Living in New York~may be moving there!

I am currently in the process of interviewing with a company in NYC for a job and if I get offered the position, i'm seriously considering taking it! If all goes well, there's a possiblity that I may be relocating to New York from Houston. I'm super excited about the thought of living in NYC, however I'm going to need a lot of help on places/areas to live. I've already started doing some research, but there's only so much you can do via the internet! I know there are quite a few ladies on here that live in New York and could probably advise me on some things. My main concern is finding an apartment. I know cost of living there is more expensive, and I don't want to be in over my head with that. What are some places that I should look into? Are there any sites I can go on that are great for apartment hunting in NYC? If you currently live in NYC, how has your experience been? Please chime in because this is a HUGE decision for me, and I definitely need all the advice I can get! Thanks!

Hey Natural83, maybe i could be of some help

Well, NYC is a very fast moving place and it takes some getting used to. My advise to regarding places to live your best bet is to find somewhere outside of the city ( Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx) much cheaper than actually the city itself.

Also, each borough has it own unique traits.Brooklyn more hip and can be a little pricey. Queens more family related, but you can find some real cool places to live. Very quite, safe and depends on which part of Queens can also be very hip.
Bronx.. not to familiar but you could always look it up.

Depending on which part of the city you work, it would be best advise to find the transit system that goes there. NYC transit system runs 24/7 and you can go anywhere @ anytime, but if you live/work near the "Trains" it would make life much easier.

If you have any other questions let me know.

@Ladybird Thanks so much for the response! Ive been doing some researching, and from what I've seen, almost ALL the apartments look super crappy! And all the forums I've come across everybody talks like that's just how it is! Is that true? The place where I would be working is on the west side of Midtown Manhattan. I'm willing to commute as long as I have a transit system near as you stated above. Im just not really happy at what I've been seeing on these websites...Geez! Lol! I guess once I know for sure, I'll just have to come out there and really apartment hunt.

Hey girl, yeah. looking @ apartment on a website is totally different from seeing for your self. They can be very small or not close to transportation or not what they say they are.

Have you ever been to NYC? i think you have to physically come and do it yourself to get a feel of what you like. You might be lucky and find something that is not listed or you may have to go through a broker.

HTH

I don't live in NY anymore (not as of 2004), but I still know my way around.

If you'll be working on the west side of midtown, you might consider living in Northern Jersey, Hoboken in particular since it's very close to the part of Manhattan you are going to be working in.

And yes most of the affordable apartments are not going to be the newest or the nicest.. sometimes having an older apartment can be "charming", but most of the times not. I was living in the Bronx, a block from my subway station, in a 2 bedroom apartment with a roommate. We paid $1100/mo, and we took the apartment despite the basketball sized hole in my bedroom door and the refrigerator with the door hanging off of it. It was just too convenient to the train..lol And our upstairs neighbors, all 12 of them, (it was a group of 3 different families renting a two bedroom apartment together) added to the charm.

So yes, do a *lot* of research, but most importantly see for yourself what you're getting yourself into. A week would buy you enough time to get sort of an idea, but I suggest going with someone who already knows their way around so you don't waste time being lost.

@Ladybird Yes, I've been to NYC before, only one time though, and that was when I was in college my sophomore year which was like in 2003. So I know the vibe, but don't know anything about the living. If I do decide to take this job, I most definitely will have to come and look because looking online is making me nervous! Lol! Do you think staying in New Jersey would be better? Do you think I'd get a better bang for my buck? I'm VERY ticky about where I live, you know as far as how the apartments look. I've seen a few apartments in NJ that I like. They seem to be more of what I'm used to.

@BekkaPoo Thanks so much for the suggestions. I was actually looking at some areas in New Jersey and it seems to be more of what I'm looking for. The apartments in NY are sooooo small! A few that I've viewed online in Jersey seem to be more of my style. So what are some areas that are nice in Jersey that would be close to the area that I would be working in? I just checked out that Hoboken area...saw some nice apartments in that area too. Any other suggestions?

Thank y'all so much for helping! I'm really confused, so your advice gives me guidance! Lol!

Hey...Sorry, not to familiar with NJ but if you found something you like...go ahead and give it a try.

Traveling back and forth between NY & NJ is not bad @all. The closer you stay to the city the easier it will be.

Hey Naturua! How exciting! I lived in NYC all my life until 6 yrs ago. It is very different from Houston. Matter of fact it is very different from everywhere, especially living space. Growing up there you are used to it and can really work with the space thanks to ikea. I have lived in all the boroughs except Staten Island and they all have their own vibe. You can also look into sub leasing. Another thing you might try is renting an apartment in a residential home, those would be in all boroughs except Manhattan. Jersey is great, but keep in mind weather. Like the huge amounts of snow they had this winter plus you seem like you would fit into the New York vibe of living.


If you have any other questions feel free to ask. Some starting places are Harlem, Upper East Side, Riverside, Eastside, Tribeca all in Manhattan. Parkslope, Dumbo, downtown Brooklyn too many others, in Queens Flushing, Jamaica, College Point, many hidden treasures there as well. The Bronx I think is the hardest to find the right place bacause there are just as many but apt options are not as available.