuition before we actually start classes..is that true?

Also, on the acceptance letter she said that there will be 2 more deposits and other info. I just want to know all this before hand because my dad is loaning me some money and i need to give him the exact amount.

p.s. all this is making me so nervous..yet soo excited!!

Cant wait to meet you all in person!

 

[Transformer]

Ok so does anyone know how much we have to pay Touro before we actually start classes? I remember Dr. G-patterson told us that we would have already paid 1/2 of our year's tuition before we actually start classes..is that true?

Also, on the acceptance letter she said that there will be 2 more deposits and other info. I just want to know all this before hand because my dad is loaning me some money and i need to give him the exact amount.

p.s. all this is making me so nervous..yet soo excited!!

Cant wait to meet you all in person!

Yes, other than the 1st deposit, we do have 2 more deposits to pay before we start school.

1st deposit due April 20th: $2,000
2nd deposit due???????: $2,000
3rd deposit due???????: $2,000

A Total of $6,000 in deposit is collected before class starts.

I'm not sure how much tuition is due...I imagine federal, private, and personal loans will pick up a big chunk of the tuition.

 

[phenhamenal]

Thank you! I just needed that clarification!

 

[Soon2BPharmD]

Newbie here from the West Coast...
Just got accepted to Touro as well.
I'm looking into places close enough to walk or bike, since I'll be leaving my car behind (or selling it to make the crazy $2000 deposits).
I'm considering share apts in Harlem, Morningside, or Upper West Side.
What do the established students here think? How large of a radius could I shop without worrying about being late to class in the middle of a blizzard?
Also, a college friend asked me to room with him far south and over the river in Jersey City. Feasible?

 

[sQuissh]

i think jersey is kind of far to commute every day. i too am looking for something really close to campus or maybe astoria because it's only a 20 min subway ride and a bit cheaper....

the best thing i found so far is $2300 for a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom, all utilities included apartment in east harlem... prob only 10ish blocks from campus... and 3 blocks away from the 4,5,and 6 trains... it's pretty small but if any of you girls wanna room together let me know and we can check it out...

there's a few apartments in that building for rent at the same price... if anyone else is looking.👍

 

[sQuissh]

oh, and does anyone know exactly what day school will start this year? i'm moving from the west coast... hehe.

 

[onehot]

Try Downtown Manhattan as someone mentioned before..Chinatown, Soho, Greenwich Village; certain parts of these areas have cheap rent and public transportation is easily accessible...The community is very diverse and vibrant; lots of resturants, bars, and things to do...

Brooklyn is also not too far to the school, a lot of good places to live without breaking the bank. I live in Brooklyn; Sheepshead Bay area to be exact and it only takes me about an hour to get to the school via the B train..The commute in the mornings are usually very smooth and expedited...

The location of Touro is pretty central..Don't be afraid to search all the neighboring areas (Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx) for housing...

Of course, craigslist.org is an excellent source for apartments and such..

 

[Azianmunk]

I personally like living close to campus, it ensures that I make it to class every morning. The cheaper places to live in Manhattan are Washington Heights and Harlem. You can also find some good deals on apartments found near Riverside Dr.

Note: Prices per bedroom gets cheaper as you increase the number of bedroom in an apt. Therefore share costs for studio/1bdrm apt (Total cost 1000-2500) > 5 bdrm apt. (2500-$$$) The apt. get more expensive the closer you live to downtown.

There is actually a student looking into the housing situation (negotiating with building managers - allowing you to bypass broker fees) for you guys next year. I'm not sure when she will be releasing the information to everyone.

 

[sQuissh]

how about utility costs? how much is it per month approx?

 

[xshooshix]

how about utility costs? how much is it per month approx?

~60 during the summer w/ AC on.
~20-30 if you're being frugal and you share an apt.

 

[sQuissh]

~60 during the summer w/ AC on.
~20-30 if you're being frugal and you share an apt.

thanx!!! 😀

 

[clvcl]

GUYS! This is the best thread ever! haha. I am also interested in a few roommates. I am a guy, but don't mind rooming with whoever that is interested. Also, where are yall looking for housing at? I would like to get an apartment close to school, if anything 20mins away. I don't want to worry about being late to class every morning. We also have facebook, so join up! It will help in the long run. I am flying up to NY on may 23rd or something like that to check out all the apartments, fees, and what not. So we'll see how that goes.

