Moving to New York

[ablarc]

Really, though, you should stop focusing so much on how long it will take to get to midtown. It's probably one of the last things you're going to be concerned about once you actually get here.

Unlike people in a lot of other areas, New Yorkers don't spend much time complaining about commuting times. You get on the subway, you read, and soon enough, you're there.
True. Except when you have to stand up amid the sweaty, commuting by rail can be something to look forward to.

I used to love reading on the subway; the train's din forces concentration inward, which also makes it a great place to think. Or people-watch.

These days in "idyllic" Suburbia I sit fuming in traffic with only a radio to keep me company; that's the kind of commute to which you wish a rapid termination. On the subway I more than once regretted arriving at my destination.

[milleniumcab]

Sorry about that. Don't know what went wrong. I fixed it and it now works.

I just tried the link too ablarc. It didn't work for me either..:confused:

[ablarc]

^ Mysterious. Works for a while and then doesn't. I'll try to fix it again later.

[will]

I'm going to be relocating to NYC this fall and am looking at apartments in Manhattan, below 14th street. I'm looking for roommates and wanted to ask everyone what type of apartment I can expect to get into for around $1600/month. Now, since I am looking for roommates this would only be my share, not the total rent. Is this realistic? Thanks!

[MrSpice]

I'm going to be relocating to NYC this fall and am looking at apartments in Manhattan, below 14th street. I'm looking for roommates and wanted to ask everyone what type of apartment I can expect to get into for around $1600/month. Now, since I am looking for roommates this would only be my share, not the total rent. Is this realistic? Thanks!

For that kind of money you can probably rent your own studio

[twist]

We are four jazz artists looking (frantically and frustrated mind you) for a place in a safe (so we're not jacked of all our equipment) neighborhood that we can afford. We are gigging in NY weekly so its insane to keep commuting from Boston (which has no music culture to speak of).

Brooklyn is totally out because after three weeks of driving down to view places what we can afford is LAME at best and so incredibly far from any subway (G train is so sketchy) that we decided on Queens.

Please let me know if Astoria is a cool place to hang and where we won't be marked and come home to any empty apartment!

[Clyde]

Speaking of Astoria, I can't believe the area is still suffering through a blackout after 5 days.

[twist]

Really? I spoke to a broker yesterday and she said that was happening... we have to go back down on Monday to see if we can find anything... hope the lights are on!

[Demile]

Hmmm... I guess nobody has any real insight on Sunnyside... blah.

[Schadenfrau]

I lived in Sunnyside. Yes, there are lots of bars.

What specific questions do you have?

[speXedy]

So my girlfriend just broke up with me. I live in Rochester, NY and I am really thinking about selling my car and just going to NYC. I'd have nothing to bring with me other then a set of bad memories of my past. MY car is woth about $3,000. What is the cheepest place in NYC to live? How much would someone pay to live in a loft or something out of like the musical Rent? I really don't care what it looks like becuase how much time would I really be spending there? So yea, what's the cheepest place I can live, that is somewhat safe. I've grown in Rochester so im not some suburbian person who has to live in Manhatton, though I'd prefer not to live in Harlem. Any ideas? Also what is rent a month in that kind of a place? And what's the best type of job for someone pretty much just out of highschool?

I am going to NYC next month with my father for a weekend. Any suggestions on things I should do? Maybe i should start looking for work then eh?

[Schadenfrau]

I'd suggest getting a college degree before moving to the city.

Failing that, check out some of the prices here:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/

And I'd get the idea of "Rent" out of your head. That play was wildly unrealistic when it came out, and is much more so now.

[speXedy]

Thanks for the link ... I know everyone tells me not to go without a college degree, but i feel like I have to try, if i don't make it i can always comes back home and try again later you know? I have my youth and that's what counts.

[twist]

Oh come on, can't anyone lend a bit of insight to what it might like to live in Astoria? Any info on the areas on Queens that are nice and close to the subway?

[ablarc]

I know everyone tells me not to go without a college degree, but i feel like I have to try, if i don't make it i can always comes back home and try again later you know? I have my youth and that's what counts.
As it says in the song about New York, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere...

I have a close relative who moved to New York at age 17, got a job his first day there in a clothing store. He's now 18, manages the store and lives in Red Hook with two roommates. He gets a raise every couple of months and has a great future.

Naturally you need a can-do attitude, but since you seem to have this, don't let the naysayers get you down.

[Demile]

I lived in Sunnyside. Yes, there are lots of bars.

What specific questions do you have?

How much would you say living expenses would be for one person (studio) per months? I am coming with several thousand saved up to fall back on in case I do not find a job immediately (hopefully I will have one lined up before moving.)

At first I was debating whether or not to keep my car once I move but it's just one more expense I do not need and probably won't be necessary? Is there easy access to the subway or a bus line?

My plan in the long run is to work and enroll in NYSID (eventually) but I wish to just work and... well, live in general before going to school and such.

Am I making sense or am I just being stupid?

[ablarc]

Just one word, young man: ROOMMATES.

[shirley]

Hi all, I'm planning on moving to NY January/February next year. I'll be taking my bar exams then trying to find work. From living in London for the past 3 years I'm used to expense, but am still unsure of the costs of living comparatively. What would my chances be of getting some work/a liveable wage?

I'm 24 now, coming 25 so I'm prepared to take a few risks. NY sounds like a dream.i am from china . and i have not been to NY ,and i want to know much about that city ,if some one could tell me some ,i would be appreciated ,thanks this forum .

[shirley]

[QUOTE=ablarc]Just one word, young man: ROOMMATES.[/QUOTE hi ,everyone ,i just register this forum ,and now i am in Ningbo China ,and today is very hot ,and i nealy can not stand up !

[speXedy]

As it says in the song about New York, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere...

I have a close relative who moved to New York at age 17, got a job his first day there in a clothing store. He's now 18, manages the store and lives in Red Hook with two roommates. He gets a raise every couple of months and has a great future.

Naturally you need a can-do attitude, but since you seem to have this, don't let the naysayers get you down.

thanks for the words of inncuragement. But I Had a question. Where am I going to live the first month or two or three while im trying to get asttablsied? I can't live in a hotel ... it's way to much $ ... are there places cheep enough to afford w/o a lease?

[ablarc]

College dorms in the summertime. Try Columbia.

I lived in a frat house one summer. Not too great but hey, it's a frat house.

During the school year, you might still get a room at a YMCA at a weekly rate; the big one closed, alas.

Roommate agencies. Look on the 'net. You don't like your new roomies? You can switch when you find some you do.

Or round up some friends to join you in your big adventure.

[Schadenfrau]

I don't think Columbia allows non-students to live in the dorms any longer, Ablarc. I lived at Barnard for a summer, but that was only because they had an exchange program with my college, and maybe about ten other schools. You'd have to look into short-term sublets.

Demile, I'd suggest that you start looking for places with roommates. Sunnyside isn't a big studio neighborhood. You should probably look farther into Queens, in Woodside and Jackson Heights. All of these neighborhoods are on the 7 line.

I have no idea what your lifestyle is like, so I won't go into predicting what your living expenses would be. Start with the cost of your rent, remove the cost of a car (DO NOT bring it), add $24 a week for a MetroCard, then work from there.

[ablarc]

I don't think Columbia allows non-students to live in the dorms any longer, Ablarc.
Bummer, but the frats are another story. They always need money, and they're not under the university's thumb. Try Sigma Chi, 523 W. 113th St. Don't bother to write or call; just walk in and ask a brother.

[speXedy]

thanks for all the suggestions, but keep them coming! And when i go in August for a weekend does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should do to start making contacts?

edit:

if anyone has AIM or Yahoo or MSN add me if you are feeling up to chatting, I got 100s of questions.

AIM: speXedy
Yahoo: spexedy
MSN: Michael@iPanzica.com

[ablarc]

thanks for all the suggestions, but keep them coming! And when i go in August for a weekend does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should do to start making contacts?
Hit the pavement, Jack. No substitute for eye contact with a potential employer.

Forget resumes, forget phone calls, just walk in and ask to see the boss, not his assistant. Tell him or her something true he'll want to hear about what you can do for him. You could be the answer to all his problems (find the problems; they're usually in plain sight). Don't be shy --or if you can't keep from being shy, be cute about it. An employer likes straight talk from a straight shooter.

Think about this: there's no way you can be a brain surgeon or a supreme court justice without a high-priced education, but anyone can sure as hell be President of the United States; the bozo who occupies the job is proof of that.

And there are more jobs out there that resemble President than brain surgeon.

[ablarc]

*BUMP* to get rid of the spammer at the top. Moderator?

[RicanPrincipessa]

Oh come on, can't anyone lend a bit of insight to what it might like to live in Astoria? Any info on the areas on Queens that are nice and close to the subway?


Same inquiry here!

[milleniumcab]

Here is a little insight about Astoria....

Be careful, you might loose power for about, oooo lets say, 10 days...:D

[shirley]

I don't think Columbia allows non-students to live in the dorms any longer, Ablarc. I lived at Barnard for a summer, but that was only because they had an exchange program with my college, and maybe about ten other schools. You'd have to look into short-term sublets.

Demile, I'd suggest that you start looking for places with roommates. Sunnyside isn't a big studio neighborhood. You should probably look farther into Queens, in Woodside and Jackson Heights. All of these neighborhoods are on the 7 line.

I have no idea what your lifestyle is like, so I won't go into predicting what your living expenses would be. Start with the cost of your rent, remove the cost of a car (DO NOT bring it), add $24 a week for a MetroCard, then work from there. i from china ,i just graduate from college,and rent a house in ningbo city ,the room is very samll ,and pay somewhat high rent .and i want to know your country 's information about the house and something ,as i have not been to Columbia even the usa ,and also i want to make friends with you !

[ablarc]

Hi shirley, tell us about Ningbo City.

[RicanPrincipessa]

Here is a little insight about Astoria....

Be careful, you might loose power for about, oooo lets say, 10 days...:D


I've heard... Makes me wanna re-think my move... ;)

[milleniumcab]

^ It could happen anywhere, I guess.. Don't let that stop you.. Astoria is a cool, diverse neighborhood with an easy commute into Manhattan...

