NY Associates: Where to live? Forum

[Eco]

^ Alright man, I might be willing to agree with you on the roommate thing. That is actually a good idea if its a nice apartment.

But some people were arguing that he should live in a studio in some shitty part of town. Now you go ahead and tell me that this is not extreme?

[paratactical]

You do realize that NYC =/= DC right? Apartments are a different beast in NYC.

[rayiner]

^ Alright man, I might be willing to agree with you on the roommate thing. That is actually a good idea if its a nice apartment.

But some people were arguing that he should live in a studio in some shitty part of town. Now you go ahead and tell me that this is not extreme?

I think your suggestion (nice 1BR in SoHo that would impress the ladies) is equally extreme. I think you underestimate quite how expensive the combination of nice, single-occupant, apartment in a trendy area can be Manhattan. Taking away one or two of those constraints will drastically reduce the price you pay, but isn't going to impress any chicks.

[Eco]

Maybe I am. But I think you're equally underestimating what 160k can do. Although honestly, judging from your posts you seem to be taking a good moderate view on this. I'm more taking issue with the people suggesting he live as a hermit in a studio apartment in shittown until he pays his loans off.

[NoleinNY]

Is it just me, or is the notion of choosing an apartment straight out of law school on the basis of impressing 20-somethings females absurd? Won't you have time to snag plenty of tail at age 27-30 (instead of 25-28) after paying down your loans and living reasonably?


W/e, disregard that. Sounds too much like player hating (which I don't condone).

[rayiner]

Maybe I am. But I think you're equally underestimating what 160k can do. Although honestly, judging from your posts you seem to be taking a good moderate view on this. I'm more taking issue with the people suggesting he live as a hermit in a studio apartment in shittown until he pays his loans off.

I didn't see anyone espousing hermitism. In NYC a studio ~= being a hermit. The scale is just different. A studio is the equivalent of a 1BR, a 1BR is the equivalent of a 2BR, etc. It's very common in NYC to put up a partition in a 1BR and have two people share it.

At a more general point, if you want to impress ladies as a lawyer NYC is the wrong place for it. I'd suggest Chicago, Atlanta, or SF. In these places you can actually live like you make $160k while saving a reasonable amount.

[Stanford4Me]

You shouldn't live in NY, you should live somewhere like Texas.

[Big Shrimpin]

You shouldn't live in NY, you should live somewhere like Texas.

If only it were so easy. Some of us didn't have a choice after being wrung through the OCI-machine. TBF, I would rather be in NYC biglaw than unemployed!

[itbdvorm]

You do realize that NYC =/= DC right? Apartments are a different beast in NYC.

+1

[Renzo]

Women living in NYC know the score. They're not impressed by lawyer money (there are tons of bankers running around making 2-10x as much), so that's entirely the wrong angle to play. At the same time they also know that NYC is hella expensive and will think nothing of a mid-20's guy making six-figures living with roommates.

Truer words were never spoken.

[Tiago Splitter]

I doubt Eco's buddy, who may have started law school 5-10 years ago, finished with 220K in debt.

[Anonymous User]

Women living in NYC know the score. They're not impressed by lawyer money (there are tons of bankers running around making 2-10x as much), so that's entirely the wrong angle to play. At the same time they also know that NYC is hella expensive and will think nothing of a mid-20's guy making six-figures living with roommates.

Truer words were never spoken.

I mean, at this point, I'm seriously trying to figure out why I would choose NYC over a secondary market firm. I mean, once you let go of the obsession with Vault/prestige, it really makes it hard to see the benefits of going the NYC route unless you have family there or something.

[5ky]

Women living in NYC know the score. They're not impressed by lawyer money (there are tons of bankers running around making 2-10x as much), so that's entirely the wrong angle to play. At the same time they also know that NYC is hella expensive and will think nothing of a mid-20's guy making six-figures living with roommates.

Truer words were never spoken.

I mean, at this point, I'm seriously trying to figure out why I would choose NYC over a secondary market firm. I mean, once you let go of the obsession with Vault/prestige, it really makes it hard to see the benefits of going the NYC route unless you have family there or something.

Really? Maybe you want to do transactional work and that's where the vast majority of that type of work is?

[Anonymous User]

Women living in NYC know the score. They're not impressed by lawyer money (there are tons of bankers running around making 2-10x as much), so that's entirely the wrong angle to play. At the same time they also know that NYC is hella expensive and will think nothing of a mid-20's guy making six-figures living with roommates.

Truer words were never spoken.

I mean, at this point, I'm seriously trying to figure out why I would choose NYC over a secondary market firm. I mean, once you let go of the obsession with Vault/prestige, it really makes it hard to see the benefits of going the NYC route unless you have family there or something.

Really? Maybe you want to do transactional work and that's where the vast majority of that type of work is?

