NYC: downtown v. midtown Forum

[Anonymous User]

If you're working downtown look at Brooklyn. A lot of nice neighborhoods that are essentially the same as some areas of Manhattan (gentrified) but cheaper, and if you get off at Wall or Fulton you miss a lot of the 4/5/6 crush.

You also get a lot for the price in FiDi, sure it's lacking in neighborhood character, but the neighborhoods where people go out are 10 minutes away. A ton of subway lines coverage down there so it's convenient to almost anywhere in the city.

Avoid the 4/5/6. That train fucking blows.

[azntwice]

LOL to the person who said alphabet city and east village. If you are from out of state or out of the city, DO NOT live in either of those places. Alphabet City is among the most unsafe neighborhoods in the city and there is a good chance you will run into trouble if you don't know what you are doing. East Village borders Alphabet City and there's a lot of crime there too. My friend's apartment was broken into in broad daylight when he lived in EV.

Jersey is an okay option if you are talking about full-time living there, but for the summer I would go for in the city. There will be tons of firm events going on and firms prefer that you use taxis rather than black cars to get home if you are a summer (and even as an associate). And it is a bitch to get taxis to go into Jersey (even into the outer boroughs can sometimes be troublesome). For the summer, given your two options, I would choose downtown (Fidi). It's cheaper and the apartments are fairly new down there, and you will have access to most of the subway lines. Midtown is very expensive and the apartments are older, so way less bang for your buck (unless you want to live in Hell's Kitchen, which actually isn't too bad or unsafe anymore). Murray Hill is another option that you might look into. I would also suggest looking at dorms (NYU Law or Columbia Law, although the commute from Columbia can be a pain).

[Anonymous User]

EV and much of alphabet city is safe and fine to live in if the commute's ok.

[$$$$$$]

LOL to the person who said alphabet city and east village. If you are from out of state or out of the city, DO NOT live in either of those places. Alphabet City is among the most unsafe neighborhoods in the city and there is a good chance you will run into trouble if you don't know what you are doing. East Village borders Alphabet City and there's a lot of crime there too. My friend's apartment was broken into in broad daylight when he lived in EV.

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Both places are pretty dam safe and just because your friend's apartment was broken into doesn't mean otherwise. This is Manhattan, pretty much anywhere below 110th street is safe to live and be at. I'm assuming the person moving is an adult, not a child, in which case, as long as you know what A, B, C means and how when numbers go up you are going north, you should be fine. Honestly, you are living in a place of 10 million + people, you never know where something shitty might happen, but the information you gave is wrong and you won't be slashed to death outside of cherin sushi.

[timbs4339]

Alphabet City is among the most unsafe neighborhoods in the city and there is a good chance you will run into trouble if you don't know what you are doing. East Village borders Alphabet City and there's a lot of crime there too. My friend's apartment was broken into in broad daylight when he lived in EV.

I guess if you define "the city" as "Manhattan below 96th street or 110th street on the east side" then yes, sure it's very dangerous.

[Anonymous User]

I'm not sure if the question is about living or working, but if you're talking about working in midtown, apartments in Queens can be had for a good price.
Astoria and Sunnyside are safe, have great bars and ethnic restaurants, and feed right into midtown through the 7 and N/Q trains.

[guano]

EV and much of alphabet city is safe and fine to live in if the commute's ok.

From alphabet city, the commute is not ok

[stoogesreal]

Start E 2nd St & Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
End Sullivan & Cromwell Llp: Walkovik Donald C
125 Broad St, New York, NY 10004
When 9/3/13 after 10:03am
Duration 20 mins total

EDIT:
from C Avenue

Start Avenue C & E 2nd St, New York, NY 10009
End Sullivan & Cromwell Llp: Walkovik Donald C
125 Broad St, New York, NY 10004
When 9/3/13 after 10:09am
Duration 23 mins total

[dixiecupdrinking]

Start E 2nd St & Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
End Sullivan & Cromwell Llp: Walkovik Donald C
125 Broad St, New York, NY 10004
When 9/3/13 after 10:03am
Duration 20 mins total

EDIT:
from C Avenue

Start Avenue C & E 2nd St, New York, NY 10009
End Sullivan & Cromwell Llp: Walkovik Donald C
125 Broad St, New York, NY 10004
When 9/3/13 after 10:09am
Duration 23 mins total

wtf is this.