[lofter1]

Chances are, with all the publicity and attention, that Astoria and environs will now get the necessary work performed to remedy this problem.

Some other unfortunate and under-served neighborhood will be the next recipient of Con Ed's seemingly questionable and out-moded long-term business practices ...

It’s All About Efficiency

NY TIMES (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/opinion/nyregionopinions/30CIlovins.html)
By AMORY B. LOVINS
Op-Ed Contributor
Snowmass, Colo.
July 30, 2006

Old cables and slack maintenance will be blamed for the Queens blackout, just as poor operation and outdated equipment caused the Aug. 14, 2003, Northeast blackout. But both failures were really caused by obsolete business strategies and public policies favoring overcentralized power systems.

Efficient use of electricity is the first line of defense. Efficient buildings and equipment (especially air-conditioners) can slash the loads that overheated Con Edison’s cables. Efficiency can save 75 percent of America’s electricity at lower cost than making it at existing power plants. Helping customers reduce or defer usage when electricity is scarce can also increase distribution equipment’s life and reliability. To encourage these profitable investments, New York should join Oregon and California in rewarding utilities for cutting customers’ bills, not selling more energy.

Almost all power failures originate in the grid, so electricity made near customers is most reliable and cheaper. Clean, local “micropower” plants spread over a city dependably supply a dozen industrial countries with a sixth to more than half their electricity and generate a third of the world’s new electricity. Yet local and national policy still discourages it.

Together, these profitable investments can make major power failures — now inevitable by design — become impossible by design.

Amory B. Lovins is the chief executive of Rocky Mountain Institute

__________________________________________________ ___

A whole slew of opinions from the 7.30.06 Sunday NY Times ...

Op-Ed Contributors

Let’s Keep the Lights On: Some Expert Advice for Con Ed



Expand ‘Demand Response’ (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/opinion/nyregionopinions/30CIgordon.html)An approach called “demand response” can help prevent future blackouts. By MIKE GORDON.


Put Profits Into Performance (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/opinion/nyregionopinions/30CInolan.html)Three things must be done to restore the integrity of the power system and the faith of New Yorkers in Con Edison. By CATHERINE NOLAN.


Sensors on the Grid (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/opinion/nyregionopinions/30CIbose.html)Increasing redundancy by investing in more equipment is vital, but the use of new technologies to upgrade aging equipment is also a must. By ANJAN BOSE.


Physics Trumps Economics (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/opinion/nyregionopinions/30CIloehr.html)The reliability of the electric grid is deteriorating, and a blackout like the one in August 2003 will surely be replicated. By GEORGE C. LOEHR.


Make the Utility Pay (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/opinion/nyregionopinions/30CIgianaris.html)Con Ed should be prohibited from passing the cost of fines and reimbursements onto consumers in the form of rate increases. By MICHAEL N. GIANARIS.


Monopoly Power (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/opinion/nyregionopinions/30CIgelinas.html)The harder part of assuring reliability is ensuring that transmission and distribution lines are adequate to carry electricity to homes and businesses. By NICOLE GELINAS.


Can We Blame the Weather? (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/opinion/nyregionopinions/30CIfox-penner.html)An aging distribution system may be implicated in New York’s recent blackouts, but there are longer-term forces at work here. By PETER FOX-PENNER.


Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company

[wightgurl]

If I'm not using a broker and I'm subletting directly from the primary tenant can she charge me a fee in addition to the rent that she's charging me?

I'm not talking about the fact that she can charge me an extra 10% of what her rent is on top of what she pays for rent if she claims that the apartment is "furnished" (ex. - if her rent is $500/month, then she can charge me $50/month extra, making my rent $550/mo.) I'm talking about a fee in addition to that.

More questions about subletting:
(1) if her landlord charges her a 10% subletting fee can she pass that expense on to me? (Meaning if she's already charging me 10% above her rent for it being "furnished" can she charge me 20% above what she's paying for rent if her landlord is getting a 10% sublet fee from her?)

(2) What constitues "furnished" when it comes to charging that extra 10% for subletting? This is a large apartment (it's a one-bedroom with a dining room) and the only furniture that she's leaving for me is: (a) a mattress and bedframe (which I don't want, because I don't want to sleep on a used mattress), (b) a small nightstand, (c) a very small dresser, and (d) 2 love seats. She's also stated that she will remove any of this furniture that I don't want and donate it to "good will"...

(3) She says that her rent is based on her income and that there is a waiting list to get into the apartment building, so I asked her if she is living in subsidized housing and she said that she guesses so. I then asked her if she is allowed to sublet to me and if she's gotten permission to do so (and also asked to see her lease and the proof that she's gotten permission to sublet to me). She's said, "yes" to both questions and says she'll show me the proof. Has anyone heard of subsidized housing allowing subletting?

[MikeKruger]

My wife and I currently live in Jersey. I live 10 minutes from work but she works in Manhattan and her commute is over an hour long. We both enjoy Manhattan and would like to move there next year.
Her commute would be much shorter.
My work is about 1/2 hour by bus when there's little traffic. With traffic , especially leaving work in the afternoon and coming in the city, it's over an hour. Bummer because living in Manhattan and working in Jersey is the opposite of what many people do so you'd expect it to take less time.
There's no path/train/ferry close to work. The light rail passes fairly close but it'd be a long hike to work which would neutralize any advantages of taking that.
By car, taking the bridge rather than the tunnel, I could make it in 20minutes I was told. But then I would have to deal with keeping a car in the city...big costly hassle.
I was wondering if there's anyone here doing a similar commute and how they deal with it, or what the best alternative is.
I know, we could move to Hoboken but that's getting to be as expensive as Manhattan and just as parking-challenging.

[florent]

Hi all,

I'm french and i love NYC. I would like become an engineer and live in NYC. So i want to know ,if it's possible, if it's easy to find a work (engineer) in New York and what kind of salaries would a city firm give you coming out?

Thanks for your answers

P.S.: Sorry but i don't speak english very well (for the moment:D )

[Ninjahedge]

As a Hoboken resident, I could also suggest places like Jersey City.

Hoboken IS very expensive now, and it seems to be more renter-available now (it is rent controlled on older buildings, but the landlord will never tell you that).

Sadly, I think that would be the best place for you given the split you now face, or you can stay where you are and see if a day or two a week could be leveraged to telecommuting.

I doubt it, otherwise you would have already asked/done it, but it is worth a try!

GL!

[MrSpice]

Hi all,

I'm french and i love NYC. I would like become an engineer and live in NYC. So i want to know ,if it's possible, if it's easy to find a work (engineer) in New York and what kind of salaries would a city firm give you coming out?

Thanks for your answers

P.S.: Sorry but i don't speak english very well (for the moment:D )

It depends on the field. New York itself does not have too many engineers working here. Most of the engineering jobs in the city are in Consgtruction/Architecture/Computer Drafting and Networking/Programming (Software Engineers - mostly in financial firms).

And the salary would be based on your experience, field and probably your immigration status (if you're not a citizen/resident, you would need a work visa and those people get paid less, obviously).

[florent]

Ok, thanks you very much MrSpice for your info (it's very interesting to talk with americans )

so the best in order to live in NYC it's to work (or "working" sorry but i don't know) in the finances and to be a citizen (with a green card).

Thanks

[milleniumcab]

Civil and Environmental Engineers should be in demand here also..

[florent]

thanks,

i think the best in order to work in New York it's to find a job in the finances.
I'll have to choose my fied in february.

Bye;)

[RicanPrincipessa]

^ It could happen anywhere, I guess.. Don't let that stop you.. Astoria is a cool, diverse neighborhood with an easy commute into Manhattan...

I've heard its a great place... up and coming area.

Does anyone have any more info on Astoria?

[Schadenfrau]

I wouldn't really call Astoria "up and coming." The neighborhood has been quite established for years.

It's a good area, but what do you want to know, specifically?

[el8edfx]

I want to move to New York City (hopefully live in Manhattan) in May 2007. I'm trying to learn as much as I can and do as much as I can to make this happen. I love NYC everytime I go. I just can't get enough of the energy there... Here's the thing. I'm 25, will have my Bachelors Degree in Finance with a minor in communicaiton and international business from a top 20 (yes 20 not 10) university with a high GPA in May. I want to work in the Production/finance part of the film industry there.. How likely is this to happen?.! I have very little experience. Is a degree enough? Is it all in my head that I need to come from a top 5 college to actually start my career in NYC?

What do I need to make to live in Manhattan as a single female alone.. (which means it needs to be a safe place) is that possible? I don't need much other than a relativly safe area. I don't require huge luxuries other than being able to go to trendy clubs every now and then.

I am just starting to look into specifics as far as moving so ANY advice is appreciated!

:rolleyes:

[ASaint763]

I'm moving to NY in just a couple of months, and have been told various different neighborhoods to check out. I'll be back there in September officially looking for a room (since I KNOW I will need roommates.) What areas should I look at? I am an actor with a day job (a job in corporate america that will be transferring me back east.) I've been told to look at Washington Heights, Morningside Heights, and various pocket areas in NYC, then Astoria and sections of Queens (what sections, though?) The office is in midtown (Park Ave.) and of course, all my dance classes, auditions, etc, will be in midtown/Chelsea...so I need something that would be efficient to commuting to midtown...

Any suggestions? Advice? Comments? :) I'd appreciate anything...

[Elena1983]

English Schools in New York?
Do some of you know Aspect School?

[ASaint763]

Does anyone know any other site, besides CraigsList, that would have actors looking for roommates? I'm networking all I can with friends and friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends, for a place to move into (shared) in October.

...I'm leary of CraigsList with everything I have read regarding rent scams, people looking for sex instead of rent, etc...

[lofter1]

Try "Backstage" -- or if you're a member of the union there is a bulletin board at the AEA lounge on W. 46th St.

[RicanPrincipessa]

I wouldn't really call Astoria "up and coming." The neighborhood has been quite established for years.