 

[sleeplesspuff]

now that we are through with the admission process, I just wanna ask whether anyone is worrying about the accreditation, because as i have read, after the initial precandidate status, the schul get evaluated again for candidate status, but if it gets rejected then the graduating class does not get to take the certification test.... so im kinda worry

 

[blusheseasily]

So, I've been checking on Craiglist for the past few days and when I thought that I was going to be set on living on the Upper West Side, I had a bit of sticker shock (gimmie a break, I'm from Chicago so you can get cheap studios for like $550! 😉 hehe) but the more and more research I do into Harlem, its a pretty decent-sized difference price-wise, plus I am looking for a furnished place because I'm planning on moving early-mid August. Plus, I figure that it shouldn't be too* far away from school, right?

Any particular neighborhoods you all are looking into (for those that are planning on being in Manhattan)? What exactly is the neighborhood that Columbia Univ is located in? My friends have been recommending me to check postings around their campus (since we're all students anyway and all in the same boat). 🙂 I'm sooo excited about my big move!

 

[optimistic01]

Does anyone know if we will be receiving a "housing list?" Maybe a list that includes the contacts of students who are looking to share an apartment?

I'm interested in doing so, and other than facebook I don't know how to go about looking for potential Touro roommates.

 

[clvcl]

Does anyone know if we will be receiving a "housing list?" Maybe a list that includes the contacts of students who are looking to share an apartment?

I'm interested in doing so, and other than facebook I don't know how to go about looking for potential Touro roommates.

I haven't heard of any listings or anything..but I'll try to set up something so we can find the "perfect" roommates..haha..give me a few days to figure it out and i'll post it on the thread.

 

[fugm]

what's the most you guys plan on spending for rent a month? I'm curious since we're only eligible for about $33K in sub/unsub loans. also, does anyone know when we'll receive our loan money?...since we are required to make these $2,000 payments prior to school starting.

 

[Transformer]

what's the most you guys plan on spending for rent a month? I'm curious since we're only eligible for about $33K in sub/unsub loans. also, does anyone know when we'll receive our loan money?...since we are required to make these $2,000 payments prior to school starting.

I just got off the phone with Mr. Jackman.

He said how it works is our federal aid refund check is disbursed to touro 10 days before classes start. Touro will then process the money and disburse the refund checks to us (hopefully) right away.

Bottom line: we're gonna have to come up with 6,000 dollars without federal aid/assistance until right before class starts. Overall, the refund check will pay us back when it starts kicking in.

 

[clvcl]

Ok, I just created a roommates spreadsheet. Just put your information in and contact whoever match your preference. After you have contact that person and both agree to room together, just highlight over their information so we know that he/she is taken. Here is the link. If yall want more privacy, I can do it by emails and just invite only those that want to be on this list. Let me know. Have fun with it! 🙂

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pV7koe54UfZMzOaBbyWeAIw

 

[clvcl]

The link will also be on facebook.

 

[elleNY]

Hi all. Although I am two years away from even applying to pharm school, I am a native New Yorker and live on the UWS myself (80th and Broadway). My advice is to:

- Stay away from Upper East Side past 96th...This is what we call spanish harlem. Go here to cop illicit drugs. ;-)

- Because Columbia and its student body has gentrified West Harlem/Morningside, it is a lot safer and saturated with students. It is also cheaper. Below 96th will be very expensive, but above 96th and up to 125th there is some more affordable housing, with students from Columbia, City College, and Touro being in this are, so the roommate pool is there.
Don't go past 135th, and def don't go anywhere near Inwood/Washington heights. Cop drugs here too, lol 🙂

Some of you have been suggesting the lower east side.. this area has become really hip and is EXPENSIVE. Let me put it like this..Alphabet City (below the lower east side) was a haven for hookers, crackheads and other misfits only 15 years ago..now you'll be hard-pressed to find a 1br for under 1850 in a decrepit building.

I used to live in Astoria, which is great.. You get more for your moolah for sure..Nice little Greek cafe/lounge scene, a lot of hip young adults.. but its not twenty minutes away..Its twenety minutes away from *midtown*, so you have to factor the uptown commute.

Jersey is also an option. Towns like Fort Lee, which are more affordable, are about 15 mins to Touro, right over the water. DONT drive because NJ/NY traffic is horrendous. They have a safe, clean, fast PATH train that takes you from different parts of Jersey right to the city.