[stoogesreal]

The dude before me said commuting from Alphabet City is not OK. I wanted to show a couple google maps estimates for commutes from alphabet city to a downtown firm.

[guano]

The dude before me said commuting from Alphabet City is not OK. I wanted to show a couple google maps estimates for commutes from alphabet city to a downtown firm.

Try those long walks on a hot summer day, and tell me it's a reasonable commute.
Also, you're ignoring having to wait for the train, or that you picked the part of alphabet city that is closest to a subway. Most of alphabet city is more like a 10-20 minute walk to the nearest subway, while in just about any other part of the city you'll probably only be 2-5 minutes from a subway

(Only place I can think that's anywhere near as bad is York on the UES)

[Arbiter213]

Downtown forever. Brooklyn or JC/Hoboken are also credited. The person who said ABC City and the East village are dangerous is a moron.

[Anonymous User]

The dude before me said commuting from Alphabet City is not OK. I wanted to show a couple google maps estimates for commutes from alphabet city to a downtown firm.

Try those long walks on a hot summer day, and tell me it's a reasonable commute.
Also, you're ignoring having to wait for the train, or that you picked the part of alphabet city that is closest to a subway. Most of alphabet city is more like a 10-20 minute walk to the nearest subway, while in just about any other part of the city you'll probably only be 2-5 minutes from a subway

(Only place I can think that's anywhere near as bad is York on the UES)

[lawrence1917]

The dude before me said commuting from Alphabet City is not OK. I wanted to show a couple google maps estimates for commutes from alphabet city to a downtown firm.

Try those long walks on a hot summer day, and tell me it's a reasonable commute.
Also, you're ignoring having to wait for the train, or that you picked the part of alphabet city that is closest to a subway. Most of alphabet city is more like a 10-20 minute walk to the nearest subway, while in just about any other part of the city you'll probably only be 2-5 minutes from a subway

(Only place I can think that's anywhere near as bad is York on the UES)

yo, buses, bitch. they are like subways except above ground.

[Anonymous User]

The dude before me said commuting from Alphabet City is not OK. I wanted to show a couple google maps estimates for commutes from alphabet city to a downtown firm.

Try those long walks on a hot summer day, and tell me it's a reasonable commute.
Also, you're ignoring having to wait for the train, or that you picked the part of alphabet city that is closest to a subway. Most of alphabet city is more like a 10-20 minute walk to the nearest subway, while in just about any other part of the city you'll probably only be 2-5 minutes from a subway

(Only place I can think that's anywhere near as bad is York on the UES)

yo, buses, bitch. they are like subways except above ground.

A) bus stops are just as sparse in alphabet city
B) busses add time to your commute (even without traffic)

[Old Gregg]

The dude before me said commuting from Alphabet City is not OK. I wanted to show a couple google maps estimates for commutes from alphabet city to a downtown firm.

Try those long walks on a hot summer day, and tell me it's a reasonable commute.
Also, you're ignoring having to wait for the train, or that you picked the part of alphabet city that is closest to a subway. Most of alphabet city is more like a 10-20 minute walk to the nearest subway, while in just about any other part of the city you'll probably only be 2-5 minutes from a subway

(Only place I can think that's anywhere near as bad is York on the UES)

yo, buses, bitch. they are like subways except above ground.

Yeah, you're not taking a bus and a subway to work.

[Anonymous User]

The buses suck. Don't take them.

The hot summer day isn't too bad so long as you're not at a firm where you're required to be in a suit. The worst are days where it is snowing or after a snowstorm where the sidewalks turn to mush. My morning commute involves about four blocks of actual walking (two from work to subway, two from apt to subway) and even that seems like too much on those days.