It's a good area, but what do you want to know, specifically?


These are my top three questions!
Living Costs
Night Life
Diversity

Thanx in advance! :)

[Peteynyc1]

These are my top three questions!
Living Costs
Night Life
Diversity

Thanx in advance! :)

I have quite a few friends who live in Astoria. It is extremely diverse, one of its best qualities. There is a particularly large Greek and Brazilian population there, but also just about every other nationality and ethnicity. Also really great that it is somewhat reasonably priced for being so close to the city. The area is very convenient from the city, only like 5 stops from midtown on the N (or R?) line. Overall its a relatively safe area. As far as night life, I know there are some small clubs and lounges out there but its not going to be so happening compared to what you will find a short ride away in Manhattan. If I was looking to move to an affordable outer borough location I would probably pick Astoria. Hope this helps..

[RicanPrincipessa]

I have quite a few friends who live in Astoria. It is extremely diverse, one of its best qualities. There is a particularly large Greek and Brazilian population there, but also just about every other nationality and ethnicity. Also really great that it is somewhat reasonably priced for being so close to the city. The area is very convenient from the city, only like 5 stops from midtown on the N (or R?) line. Overall its a relatively safe area. As far as night life, I know there are some small clubs and lounges out there but its not going to be so happening compared to what you will find a short ride away in Manhattan. If I was looking to move to an affordable outer borough location I would probably pick Astoria. Hope this helps..


The more I read up on Astoria the more excited I become! Thanx so much for the info!!!!

[ryan]

Astoria is a really nice neighborhood - you couldn't do much better for the money. And, the beer garden (http://www.bohemianhall.com/), of course.

[RicanPrincipessa]

And great places you might recommend to visit when I make my move?

[EJ80]

Hi everyone!

First, this thread has been a great source of info already and it would be great if it was turned into its own forum.

That being said, I have some questions. I plan to move to NYC by the end of the year. I'm a single 26 year old woman. I live in Atlanta right now so I know there are going to be major changes to my style of living. Currently I have a ~1000 sq ft 2 bdr apt in a good area that I pay about ~$900/mo for. Never going to happen in NY right? ;)

When I move to NY, I'll be working in Chelsea (around 8th and 9th Ave). I'd like a fairly spacious (by NY standards) apartment in a safe area. I never do well w/ roommates so thats pretty much out of the question. I'd like to live in Brooklyn but I'm open to other areas, except the Bronx (nothing against the Bronx, its for purely personal reasons). I plan on keeping my car since I roadtrip quite a bit.

So basically heres what I'm looking for in a nutshell:

<$1500 per month
Spacious 1 bedroom/loft (I figure spacious 2 bedroom is dreaming)
Good neighborhood (Diverse, not lots of crime)
No roaches (I _hate_ bugs)
Good access to public transportation
A place to park my car
Not in the Bronx

Thanks in advance for all replies.

[Schadenfrau]

The Bronx is probably the only place that would allow you those somewhat unrealistic expectations. Then again, it's probably a good thing that you wouldn't consider moving there.

[EJ80]

The Bronx is probably the only place that would allow you those somewhat unrealistic expectations. Then again, it's probably a good thing that you wouldn't consider moving there.okay which of my wishes make my expectations unrealistic? i can be flexible. :)

[milleniumcab]

Hi everyone!

So basically heres what I'm looking for in a nutshell:

<$1500 per month
Spacious 1 bedroom/loft (I figure spacious 2 bedroom is dreaming)
Good neighborhood (Diverse, not lots of crime)
No roaches (I _hate_ bugs)
Good access to public transportation
A place to park my car
Not in the Bronx

Thanks in advance for all replies.

You are about 15 years late..

[EJ80]

*sigh* Okay, can I have some constructive feedback please? Tell me what in my list is a dealbreaker?

By spacious, I don't mean by Atlanta standards, I mean by NY standards.

What are more "realisitic" expectations. The only thing I'm really super firm on are the bugs and not in the Bronx. The rest is flexible.

[Schadenfrau]

Why not the Bronx? You'd find the space, and street parking for your car.

Outside of those two things, you're not likely to find much.

[ablarc]

what I'm looking for in a nutshell:
Astoria.

[Schadenfrau]

Astoria is great, but there's certainly no parking, and "spacious" is a foreign word.

[EJ80]

Parking can be managed. If need be, I have a place in Brooklyn to park my car until I need it. Spacious is by NY standards. By no means am I expecting to have the space I have now...

[Schadenfrau]

If you're into Brooklyn, try Kensington, Lefferts Gardens, and Crown/Prospect Heights.

[ryan]

*sigh* Okay, can I have some constructive feedback please? Tell me what in my list is a dealbreaker?

I think it's possible that you'd find a place with many of your goals, but not all. Think about a nicer studio in a better neighborhood ("good" is too subjective - what is important to you?), or a bigger, dumpier apt further from the subway. You might find something in my neighborhood (Greenpoint) if you're ok with a broker fee (more $$$ upfront, but will lower your monthly rent). You should definitely look at queens - search for Long Island City/Sunnyside/Jackson Heights/Astoria on craigslist. You might find a bargain.

I don't think anyone who mentions crime would be too happy with Prospect/Crown Heights.

[Schadenfrau]

That's probably true, but it's one of the few Brooklyn neighborhoods with multiple Craigslist listings within those specifications and price range.

[ryan]

I see lots of listings for Greenpoint. Sure we have crummy train service (unless you commute to midtown east like I do), and the neighborhood is smelly, dirty, ugly, and our best asset is proximity to Williamsburg. (ok, we have two nice parks, a good video store, good bars and it's quiet). That said, rent is rising fast, and I can't ever move because my landlord promised never to raise our rent.

[Schadenfrau]

You're stuck, Ryan! Fortunately, that's a great place.

By the way, where have you been? I've missed you.

[ryan]

Thanks Schadenfrau- lots of real life I guess. (and of course less time spent paid to sit in front of a computer with not enough to do...)

[ASaint763]

So I head back next month to look for a room (I will definitely need a roommate/roommates) and find the process completely daunting. It's different than living in a california suburb (like I do now) where you look at a complex, decide which model you like, and boom! You have an apartment. Are there any pointers I should follow when back there looking for rooms/roomates?? I keep hearing about scams, etc. I have a WEEK (ack!) to find a place, since most of my money is going towards the actual move.

I need advice!

Oh, I am looking at Astoria, Queens, and maybe Washington Heights? Any other suggestions? I'm a 27 year old (white) female, actor with a day job in corporate america (im transferring with it) ... any ideas???

Help! Please!

[rjjr2531]

my best friend and i are planning on moving to NYC after x-mas. we are coming from dallas, TX in need of a change. here is are situation and some questions i have. thanks for your help!

-both will have about 6-10 thousand in bank a piece, one will have a waiter job and one going unemployeed, we need to be somewhat close to community college, we also love the night life (clubs). we are looking to spend about 6-700 a month a piece on rent.

do we need a car? how long does it take to get around NYC incase job and house and school are separated? where would be a good area to live given our situation?

thats it for now. again, thanks for any of the replies and advice. hopefully ill think of some more questions and list them as well...

Neil from Dallas, TX :D

[ASaint763]

So I may have found a place...78th and York. Is that a good area...it's the Upper East Side...

[ryan]

Some people on the forum say that is the best neighborhood. It's a largely white, fratty, heterosexual neighborhood. A safe bet.

[ryan]

-both will have about 6-10 thousand in bank a piece, one will have a waiter job and one going unemployeed, we need to be somewhat close to community college, we also love the night life (clubs). we are looking to spend about 6-700 a month a piece on rent.

That's a lot of money in the bank - more than anyone I know who moved here when they were young. You can manage that rent in my neighborhood (I don't mean to harp - it's just what I know best) and you can walk to Williamsburg, which has lots of clubs and bars. I'm not sure where community colleges are, but everything is just a subway ride away.

do we need a car?

No. A car in NYC is strictly a luxury.

how long does it take to get around NYC incase job and house and school are separated? where would be a good area to live given our situation?

Most places are 20-40 minutes from me by subway. Compared to a city like Dallas everything in NYC is very close together, so you could most anywhere given your criteria. (though you probably don't want to live far out in Brooklyn or Queens, which can make for long commutes).

[kliq6]

So I may have found a place...78th and York. Is that a good area...it's the Upper East Side...

I lived in that area for years, very good place to live

[ryan]

http://graphics10.nytimes.com/images/misc/logoprinter.gif (http://www.nytimes.com/)
http://view.atdmt.com/ORG/view/nwyrkfxs0040000007org/direct;at.orgfxs00000913/01/
August 24, 2006
The Housing Virgins of Manhattan (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/)

By PENELOPE GREEN (http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?ppds=bylL&v1=PENELOPE%20GREEN&fdq=19960101&td=sysdate&sort=newest&ac=PENELOPE%20GREEN&inline=nyt-per)
BEN SNYDACKER is just 21, and a freshly minted New Yorker. Tall and brash, he’s enjoying his third month in his new job, as a sales assistant for Virgin Records, and his new apartment, a minute space creatively described as a two-bedroom in a rank 19th-century tenement building on Avenue B that he shares with a college roommate (monthly rent: $2,600). It has been a summer of firsts for Mr. Snydacker, a Skidmore graduate: after scuffling in the city’s rental market, a sometimes-lawless agora peopled with good guys, bad guys and all the shape-shifters in between, Mr. Snydacker has emerged a little tougher and, emotionally, a little older. He is no longer a housing virgin.

“It was probably the second most stressful experience of my life,” he said the other day. “That is, if I retained any memory of having had meningitis when I was 6 months old.”

It’s late August, and an annual Manhattan (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/classifieds/realestate/locations/newyork/newyorkcity/manhattan/?inline=nyt-geo) roundelay is winding down. The new college graduates have been pouring into town from all over the country since June, short of money and time but long on hope, specifically the hope of finding a safe haven on this island, which is to say a legal rental for under $1,500 a bedroom. (Williamsburg and beyond is a bridge too far for much of this crowd.) With vacancy rates at 0.78 percent, and rental prices up 15 percent over last summer, “these apartments are in high demand and usually disappear within 24 hours,” said Gordon Golub, senior managing director at Citi Habitats, the largest rental agency in the city.

