Wanting to go east..

[Stuck in Ohio]

If anyone out there can understand, I'd appreciate some advice. I desperatly want to get out of Ohio. I've been here too long and the lack of cultural and ethnic diversity is suffocating me. My hubby and I are considering east coast (DC or north) for residency but we just can't reconcile the cost of living on the east coast with what residents earn. The place we are at right now has one of the lowest cost of living in the entire country so regardless of where we move, it will seem expensive to us.

Assuming I am the only one working, how can we afford a 2 br apartment out east? In the midwest, my classmates are talking about buying homes or townhouses during residency. Are residents able to do this in DC, Philly, or NY? What areas should I look at that would be culturally diverse and still provide a reasonable cost of living for us? This may seem silly to those of you who have grown up in a large city your whole life, but any advice would be very welcome. How does everyone manage?

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[Bonds756]

I have lived in each of the three areas you are talking about. It is definitely possible to live in philly on a residents salary for 2 people! It is a great city, esp. for someone not totally used to the cities. It is affordable and very managable, ie. the downtown area is easy to learn and is not overwhelming and the people from the city are very down to earth. Not sure about buying because I never thought about it.

NYC and D.C. are also affordable if you don't plan on living like a queen! The thing to definitely think about is subsidized housing which many city programs have. For ex, NYU has apt buildings across the street from the hospital for residents which is in an awesome part of manhattan and the prices are unbeatable! This would make NYC living a little better! Not sure about this for d.c., but I definitely managed to live there not making much $ and having a great time. Definitely an awesome city with lots of young professionals and tons of free stuff to do on weekends!

Good luck in your choice! And remember residencies are temporary and may be the last chance to go where ever you want before having to settle down!

 

[doepug]

Baltimore is dirt cheap... and Hopkins and Maryland both have great residency programs.

If you want to live on the east coast for half the cost of DC or NYC, you might consider B'more.

Just my 2 cents,
doepug

 

[lrg]

Originally posted by Bonds756
For ex, NYU has apt buildings across the street from the hospital for residents which is in an awesome part of manhattan and the prices are unbeatable!

Are you sure that NYU has their own apts for residents? There is nothing about it on their website. In fact the site gives info on finding your own apt with no mention of any subsidy or hospital owned apts. Are you thinking of Cornell perhaps?

 

[Stuck in Ohio]

Do you think its more practical to think about going into the region as a buyer or a renter?

 

[Raf]

i'm applying for IM res. and have similar concerns re: the cost of living in the northeast...however, you have to weigh the pros and cons and decide how you feel...if you really feel like you're suffocating in your current environment, by all means do what makes you HAPPY...with regard to buying or renting, i think it's a good idea to rent subsidized resiency housing until you can feel out whatever city (or suburb of a major city) you land in...save buying for when you've become accustomed to the new location and have decided you really want to stay...you never know if you'll end up hating it, so i wouldn't do anything too permanent to start...you can also try to find a program that is near a a city like new for example...that way you're not overwhelmed by the change but still get the benefit of diversity and culture within a short commute.