My final suggestion would be look at the UWS from 96th-125th and try to stay near Broadway or further west. Be prepared to shell out a MINIMUM of 1000 per/person for an antiquated apartment. And yes, If I sound bitter I am..you should see the closet I live in lol Good luck! Hopefully I'll be seeing you at Touro in a few years 🙂

xo
Elle

 

[clvcl]

Hi all. Although I am two years away from even applying to pharm school, I am a native New Yorker and live on the UWS myself (80th and Broadway). My advice is to:

- Stay away from Upper East Side past 96th...This is what we call spanish harlem. Go here to cop illicit drugs. ;-)

- Because Columbia and its student body has gentrified West Harlem/Morningside, it is a lot safer and saturated with students. It is also cheaper. Below 96th will be very expensive, but above 96th and up to 125th there is some more affordable housing, with students from Columbia, City College, and Touro being in this are, so the roommate pool is there.
Don't go past 135th, and def don't go anywhere near Inwood/Washington heights. Cop drugs here too, lol 🙂

Some of you have been suggesting the lower east side.. this area has become really hip and is EXPENSIVE. Let me put it like this..Alphabet City (below the lower east side) was a haven for hookers, crackheads and other misfits only 15 years ago..now you'll be hard-pressed to find a 1br for under 1850 in a decrepit building.

I used to live in Astoria, which is great.. You get more for your moolah for sure..Nice little Greek cafe/lounge scene, a lot of hip young adults.. but its not twenty minutes away..Its twenety minutes away from *midtown*, so you have to factor the uptown commute.

Jersey is also an option. Towns like Fort Lee, which are more affordable, are about 15 mins to Touro, right over the water. DONT drive because NJ/NY traffic is horrendous. They have a safe, clean, fast PATH train that takes you from different parts of Jersey right to the city.

My final suggestion would be look at the UWS from 96th-125th and try to stay near Broadway or further west. Be prepared to shell out a MINIMUM of 1000 per/person for an antiquated apartment. And yes, If I sound bitter I am..you should see the closet I live in lol Good luck! Hopefully I'll be seeing you at Touro in a few years 🙂

xo
Elle

Thanks Elle! Those are some very helpful tips. Maybe ill try your advice and look around there. 🙂. Hope you get in! Gonna be a blast! haha

 

[xshooshix]

- Stay away from Upper East Side past 96th...This is what we call spanish harlem. Go here to cop illicit drugs. ;-)

- Because Columbia and its student body has gentrified West Harlem/Morningside, it is a lot safer and saturated with students. It is also cheaper. Below 96th will be very expensive, but above 96th and up to 125th there is some more affordable housing, with students from Columbia, City College, and Touro being in this are, so the roommate pool is there.
Don't go past 135th, and def don't go anywhere near Inwood/Washington heights. Cop drugs here too, lol 🙂

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! /end 19-21 year old self.


I've actually heard the LES/Alphabet City has gotten more "Bridge n Tunnel" if you know what I mean. 😉

My ex-roommate's brother lived walking distance from W 125th street stop. The subway stop itself was sketchy as hell, and as a woman, I don't feel comfortable considering the abundance of male hecklers in the city. Since a lot of Californians are planning on moving here, i'd suggest visiting the area with a friend.

For the BEST NY pizza EVER: Lombardis in downtown Manhattan. Worth every penny.

Jersey is also an option. Towns like Fort Lee, which are more affordable, are about 15 mins to Touro, right over the water. DONT drive because NJ/NY traffic is horrendous. They have a safe, clean, fast PATH train that takes you from different parts of Jersey right to the city.

You'd also have to pay for the Path (cheaper than the subway), along with the MTA subway fee. I read that they recently raised the monthly pass to $106, so I wouldn't recommend living in Jersey.

 

[phrmschlbnd]

I'm looking on the upper west side because that's where I have been told to live by a native new yorker. Jersey prices on craigslist aren't that much cheaper than the city and the transportation will be more expensive. The subway will take about an hour from Brooklyn so it won't be worth it to me to live there. If you are jewish and want a kosher kitchen: bangitout.com. Rent on the upperwest side is about 900-1600. Things that make the apt more expensive: an elevator, laundry on site, less than 3 roommates, more than a closet size room. Depends on what is important to you.

Now how to move my stuff from California and moving a mattress up a 5 story walk up is another question...

 

[elleNY]

All I can say is that NYC rental market is just beginning to weaken, and will weaken further (hasn't bottomed or come even close to places like Miami, Vegas)..so now may be a good time to sign a lease. For example, my management company didn't raise the rent this year AT ALL because of the economic environment. My ultimate advice: Room with 2-3 other people.

I can't wait to hear about Touro from you guys, keep us posted on the program!

xo
Elle