“Year by year for the past three years,” he continued, “there has been more and more hiring by large firms at the entry level. And so within a tight rental market, this particular market is extremely tight.”

And the fees are higher. Three years ago, agents were, in many cases, negotiating their fees down to 8 percent; some landlords were even paying agent’s fees directly. Today, agents typically charge 15 percent of a year’s rent (which, depending on seniority and performance, they share with their companies at rates of between 20 and 60 percent).

Additionally, landlords require three months’ rent up front (first, last and a security deposit), though in some cases, if the credit history of a tenant is weak (or non-existent) and the salary not large enough, they might extract a larger deposit or ask for a guarantor. The formula for salary requirements is between 40 and 45 times one month’s rent, or about $120,000 for a $3,000-a-month apartment. That sum is well beyond the reach of tenants like Mr. Snydacker, whose starting salary at Virgin is $35,000; in such cases, a parent will often serve as a guarantor. With their laptops filled with postings from the online marketplace Craigslist and Backpage, the Village Voice’s online listing service, the new New Yorkers have encountered every dodge and near-scam that Manhattan’s so-called “rogue” brokers have to offer — the bait-and-switch, the unreturned fees, the fake bidding wars. By this week, for the most part, they will have found housing, which they’ll accessorize with a flat-screen television and maybe a few pieces of Ikea furniture, upon which their friends will sprawl and hear the war stories of the summer of 2006.

Here’s Mr. Snydacker’s: With a job that began on June 5, he was camping at his dad’s apartment in Connecticut and commuting an hour and a half each way, each day, into the city. He started off by replying to individual postings on Craigslist, but he grew leery of meeting agents on street corners and seeing one-bedroom apartments that had been advertised as two.

“I felt like it was time to go to a big agency so there’d be accountability,” he said. “I didn’t want to be making deals on street corners with these agents who were saying, ‘Please don’t go in my office.’ They were trying to undercut their own companies.”

But size did not guarantee fair play, he said. An agent at one of the larger firms showed him a two-bedroom in the far East Village, on the heels of another showing by another agent for the same apartment.

“Then it was a race to see who could get their application in first,” said Mr. Snydacker, who drew $500 from an A.T.M. as a kind of place holder, for which the agent wrote out a receipt. Apartments are not taken off the market until an application has been approved and the certified checks duly cashed, but a $500 deposit shows a landlord a would-be renter’s good faith during the application process. It’s typically returned, or applied to the broker’s fee or the rent itself.

“Except when I arrived with all our checks to sign the lease,” said Mr. Snydacker, “the guy refused to give me the money back. He said we needed two receipts. He was pretty aggressive, and there was a moment when I thought, ‘I’m already spending $5,000, what’s another $500?’ But my dad called a lawyer, and then called the broker, who then got really aggressive with me. I called customer service at the agency, and they were pretty decent. They said, ‘Don’t worry. Come in and get your money.’ ”

Mr. Snydacker took his roommate to the agency’s office, where he said the agent scowled beetle-browed and silently counted out a stack of $20 bills onto his desk. Just as silently, Mr. Snydacker said, he counted them, and left.

“I don’t know why this guy felt like he had a right to be angry with me,” said Mr. Snydacker. “But he was furious. He’s a big guy, and it was pretty scary.”

CRAIG NEWMARK, the founder of Craigslist (and a San Francisco resident), said last week that monitoring the site’s New York City housing section is “my biggest single project, actually. When you are in a situation where you feel everyone else is cheating,” he said, “a lot of people feel a moral sanction that they can cheat, too.”

“Over the years we’ve been telling brokers that’s not O.K., and over the years the less ethical behavior is slowing down,” he said. “On the other hand, there are some persistent bad guys, and the worst of them I’ve reported to New York State’s Department of State. Real estate in New York is a blood sport. It’s not like anywhere else.”

Mr. Newmark has taken to dropping in on real estate agencies unannounced when he is in Manhattan. “I’m letting them know I am really committed and that I really exist. I’ve had a few cases, specifically three, where people have reported problems getting a fee back, and in each case I’ve talked to the agent and gotten it back.”

Last summer, Ann Marie Yoo, a 23-year-old Columbia graduate now working as a health care consultant, and two of her college roommates applied for an apartment in Morningside Heights. They lined up their financial ducks in three days, she said, but when Ms. Yoo arrived in the agent’s office with her sheaf of certified checks, her agent announced that the landlord had given the apartment to someone else.

“I never felt like the broker was looking out for us,” she said, “and he was really impatient through the whole process. He tried to get us to stay, to keep our deposit for another apartment, but I’d had it.”

This is when she made her move from a large agency to “a completely random agent on Craigslist,” said Ms. Yoo.

“He was the sketchiest man,” she said, “and the apartment was — eh. But the location was just so prime and he said ‘We don’t do credit checks and we only charge 12 percent.’ ” And so Ms. Yoo and her friends once again assembled the sheaf of certified checks. On the morning of the lease signing, the agent called Ms. Yoo three or four times to say he was stuck on a train, he was on his way, he would meet her on a corner near her Midtown office.

“I’m waiting, and 10 minutes goes by, and then 20, and he pulls up in huge, grimy white minivan, and says, ‘Why don’t you step inside?’ ” Ms. Yoo remembered. “And I’m wondering what all the stuff about the subway was, as I say, ‘No way am I going to step inside your van!’ He starts giving me grief, saying stuff like, ‘I don’t feel like working with people who don’t trust me.’ And I’m freaking out because I think we’re going to lose the apartment, even though there’s no way I’m getting in the van. So I’m begging him to take the checks, to guarantee me the apartment.”

But the agent drove away, leaving Ms. Yoo gape-mouthed on Madison Avenue, after making another appointment to meet that evening at a Starbucks near the apartment.

“I take my roommates with me,” Ms. Yoo went on to say, “because there’s no way I’m going to meet him alone, and as we’re walking to the apartment with the keys he calls me on the whole thing again. He literally said something to the effect of, ‘You’re not comfortable with me because you’re Asian,’ and I’m like, ‘No, I’m a young woman alone in the city.’ ”
“Brokers always provide you with an experience you never forget,” she concluded wryly.

Some young graduates forgo the rental scene altogether, hopping from one couch or futon to the next, hoping their friendships and their welcomes don’t wear out too quickly.

Lani Fortier, 24, spent eight months of her first year out of the University of Connecticut (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/u/university_of_connecticut/index.html?inline=nyt-org) in the Mercy Ships program, which uses former ocean liners-turned-floating hospitals to provide medical treatment to developing nations.

When Ms. Fortier joined, her ship was moored off Liberia, where in addition to assisting the ship’s doctors, Ms. Fortier played on the Liberian women’s soccer team and rebuilt an orphanage that had lost all its funding.
Ms. Fortier and a business partner are now in Manhattan starting their own charity, Charityis.com (http://charityis.com/), to pay for projects like Mercy Ships. Ms. Fortier, who said she hopes to make $500 a week once the charity is operating, is sleeping on a futon in the postage-stamp-size West Village living room of her best friend from New Hampshire, and another roommate, Jessica Flint, an editorial assistant at Vanity Fair.

Ms. Flint, who has lived in four apartments in four years since graduating from Miami University in Ohio (including a room in the apartment of an unemployed woman who’d racked up $1,000 in cable charges she tried to foist on Ms. Flint) has a particular soft spot for Ms. Fortier.

Ms. Flint also offers advice to newbie Manhattanites: she and her friend Cate Edwards, daughter of John Edwards (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/e/john_edwards/index.html?inline=nyt-per), the 2004 Democratic vice-presidential candidate, have a blog, www.urbanistaonline.com (http://www.urbanistaonline.com/), a kind of Zagat (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/z/zagat_survey/index.html?inline=nyt-org)-like lifestyle guide.

“My experience was so bad,” Ms. Flint said, “I feel fine about Lani staying here.”

One morning last week the two new roommates were perched on “Lani’s room,” a black futon Ms. Flint bought last year. Ms. Fortier’s possessions were tucked inside her sister’s red suitcase, which was parked demurely in the long front hall of the apartment. She left many of her things in Africa, she said, including her own suitcase. “In hindsight, giving away most of my clothes was maybe not a good thing,” she mused.

Ms. Fortier will stay as long as she’s welcome, which, judging from Ms. Flint’s demeanor, could be many months. She’s been living out of a bag for so long, she said, it’s no hardship. “And this is a very nice futon,” she said, patting it approvingly. “Nice and thick!”

Ms. Flint’s own tiny room is rather stunning, with canvases painted in lavender and pale green and laid out like a puzzle on one wall, a chandelier that pours like a baby fountain from the ceiling and sheer lavender curtains she’s stenciled with a few lines from “The Great Gatsby.”
It’s the part about how Manhattan looks from the Queensboro Bridge, though Ms. Flint has substituted the word “penthouse” for the bridge because “last year I lived in a penthouse,” she explained, and then quoted her version.

“The city seen from the penthouse is always the city seen for the first time,” it reads, “in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world.”

Ms. Flint is very happy to be home.

Finding an Apartment Without Being Taken

THE best sources for apartment listings in Manhattan (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/classifieds/realestate/locations/newyork/newyorkcity/manhattan/?inline=nyt-geo) are online, at craigslist.org (http://craigslist.org/) and backpage.com (http://backpage.com/), the Village Voice’s listings. As a result of efforts by volunteers who police Craigslist for listing abuses, and the attention of the site’s founder, Craig Newmark, bad behavior on Craigslist is diminishing. Backpage may still be a bit unruly, said Jonas Sigle, chief technical director at the rental agency Manhattan Apartments Inc. and one of many self-appointed “policemen” trawling Craigslist.