Ironically I'm probably going to do transactional, but that work is available in other markets too. Apparently that's another TLS myth. Capital markets isn't common in other markets, but M&A and corporate governance is pretty common. Plus a lot of firms in other markets don't always represent corporations in that exact city. Apparently, they often do work with corporations located elsewhere. Really in this technology age I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Now if you're obsessed with doing the next Google deal etc. then maybe you do need to be in NYC but if you're fine working on smaller transactions then it won't hurt you. Truth is I rather give up some prestige to live in a place that will allow me to live like a person making six figures--i.e not in a studio apartment. But obviously it's a personal taste thing. I'm not knocking anyone for having a different preference.

[DeseoQueSea]

My two cents: if financially possible, avoid living where your commute involves transfering subway lines. Even once. Taking a crosstown bus to a subway is worse.

[imchuckbass58]

Taking a crosstown bus to a subway is worse.

Disagree strongly.

Subway transfers are easy - they take all of 5 minutes. Crosstown buses are a disaster:

http://gothamist.com/2011/04/06/video_m ... ike_be.php

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/ ... n-no-rush/ (all 10 slowest routes are crosstown buses - they average around 5mph).

[Anonymous User]

Taking a crosstown bus to a subway is worse.

Disagree strongly.

Subway transfers are easy - they take all of 5 minutes. Crosstown buses are a disaster:

http://gothamist.com/2011/04/06/video_m ... ike_be.php

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/ ... n-no-rush/ (all 10 slowest routes are crosstown buses - they average around 5mph).

Really depends on the subway transfer. The L to the 1/2/3 is a one-avenue walk underground. Getting on the L during rush hour can require nothing short of athleticism, often times.

[dixiecupdrinking]

http://www.triptropnyc.com/

Just wanted to come back here to post this website. It puts a visual overlay over Google Maps for any address you enter in NYC, showing how long it takes to get to anywhere in the city via subway. It looks pretty accurate and gives you a sense of what neighborhoods are within different commuting distances to your office.

[Anonymous User]

-Great stuff (am the very grateful OP). May just buy a bike and cycle around.

[Anonymous User]

My two cents: if financially possible, avoid living where your commute involves transfering subway lines. Even once.

I disagree with every word.

The worst transfer I think think of is the 3 min brisk walk between the 8th ave lines and the Times Sq station. There is a handful of others like that, but that's it.

I think people offering advice should post how long they've lived in the city...

Taking a crosstown bus to a subway is worse.

That's more like it.

[itbdvorm]

My two cents: if financially possible, avoid living where your commute involves transfering subway lines. Even once.

I disagree with every word.

The worst transfer I think think of is the 3 min brisk walk between the 8th ave lines and the Times Sq station. There is a handful of others like that, but that's it.

I think people offering advice should post how long they've lived in the city...

I've lived in the city for 10+ years, and I agree with the avoiding transfer comment. Waiting on the subway platform a second time can be bleak in the dark of winter or peak of summer. Not the worst thing in the world, but definitely preferable to (if possible) get on one subway line and go.

[rayiner]

My two cents: if financially possible, avoid living where your commute involves transfering subway lines. Even once.

I disagree with every word.

The worst transfer I think think of is the 3 min brisk walk between the 8th ave lines and the Times Sq station. There is a handful of others like that, but that's it.

I think people offering advice should post how long they've lived in the city...

Taking a crosstown bus to a subway is worse.

That's more like it.

That 8th-TSQ transfer is hellish considering its through TSQ.

[Anonymous User]

My two cents: if financially possible, avoid living where your commute involves transfering subway lines. Even once.

I disagree with every word.

The worst transfer I think think of is the 3 min brisk walk between the 8th ave lines and the Times Sq station. There is a handful of others like that, but that's it.

I think people offering advice should post how long they've lived in the city...

I've lived in the city for 10+ years, and I agree with the avoiding transfer comment. Waiting on the subway platform a second time can be bleak in the dark of winter or peak of summer. Not the worst thing in the world, but definitely preferable to (if possible) get on one subway line and go.

Of course it's preferable to not transfer. The issue is whether the (to me, extremely mild) inconvenience of a transfer is sufficient to affect neighborhood choice. Of all the things I'd consider, it's not even on the list. Clearly YMMV.

About the times square transfer thing, "hellish" is far from the word I'd use, but again, different strokes and all that. I find the fast moving rush hour crowd energizing, so for me it's a feature, not a bug.

[Anonymous User]

To complicate matters a bit: Transfers are a bigger deal at off-hours, IMO, so I'd rather be somewhere convenient to my social life than to work. I would personally rather have a transfer-free ride to the East Village on the F, for instance, and have to transfer to get to work, than vice versa. A transfer will only add 5 minutes or so at rush hour but could easily tack on an extra 20-30 minutes if you're trying to get to a bar at 11 pm on a weekend.

[itbdvorm]

To complicate matters a bit: Transfers are a bigger deal at off-hours, IMO, so I'd rather be somewhere convenient to my social life than to work. I would personally rather have a transfer-free ride to the East Village on the F, for instance, and have to transfer to get to work, than vice versa. A transfer will only add 5 minutes or so at rush hour but could easily tack on an extra 20-30 minutes if you're trying to get to a bar at 11 pm on a weekend.

Spoken like someone never stuck waiting for a train and worried about missing a morning conference call...