Since June, another factor that has cut down on listing mayhem is the $10 charge that Mr. Newmark has required of all fee apartments posted on his listing service. The charge has winnowed down a big annoyance: multiple postings of the same apartment by the same agent. Since new postings appear higher on the Craigslist Web page, repeated postings of the same apartment were a Darwinian strategy followed by most agents, resulting in a blizzard of listings. (Almost as quickly as the $10 charge policy was initiated, many agents began posting on owner-only sites, where no charges are levied.)

Not all agents are rogues, of course. In evaluating an agent, Mr. Sigle recommends looking out for someone “who knows the product, knows what kind of accounts — or landlords — are going to accept what kind of application.” In other words, he said, “will they take students or someone who needs a guarantor? Someone who is clear and honest and upfront.”
Beware of agents who will not disclose their agencies; you want the protection of a customer service department or an office manager should something go awry.

Leroy Frazier, a special prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, said that the amount of outright fraud in the rental market has remained constant from year to year, and mostly has to do with people offering apartments that don’t exist or don’t belong to them.

“I would certainly advise not renting an apartment entirely online,” he said. “I would inspect the apartment, and while inspecting it, I would try and talk to a neighbor or, better, the super — someone who can document that you’ve been there.” Always create a paper trail with certified checks or a credit card, never cash.

It’s a big red flag, he said, if someone tries to talk you out of doing any of the above.

[arh30]

Hi, my best friend and I have been wanting to move to new york for awhile now. We've decided to save up and try to move there by next summer. We both will be attending school and working (she's 21 and i'm 20).

Here's my questions:

1.)We would like to live in a somewhat safe area and not pay an outrageous monthly rent. (perhaps somewhere in the $800-1200 range) Will it be possible to find anything in this range in a somewhat decent area?? I've found some places online in Harlem, Washington Heights, Brooklyn, etc..but i've heard not so nice things about these places in the past. Do you have any suggestions of areas?

2.) Is it reasonable to think that after moving there we could both finds jobs, jobs that would give us enough money to live in new york? How's the job market?

We're just two young florida girls who want to move to the city and live up our dreams. Any help/suggestions/ideas would be great!! I feel so lost right now, and the internet doesn't seem to be providing as much information as I'd hoped.

(p.s. this fourm has helped me a lot though!):D

[ryan]

$800-$1200 is a bit low. Brooklyn's a big place - can you be more specific?

There are lots of jobs - people move here all the time and make it, so I'm sure you can too. It might be kind of hard, but if you really want to be here, you'll make it happen.

[arh30]

$800-$1200 is a bit low. Brooklyn's a big place - can you be more specific?

There are lots of jobs - people move here all the time and make it, so I'm sure you can too. It might be kind of hard, but if you really want to be here, you'll make it happen.

One place I found was at "park place at nostrand ave & bedford aves"..And I keep seeing a bunch in Harlem also. I hate to sound so clueless about these neighborhoods, but in general what are your thoughts on them? Is it reasonable to think I could live there safely? I've lived in some pretty bad areas before but I don't want to get myself into any bad situations either.

It's possible that we might look for a more pricier place. We are both willing to do what it takes to make it and I know that we can. I just don't know where to start up there.

We will be visiting the city in december..any reccomendations of places to look or visit would be great too.

[lofter1]

Look for places somewhat close to subway stops -- they'll no doubt be a bit pricier but come winter those few extra blocks can get ya.

[nydreamer83]

Hello fellow future New Yorkers--

I intend on moving to NYC as soon as a job situation works on..quite soon..

ive browsed through alot of the topics..but didnt see this unusual question...forgive if i skipped it....coming from PA, where the cost of living is around 20% LESS....and tax situation is different...would anyone be able to estimate a typical weekly salary after taxes? for $35k a year, or $45k, or even $55k a year? maybe even $65k? give or take..my industry's salaries are all over the place...i have no dependants or anything else that affects how taxes are taken out...thanks for any info...you guys are quite helpful

[ryan]

Salary.com might give you some useful information (but it's self-reported, so don't take it too seriously). I wouldn't know how to guess at an average salary, and my mom taught me not to talk about money, so...

I know people who are happy with $20k and people who make 6 figures and complain about being broke.

[nydreamer83]

hi Ryan,

thanks for your response..

its not about being happy, its about paying my bills in FULL on TIME!! haha...thats all...hopefully i get a salary that makes that possible..i dont live an extravagant lifestyle...so we shall see...thanks!

[ryan]

I'm a bit confused about all these salary/cost of living questions. We're all just random people who live in NYC - we're not statisticians or relocation professionals. I could tell you salary ranges for my field, but I don't think you should listen to my (or any other random forumer's) uninformed guess at the median income in NYC. I suggest you look at job postings in your field, or find a forum or professional organization's site in your field to find useful information.

In general, you'll get better answers to specific questions like "what are rent ranges for Astoria?" For general information, please start at page one of this thread and read through - there's been dozens of posts on lots of threads about decent neighborhoods.

[justin]

Hi ,

I'm starting a new job at Fordham in January and am just starting to look for a convenient 1BR apartment. I'm looking for a safe neighborhood with good local food shopping, within easy walking distance or subway/Metro North ride from Fordham's Bronx campus. I'd appreciate getting some idea of what neighborhoods to look at, what price range to expect, and how to go about finding an apt. online.

Thanks,
justin

[ablarc]

I'm starting a new job at Fordham in January...
How are professors' salaries these days?

[justin]

Fancy bumping into you here, ablarc! The salaries are pretty good, given that you work ~10 hrs a week and have a 3-month vacation. Relative to NYC rents, though...

justin

[ablarc]

^ You need a wife to support you.

Glad you're finally making it to New York. I detected a certain yearning...

[surferjackie]

Hi all,

I'm so glad to have found this forum as so many of my questions have been answered.

I'm planning to move to NYC from Honolulu, Hawaii, in February next year. I'll be receiving my MBA in marketing and I'm hoping to find a job that's related to my degree. Several questions:

- Is it worth it to line up interviews in the week before Christmas or is it better to just save the money and move out there in February without a job and start looking when I get there? (Ticket and accomodation for that week will cost me more than $1000)

- Is it gonna be difficult getting a job in the marketing/PR industry for a fresh graduate with not much work experience?

- I have excellent references from landlords here in Hawaii. Is that good enough to find an apartment without employment verification/paystubs/guarantors etc?

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Jackie

[Rob73]

Here is the link to a web site with excellent resources on finding an apartment in New York City; Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens etc. It also offers advice on preparing to search for your apartment.

http://www.apartmentrentalnewyorkny.info (http://www.apartmentrentalnewyorkny.info/)

[tha_monsta]

Hi all

I've read through the past 40 pages of this thread and found it very helpful -- thanks to all who have shared their knowledge.

I am considering taking a job in NYC in the next 1-3 months. The job would be on Madison Ave. and pay right around $100,000.

I would love to live in Manhattan, but I have a wife and a new baby to support. From what I've read, $100,000 might not go too far.

I'm willing to live anywhere that would allow me to be within an hour commute of work via public transport. I enjoy culture and theatre, but my family has to come first. I also like diversity and urban lifestyle.

I think I'll probably rent for a while to get a feel for things, and then maybe consider buying if it's at all possible.

I'd appreciate any suggestions on cities/neighborhoods within an hour of the city with decent prices. A good elementary school would be nice too.

Thanks very much.

[Schadenfrau]

You are a prime candidate for Park Slope, my friend.

[mjsmjs]

Hi. Im 26 and just got a job in western nassau county on long island. Rather than live in that area I am considering moving somewhere in Queens or Brooklyn and commuting east. Anyone ever done this? Have any reccomendations about neighborhoods that would be nice for someone my age? Thanks

[antinimby]

What sort of commuting are you doing, auto or trains?

If you are driving, I suggest you go with Queens instead of Brooklyn because the drive will be tough.

If you plan on taking the LIRR, then Brooklyn is a possiblity.

As for BK and QNS neighborhoods, they can't be categorized according to age groups as you have asked about. Ethnic and racial groups are the predominant differences bet. the neighborhoods. There are a few exceptions of course but generally that is the case.

[OmegaNYC]

Another Rule. Stay off the BQE. You don't wanna get caught there during rush hour.....

[MrSpice]

Hi. Im 26 and just got a job in western nassau county on long island. Rather than live in that area I am considering moving somewhere in Queens or Brooklyn and commuting east. Anyone ever done this? Have any reccomendations about neighborhoods that would be nice for someone my age? Thanks

Forest Hills, Rego Park or Kew Gardens areas of Queens - close to Long Island and relatively nice

[penetrode]

Hello all!

I know this has probably been touched on many times, but here it goes...

I'll be moving to NY next November ('07). I will be staying with a friend in the city until I find work. I am an accountant and I don't think it'll be too difficult to find work. As soon as I get settled in with a job, my girlfriend will be re-locating to NY as well. As soon as we find a place to live, she'll be looking for a job (commericial real estate)

Few Q's
I'll be looking for places to live in and around les, hells kitchen,chelsea

550-600 Sq ft with small dogs allowed. I'm expecting depending on the location an average of $2100????

Any pointers or suggestions would be much appreciated!

Thanks guys!

[ryan]

Hi. Im 26 and just got a job in western nassau county on long island. Rather than live in that area I am considering moving somewhere in Queens or Brooklyn and commuting east. Anyone ever done this? Have any reccomendations about neighborhoods that would be nice for someone my age? Thanks

"Cool" neighborhoods for your demographic in Queens include Long Island City, Jackson Heights & Astoria.

[Front_Porch]

one of the few actual cities on Long Island, racially and economically mixed, lots of young people (especially in the West End), beautiful beach, bit of a surfer/party vibe.

[milleniumcab]

Forest Hills, Rego Park or Kew Gardens areas of Queens - close to Long Island and relatively nice

I agree and add Middle Village to them... Good commute east, if driving ...Driving back home could, once in a while, be tough though...

[BRT]

Any pointers or suggestions would be much appreciated!

Thanks guys!

I'd suggest that you start by just getting an idea of the kind of stuff that's out there. Search broker sites like corcoran and citihabitats, search craigslist, etc.. How familiar are you with the city? It might also help you to look at new york mag, village voice, etc.. to get info on neighborhoods. And depending on your familiarity level, taking a trip up for 2-3 days at some point for no purpose other than just exploring neighborhoods would be great.

You're still a loooong way from needing to make decisions on housing. Rental stock moves quickly. Plan on having a place no more than a couple of months prior to your ultimate move date, a month or inside is usually even better. But you also need to be prepared to usually make a decision on the day you see an apartment, they are rarely on the market long.

If you have a couple of weeks and a place to stay, you can find a place without a broker. It just takes a little bit more legwork and savvy. Another broker-less option is to go for one of the really big apartment buildings that have their own leasing office; drawbacks here are that this limits your choice, the buildings are generally less interesting, and not bargain-priced compared to similar spaces so arguably some of the broker expense is folded into the rent. But if you have more money than time, a broker helps. I used one for this reason, and I'm glad I did, I got a great place with limited hassle.

You should have your job lined up prior to beginning this search, for a couple of reasons. First, landlords generally want to see that you gross at least 40x or so the monthly rent. Second, it makes a big difference on the commute. If you're working around columbus circle, the east village might as well be in another state; parts of hell's kitchen can equal hellish commute for parts of MTE.

For the neighborhoods you listed and apartment description you can realistically find something for $2100. $2500 would increase your options. Another neighborhood to consider with ample stock in this price range is Yorkville. It's not the most transportation convenient neighborhood in the world but there are a lot of amenities, and the apartments are in the same price range as HK/LES. But going back to the earlier point, if you're working on the west side of the city, Yorkville could make for a really unpleasant commute.

Best of luck!

[daver]

In response to some general questions about taxes and whatnot, I can offer the following: I live in NYC (SI) and work in NJ currently. I make low six figures. I claim four deductions. For withholding I have 13.1% fed tax, 6.2% socsec tax, and 1.45% medicare. I assume these would be the same anywhere. I also have withheld 5.8% NY state tax, 3.35% NY city tax, and 0.9% NJ SUI/SDI tax. These are decently in excess of what I paid for similar taxes in Phoenix AZ.

Other things to consider besides housing costs:

* Sales tax is 8.25%. This is not much more than PHX, but is lot more than it is in other parts of the country. Sales tax is more freakly and inequally applied out here than in other places I have been, however. For instance, in what I understand to be an effort to stop people from fleeing to NJ to buy clothes, you can currently buy reasonably priced clothes in NYC and pay NO sales tax.

* Many everyday items you use will cost more out here. Like I mean everything. Make sure you figure that into your equations.

* If you are planning on going sans auto, make sure you plan for transit costs. Buses and subways in NYC are $2, and you can transfer about. This is a good deal. Express buses from say Staten Island to Manhattan are $5, no transfer. Buses in NJ can be pricey. I can commute from the Staten Island railway over the ferry and to anywhere in Manhattan for $2. I catch a bus from Times Square to NJ for $3.10. This costs me a total of $10.20 per day round trip. The same trip via auto costs me between $11.40 and $16.40 per day in tolls, plus fuel and upkeep, insurance and whatnot.

* Auto insurance in NYC is pricey. You can get deals if you search A LOT. Even deals are pricey. Many insurers don't even want to write policies in NYC. There is a reason for this. Make sure to go on Geico.com or progressive.com or whatever you like if you are planning on insuring your car out here to at least get an idea of what you are in for.

* If you want to play, ya gotta pay. There are many very cool free things to do in NYC. There are also a lot of very expensive things. If you have a family, costs can add up quick. Make sure you are leaving some cash in your budget.

* Schools out here are good and advanced. If you are transferring kids from other parts of the country, be prepared for them to possibly be behind and need some catch-up.

Well, gotta catch the bus, at least a few things off the top of my head. :D

[Lance]

I'll be moving to NY at the end of the year and working in the Grand Central Station area of Midtown. I'm looking for areas of the City to explore as places to live the next time I take a trip up there.

I have a non-working wife and baby and a job that is pretty back end loaded for compensation. I would like to be relatively close to work (commute wise) because I'll be working long hours and want to spend as much time with my family as possible.

I've explored areas of Manhattan and pretty much decided that I'd like to live in the UWS if I can find something. However, I've decided that I need to start looking at other areas outside of Manhattan too in the event I can't find what I want in the UWS.

I've looked a bit at Park Slope and would appreciate some help on finding other family friendly areas with a relatively decent commute to Midtown. Any suggestions? Looking for strollers and family friendly activities versus an active social scene. Thanks.

[Schadenfrau]

Try the Yorkville area of the UES. You will be working on the east side, right? The commute across town is a pain.

[Front_Porch]

(Disclosure: downtown r.e. agent, mostly Chelsea and the Village)

You might want to try Battery Park City, too: lots of playground and similar family (dad works on bonus job, wife is SAHM) situations.

ali r.

[Lance]

I've read a little about the Yorkville area but not much. I'll check it out. Yeah, I'll be working on the east side...close to Grand Central Terminal.

Didn't realize the commute would be tough from UWS to that part of town. Is it a pain b/c you have to switch trains?

[Schadenfrau]

It's a pain because no trains run from east-west/west-east anywhere above 42nd Street.

You could always switch to the 7 at 42nd, but the lack of cross-town trains uptown is a drag.

[AJ25]

Hi,

I'm a Dental ceramist and am looking to move to the city or a nearby suburb(subway it into work).

Does anyone know anbody who owns/works in a Dental lab or any good agencies that focus on this area?

Also if i were to work in the city but live in a suburb, can anyone recommend anywhere that would be a good family place and easy train into the city?

Thanks:D

[Schadenfrau]

The subway doesn't run outside of the city limits, so if you were living in a suburb, you would be taking a commuter train.

Would you be looking to buy or rent in the suburbs? Would you have a car? How many children do you have? What would you be willing to pay?

Sorry to bombard you, but we need more specifics.

[AJ25]

No children at the moment, rent at first, anything up to $2,500 pm, may have a car

[Schadenfrau]

I wouldn't worry about living in a family-oriented neighborhood if you don't have children right now. For that amount of rent, you'll definitely be able to find something within city limits, and near, if not in, Manhattan.

[AJ25]

Excellent.

Does anyone know anyone who works in or owns a dental lab?:D

[NYC244]

i do not have questions as i already moved 4 yrs ago(almost),but would like to share my little story.
well,i 've been living in calif since the end of the 80's and i have never really expected to live anywhere else.untill 2001.in fact,untill the sept,11th of 2001-to be exact.i have no clue to this day,what made me wanna move to nyc after i saw this terrible thing happened.it's like someone told me that one day i will be part of this beautiful city...
so with time passing by i became very interested in ny,always finding myself looking at the ny pics.one day(8 mos after my thought crossed my mind)my ccousin invited me to come and visit.and i did.i remember ,after we lended on jfk,and when pilot said-if this is youe home-welcome home and if you're here to visit,have a pleasant stay-i wished to be one of those in the first group,welcomed home..and i just knew that next time i will lend,i will be at home.i knew,one day ,this will be my home.i stayed one week and went back to cali.i had a job there,friends,long term partner-father of my kids and everything...but i just wanted to leave all that and come to ny,which means-start everything from zero.
it took me crazy few mos to plan everything,i went through a lot of stress,trying to get cust. over my kids because my bf wouldn't let me leave and it took me a lots of sleepless nights ,lotsa nerves but i made it.i moved to ny just few mos later.and i did lend the second time to jfk and was welcomed home as i wished for.
today, i am here,i have a nice job,my family is here,my kids...people i like and cherrish are here...i love ny.i love the city...and i am so happy i decided to break away...something i have lost,but i have gained much more...so my advice to all of you who truly wanna come here and stay for good-do it.you won't regret.this city is extremely lovable...and when you get to know him,you'll never trust those people who talk negative and complain about well known ny attitude.
by the way i am new to this forum so hello to everyone.straight from the bx!

[NYC244]

Not all of the BX is crime ridden. The north Bronx is nice and diverse. Good Luck! :)

yes!i live by jacobi med ctr and it's just beautiful here!

[NYC244]

Public schools in the East Bronx are fine. The troubled schools are mostly in the south and central portions of the Bronx. There are excellent public schools in Morris Park, Throgs Neck, Pelham Bay and Country Club, which are all nice, safe East Bronx neighborhoods.

ps 108 is very good and in nice area.my daughter goes there.

[jwolf2277]

Moving to new york in a year or so. I have a few questions. Im currently 23. Living in Ohio. Im wanting to move to new york in the next year to year and a half. I will have about 7000-10000 saved by then. No debt. Here are my questions.

Where is the best place to even start looking for a job? I do have a associates degree in business management (might also get a minor in networking by then) from miami university. I should also a certificat in personal training by this time. What should I expect when it comes to jobs with my degree? I work with a computer dispatch program so im pretty good with a computer (the basics no programming stuff). Is it easy to just come out there and find a job or does it take some time?

I still have time to research living there and the expenses so no questions about that yet. My biggest concern is finding a job that will pay the bills. Dont need all the expensive stuff (no car, or eating out all the time).

Thanks for any help.

[antinimby]

jwolf, it's all about job experience.
Without it, it'll be tougher.
Work on that.
Don't wait till you get here to look, try applying months before you get here.

$10,000 won't last very long in this city. You might want to look into sharing an apt. with roommates.


Welcome to the forum, NYC244.
Those are very encouraging words. :)

[summergurl18]

Hi,
can any of you guys help me with this.
i'm living in south africa, and turning 18 soon,
I wanna move to nyc, how do you sujest i get a green card?
more so, if i wanted to come to new york city to work like
internships, waitressing etc, do you know how i can do that?


thanks

[NYC244]

GREEN CARD IS a big of a problem...once you get that,everything else is easy..i guess.

[couplefromtexas]

Me and my wife are thinking of relocating to NYC to attend school. Can anyone give us advice on if we will be able to find something for 1500 or less in Mnahattan. All the links I can find to rental buildings are way out of our price range. Im sure there are good deals out there, any help on how to find them would be appreciated.

Also what parts of town would you advise to avoid looking at?

[lofter1]

If you're really lucky you might be able to find a sublet for that amount -- but most likely that would be through friends or associates as anything at that price level will get grabbed up quickly.

[Front_Porch]

You'll be able to find one-bedrooms in that price range in "Upper Manhattan" -- North of 110th Street. Neighborhoods to look at include Harlem, East Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood. Transportation and safety can be issues — just check out some of the debate on this board over Harlem — so be sure you visit before you lease.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

[kliq6]

1500 or less will put you in Washington Height and parts of harlem, good luck

[ryan]

This should really be in the moving to NY thread (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5632&page=42).

[sarah t]

hi, looking for a little insight here....

I will be graduating with my masters in elementary education in December. I am looking to move to NYC to teach sometime during the spring months. how hard (or easy??) is it to get a job in an elementary school? I know there's a lot of shortage areas (mostly in high school areas) that are looking for teachers, but what about at the elementary level? I have been working in daycare for about 4 years but no actual experience teaching in a "real" school yet.

also--if you get hired, do you have any say in which school you will teach in or do they just place you wherever? what are some good elementary schools? i'm thinking somewhere in the greenwich village area or even brooklyn... greenpoint area.

thanks!!!

[NunoLinhares]

Hi,

I just signed a contract with the US-branch of my company. This is a dutch company (www.tridion.com) which opened an office in NY last march. We're doing great, making plenty of money, etc.

This means I'll be moving to NY in January, but I have no clue how stuff works in the US, so I'm looking for advice in:
- Finding a decent bank, which allows me to do international money transfers through the Internet
- Finding a decent place to live in (I'll be making small 6 digits a year, so I hope I can rent a decent place for 30 - 40% of my salary)
- General stuff for Europeans moving to US: other europeans' experience and things I must be aware of

TIA

Nuno

[milleniumcab]

[quote=NunoLinhares;126654]Hi,

I just signed a contract with the US-branch of my company. This is a dutch company (www.tridion.com (http://www.tridion.com)) which opened an office in NY last march. We're doing great, making plenty of money, etc.

This means I'll be moving to NY in January, but I have no clue how stuff works in the US, so I'm looking for advice in:
- Finding a decent bank, which allows me to do international money transfers through the Internet[quote/]


My bank is Commerce Bank and I love it. Friendly service that's available 7 days a week.. They have free online banking and I don't see why international money transfer should be a problem.. You better ask them just to make sure

- Finding a decent place to live in (I'll be making small 6 digits a year, so I hope I can rent a decent place for 30 - 40% of my salary)[quote/]


Let's assume you will be making $120,000.00 per year...30% of that is $36,000.00... If you are willing to pay $3,000.00 a month to rent a place in NYC, you will have a nice place to live in..

- General stuff for Europeans moving to US: other europeans' experience and things I must be aware of[qoute/]


In USA, it is customary to tip people who provide you a service...Proper tip is anywhere from 15% to 20% and even higher for exceptional service...:D

[milleniumcab]

^^^Darn it, why was I not able to disect my comments?. Can anybody help me one more time..Ablarc, Ninja hedge or anybodyelse, what did I do wrong?...

[NunoLinhares]

Thanks milleniumcab, 3000/month is pretty much my target for rents.

I'll start looking around for places on the net and will be flying in and out of NY until the end of this year, so I'll have the time to check out a few places before I move in.

The tips are something that - at least - are clearer in the US than here. In Europe you don't _have_ to tip anyone, but nevertheless it is expected in some countries while in others not, so it's really a mess.

Thanks again!

Nuno

[lofter1]

^^^Darn it, why was I not able to disect my comments?. Can anybody help me one more time..Ablarc, Ninja hedge or anybodyelse, what did I do wrong?...

one way to do it is to cut & paste the quote / unquote stuff ...


^^^Darn it

and ...

disect my comments?

(If you click "reply" on this it will reveal how it looks )

[Front_Porch]

Hi,

I'll be moving to NY in January, but I have no clue how stuff works in the US, so I'm looking for advice in:
- Finding a decent bank, which allows me to do international money transfers through the Internet

- Finding a decent place to live in (I'll be making small 6 digits a year, so I hope I can rent a decent place for 30 - 40% of my salary)
- General stuff for Europeans moving to US: other europeans' experience and things I must be aware of


I second the Commerce Bank recommendation, they're pretty wonderful.

Your expectations for rent are way too high. Landlords will probably want you to earn 45-50 times your monthly rent; while 40% of your income as rent might be feasible, it's unlikely anyone would take you as a tenant.

Also, an NYC landlord is going to need to run your credit. Go to www.irs.gov and look up the instructions for applying for an ITN, which you'll use to file American taxes and which landlords will also use for a credit check in place of a Social Security Number.

good luck!

ali r.

[Lance]

Does that 45 -50X only include salary or would they also consider signing bonues, guaranteed year end bonuses, etc?

[Front_Porch]

Does that 45 -50X only include salary or would they also consider signing bonues, guaranteed year end bonuses, etc?

It's not one firm line in the sand, but a shifting standard. It depends, first, on who the landlord is. Are you dealing with a straight apartment rental or a sublet of an existing co-op or condo?

Secondly, this sounds spamish, but on a small deal the broker might matter. I can get a landlord who works with our firm a lot to soften his or her standards a little, if we otherwise present a good package.

Thirdly, it's ok to discriminate against foreign nationals. I just worked with a Canadian client and found that she got a lot of cold shoulders despite good credit, solid employment contract, lovely interviewee. And visa status matters: some foreign nationals are considered better risks than others. So I just wanted to advise the original poster, a foreigner, that he or she will have to meet stricter standards than an American would.

For an American, I'd say quick rule of thumb is that signing bonuses don't count, but guaranteed year-end bonuses do.

But, fourthly (is that even a word?) I think that standard would shift depending upon employment. Although it is a violation of city law to discriminate on basis of occupation, if a lawyer and a banker go after the same apartment, the landlord might tilt the playing field however she or he had to so that the banker would win.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

[g-baby]

hey,whats the story,i am new here so give us a chance:) i am 24 and from Dublin,Ireland.i was thinking of moving to NYC soon and looking for advice on jobs.i am an electrician but don"t want to do that in NYC,just wanted to know how hard it is to get a job in a bar if u do not have a lot of experiance or what other jobs are handy to come across.Thanks:cool:

[milleniumcab]

hey,whats the story,i am new here so give us a chance:) i am 24 and from Dublin,Ireland.i was thinking of moving to NYC soon and looking for advice on jobs.i am an electrician but don"t want to do that in NYC,just wanted to know how hard it is to get a job in a bar if u do not have a lot of experiance or what other jobs are handy to come across.Thanks:cool:

There are quite a few lined up for pubs. What is wrong with electrician?...

[lofter1]

A good conscientious electrician is always in demand.

But then so is a good conscientious bartender ...

[g-baby]

been an electrician for 5 years now just wanted to try something different,i am not just looking to work in a bar,i would work at any job that was handy to come across.Also i am trying to get a visa but they are very hard to obtain,some people have told me to just go without one,just wanted to know what u think of this?,thanks a lot for your replies to my other question:cool:

[countdrak]

I am moving from a small midwest town to NY for work. I will be working in Harrison NY in westchester county, and my wife might be getting a job in manhattan.

We don't know or cant decide where to live. My top priority is safety and rent in the range of $1000-1500. Everyone I talk to has a different opnion. I would also want to keep my car.

Some people suggested living in manhattan , so atleast one of us is close to their jobs. Some suggested NJ, others Queens. That pretty much covers everything!! Couple of places I was looking at were in Forest Hills , Astoria Queens. Or White Plains in westchester county. I was told I could drive from Queens to Harrison because i will be going against the traffic and will be fairly close to the city. I have some family in forest hills, hence I picked it in Queens.

I am totally confused any help would be great. What would be the best place for us, safety, rent and commute in that order.

[easyide]

Hey all, I've noticed this has become a very popular thread here on Wired New York. I'm also very interested in moving to NYC. When? Well that has yet to be discussed.
Since I've seen so many people with the same questions and plans I just started a group on Yahoo! just for people like us. This group I feel can be a great starting point for all of us who are SERIOUS about making the move to the great NYC. I'll be the first to admit, the group looks a little raw right now, but I encourage people to join and if anybody wants to help me out with ideas and what not, let me know.

I figured it'd be kind of fun if a few good people could come up with a solid plan to move out. A set date, place, roomates. Hey, maybe you'll be able to find your future roomate in the group, maybe you can meet up and share the costs of moving out there.

I know it may sound like I'm moving fast here, but I really think this could be a good thing. If you know anybody thats in this similar situation encourage them to join. If you know of other message boards online similar to this post the groups address on there.

So lets get this going, join up, let me know what you think!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nyc_relocation/

[Stugots315]

Wow what a task it can be with moving to the NYC area! I have searched this thread and found some great info but I would like to ask some more specific questions that perhaps somebody could give me some guidance on. First I will be working a block away from the empire state building. Now I have been told that I should look to live in Jersey City, White Plains, or New Rochelle. Perferably I would like to live in a Italian neighborhood where the rent is not astronomically high. I am just looking for a safe place to get started in and then move from there. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance!!!

[ryan]

Somebody more knowledgable can tell you about Arthur ave in the Bronx, which is apparantly the more vital Italian-American neighborhood in the city. You could also look around Graham Avenue in Williamsburg. It's overpriced, but you might find a deal.

[NYC244]

YOU'RE wrong about arthur ave in the bx. long time ago-yes...vital italian neighborhood,but today-you can count italians by fingers on your hands...:mad: Somebody more knowledgable can tell you about Arthur ave in the Bronx, which is apparantly the more vital Italian-American neighborhood in the city. You could also look around Graham Avenue in Williamsburg. It's overpriced, but you might find a deal.

[Schadenfrau]

Why does that make you angry enough to post an emoticon, NYC244?

It's not an Italian-majority neighborhood, but there are certainly more than ten Italian-Americans living there.

[PiNk]

Wow, this forum has answered quite a few questions and brought up new ones in my mind. I'm currently living in Birmingham, Alabama and want to eventually move to New York. My boyfriend is not as enthusiastic about the idea but I know he'll come around. Anyways, I'm not really concerned with safety of the area because my city is listed as number six on the 25 worst crime cities. And everywhere is subject to atleast a little crime. I do want a descent neighborhood and I'm completely aware I won't be finding any cozy little three bedroom two bath homes like I live in now. However as far as appeal of the apartments I've been looking at on craigslist, everything seems so much nicer than what you would get down here, so that kinda makes up for the steeper prices.
Anyways my questions are this-I have two cars and realized it wouldn't be logical to bring both but I would still like to bring one-is it worth it? Or is transit just the best way to go? How is parking? And I keep hearing there's wifi access everywhere there-is that true? Can you literally just open up your notebook and have internet? I'm not real clear on the whole wifi thing even though my laptop has it-the only place around here with wireless internet is starbucks and the drivethrus there are just so much more appealing...
Also, how bad is my southern hospitality going to be taken there? I have a force of habit to saying yes ma'am and sir. My boss whose from upstate new york finds this hilarious.
I have many more questions but I won't bug you all with them right now.

[lofter1]

... I have two cars and realized it wouldn't be logical to bring both but I would still like to bring one-is it worth it? Or is transit just the best way to go? How is parking?

Leave the cars down south. You can always bring ONE up here later. It will be an unneeded expense and huge headache. Lots of posts in various threads about the nightmare of cars in NYC.



... how bad is my southern hospitality going to be taken there? I have a force of habit to saying yes ma'am and sir. My boss whose from upstate new york finds this hilarious.

We might find it hilarious, too -- but in a good way. Good manners certainly won't get in your way. (And will probably get knocked out of you after a couple of months in NYC, anyway).

[ablarc]

Good manners certainly won't get in your way. (And will probably get knocked out of you after a couple of months in NYC, anyway).
New Yorkers like to make this claim, and it was once true. Times change.

I live in the South, and I find New Yorkers are now as courteous as Southerners. (And deep down they're friendlier, you might eventually find.)

Myths die hard when they're carefully tended.

[milleniumcab]

Anyways my questions are this-I have two cars and realized it wouldn't be logical to bring both but I would still like to bring one-is it worth it? Or is the transit just the better way to go? How is parking?

Let me welcome you to NYC, whenever you decide to move.. Cars are nothing but trouble here, so leave them there for now and see how it goes..

And also, I drive a cab and get to chat with many tourists from all over. Most think New Yorkers are friendlier than they've heard. So don't worry, you'll fit right in....

[mikewazowski]

Hey everyone

I'll spare you the details but I've recently split with my long-term partner and am really looking to get away.
I went to New York city for a week in September and immediately fell in love with the place. I so desperately want to go back I was thinking about going again for a week with a mate over the Christmas period, but unfortunatley I am unable to get the time off work.

I know it's only been a couple of months since I came back from New York so naturally I would still be suffering from the sentimental side of missing the holiday, but something is different here. Everytime I think about the city I get depressed and just want to be back there. Even when I was with my girlfriend I used to harp on about it, much to her dismay. I always felt there was something missing in my life and now that we have seperated I feel the time has come to make that step in my life and to finally fulfil a secret life-long dream.

Ideally I'd like to convince a mate to come out with me but I am prepared to go it alone if need be.
I have a pretty well paid job here in the UK but do not have much money saved at all at the moment. I have been forced to move back in with my parents so hopefully that will give me the opportunity to save some cash. I'd be looking to stay out there for about 6 months to a year. Obviously get a job but as it wouldn't be long long-term I would not be too worried about career prospects. Just something that pays the bills and gives me enough money to do my own thing in the big apple. Obviously I have not set my sights on living in Manhatten, I'd prefer to relocate to the surrounding boroughs. The cheaper the better in my book but with a sensible distance to NYC.

I'm basically looking for any advice anybody is willing to give me, apart from that I will need to get a green card first. Please reply here or feel free to email or MSN me - all my details should be listed on this forum. It would be great to hear from native New Yorkers or anyone who has spent a lot of time and has a great knowledge of living in the city. It would also be good to speak to a fellow English person who has already done, or is thinking of doing the same thing and already has a few things up their sleeve.

Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing from you

[TarAldarion]

Hello evryone

My name is Aldarion im 22 yrs old and live in Oslo, Norway.
Im planning on moving to NY and live a couple of years(Maybe forever) and have some (many) questions.:confused:

1.What is the average rent prize on a appartment in NY.(about 40-50Squaremeters). is Queens close to manhattan. sounds like a nice place there.i pay about 1200$ in oslo

2.How much to buy an appartment in same size.(Costs about US700.000-800.000$ in Oslo)

3. And if i want to buy can i get a loan in US or do i have to take up a loan in Norway.

4. How is the job market in NY? is it easy to get jobs there as a chef or cook (is educated cook).

5.Whats the average salary per. month.(i earn about 3500$a month wich is 20$an our)

6. Were do i apply for an work permit. (US embassy?)

7. How much does it cost too live in NY (food, taxi, subway, electrisity, etc.) in average a month.

8.and lots of other questions.......

plz just give me whatever info you have, that you think i should know about because i know pretty much nothing.

Thank you......

Aldarion:)

And also, im sorry for my bad writing. talk much better then i write.
And how about taxes?

[lofter1]

welcome to wny, tar ...

your writing in english is far better than 99% of what any of us could do in norwegian ;)

I suggest you try "search" for apartments / salaries / etc., as there a a lot of threads on those topics and you'll probably find that the information is already here, waiting for you to discover it.

[ManhattanKnight]

You can find information about US immigration and work permit requirements at the US Oslo Embassy web site: http://www.usa.no/

[TarAldarion]

[quote=lofter1;130538]welcome to wny, tar ...

your writing in english is far better than 99% of what any of us could do in norwegian ;)

quote]

HEHE guess so but then again you guys don´t learn Norwegian in school:)

[TucsonMedic]

Hi everyone!

I am planning on moving to NYC in the early spring and have been looking for information on jobs/salaries/apartments. I am currently a medic in tucson and I have a BS in Criminal Justice. Thinking about applying with NYPD or maybe just continuing to work as a medic......not sure trying to figure out which would pay more. Not sure if any one knows a little more about these types of jobs in NYC any information would help! Thanks!

[antinimby]

I believe the starting salary for new recruits in the NYPD is very low. Something like below 30K for the first year.

Not sure what medics make, but would think you should be able to make more than that since it looks like you've got experience.

[Schadenfrau]

Are you talking about EMS? You'd make more as a cop after the first six months.

[TarAldarion]

need some answers on previous post!!!!

[TucsonMedic]

Are you talking about EMS? You'd make more as a cop after the first six months.

Yeah EMS........ I checked out the NYPD website and they start at 25 and then after 6 months move up to 32! that is way low especially since the cost of living is so much higher there........ I dont expect the EMS salary to be anything great either :( I am just worried I am not gonna be able to live on that kind of salary there.....unless all i do is work tons of overtime!

anyone know about other law enforcement agencies in the area maybe like the port authority police so i can look up more information?

[antinimby]

I would think that the PA would pay better but there's less of them and may be tougher to get into.

[antinimby]

need some answers on previous post!!!!There were answers to your work permit question, read again.

OK, I'll try my best with your other questions.

1.What is the average rent prize on a appartment in NY.(about 40-50Squaremeters). is Queens close to manhattan. sounds like a nice place there.i pay about 1200$ in osloI'm not sure about rent but 40-50 sq. metres is the equivalent of 430-530 sf.

Others here can give you a better answer.

Yes, Queens is part of the city of New York and is very close by. It is just across the East River from Manhattan. You can take the subway or drive across bridges/tunnel. You can also look at Brooklyn as well.

2.How much to buy an appartment in same size.(Costs about US700.000-800.000$ in Oslo)You can find studios and 1 bedrooms, even new ones, for that price in NY.

3. And if i want to buy can i get a loan in US or do i have to take up a loan in Norway.Better to get one in Norway.

4. How is the job market in NY? is it easy to get jobs there as a chef or cook (is educated cook).Try to look for a job before you get here. Use online sites to look for openings and apply.

[5.Whats the average salary per. month.(i earn about 3500$a month wich is 20$an our)That sounds pretty similar to what one might get here.

6. Were do i apply for an work permit. (US embassy?) This was answered a few posts back.

Thank you......

Aldarion:)

And also, im sorry for my bad writing. talk much better then i write.
And how about taxes?Taxes are high but I'm sure you are used to it being from Europe. Your English is very good, I understood everything you were trying to say. Good luck and come back here to ask more questions if you need to. :)

[ManhattanKnight]

need some answers on previous post!!!!

Please read the 2 that have already been posted. As a general matter, US law does not permit Norwegian nationals (or persons from most other countries) to come here to find employment, with or without a "work permit." Generally speaking again, that is possible only when the foreign person marries a US citizen, has some other family connection with this country, is sponsored by a US employer that can prove that it cannot find any US citizens who are qualified for a job position, or wins one of the very few openings in the annual "DV Lottery." This country used to welcome immigrants; sadly, it no longer does.

[antinimby]

This country used to welcome immigrants; sadly, it no longer does.Legal ones. Illegal ones just walk across. :D

[ManhattanKnight]

Legal ones. Illegal ones just walk across. :D

If he can do that from Norway, he probably has a skill set sufficiently unique to permit him to enter legally.

[antinimby]

Well for Tar, he would just come over on a visitor's permit and not return. Find a girl/guy, get married and then he/she can get a green card. Many have gone this route.

[antinimby]

This might answer a few of the questions about the avg. cost of an apartment in Manhattan.


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November 14 (http://www.therealdeal.net/breaking_news/2006/11/14/1163549303.php), 7:08 pm

Report: high rents, ultra-low vacancy rates in Manhattan


New numbers for October from real estate firm Citi Habitats show high residential rents and low vacancy rates across Manhattan. Borough-wide, the average