NY Associates: Where to live? Forum

[Anonymous User]

You know, this doesn't have to be true, when you live here you can find plenty of things to do that are very high quality that don't cost a fortune -or are even free. You just have to engage with the city and the things you are interested in doing. It is impossible to write a list of every possibility - try Time Out New York maybe - or the NYT weekend section - or some blogs. Don't think you have to go home and sit in your tiny apartment in your limited free time because you can't afford to do anything.

I'm open to that possibility; that's part of why I posted in this thread. I'm interested in what those who are familiar with the city have to say about what it has to offer, specifically (as opposed to the general," NYC has so much to offer that no where else can match"), that is affordable for someone on a 3K a month salary post taxes, post rent, and post loans.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Shakespeare in the Park, Governors Island, all the museums, the Cloisters, free concerts all over the city all summer, loads of authentic ethnic food in neighborhoods that are neat to explore in the outer boroughs, Rockefeller Center at Christmas time, the East River views along the new Brooklyn Bridge Park, all the parades, sports events... really, the only things you need any significant money for are fine dining, high-end nightlife, and shopping. Once you've paid your exorbitant rent, of course.

[5ky]

Are you on your own in terms of finding summer housing as a summer associate? Or does the firm send you suggestions/what not?

[Anonymous User]

Shakespeare in the Park, Governors Island, all the museums, the Cloisters, free concerts all over the city all summer, loads of authentic ethnic food in neighborhoods that are neat to explore in the outer boroughs, Rockefeller Center at Christmas time, the East River views along the new Brooklyn Bridge Park, all the parades, sports events... really, the only things you need any significant money for are fine dining, high-end nightlife, and shopping. Once you've paid your exorbitant rent, of course.

Thanks. One thing I always thought was really cool about NYC (and LA for that matter) is that the city gets movies before the rest of the country, and even some movies that other parts of the country never get. How expensive are the theaters in NYC? Do they have IMAX theaters? The thing about the fine dining, high-end nightlife, and shopping being requiring significant money stings though... those are some of the things that I like most about the city...

[Anonymous User]

Yeah, is midtown decent to live in?

EDIT: also the cost of gyms in NY is insane. Is it cheaper to get a building with a gym?

Better: get a law firm with a gym!

Jersey City: Lots of high rises and good views. Also cheap. The price? Have to live in Jersey,

[sunynp]

Why don't you specify a range of things you are interested in doing and we can help you find resources. Maybe you should start reading the NY Times weekend section on Friday to see the lists of events.

If you are interested in movies, there are loads of theaters. The last movie I saw was The Debt - which was good til the end - and I think it was around $13.00. The Harry Potter 3D Imax was a lot more - I don't remember how much. But you can find movies for less.

PS. re:gyms - I think some firms give discounts or rebates if you join a gym and go to it, that might be through their health care program.

[jennyf]

New York isn't for everyone, it's true. Some people are meant for suburban life or very small cities, and some people love living here and walking through these streets everyday.

Personally, I think the places Sky listed all looked good. You have the choice of either spending more on rent to have a nice place, or commuting further to have a nice place. When you're an associate, a long commute can be killer. You'll still have plenty of money left over, even after paying the exorbitant rent and your debt. Plenty of money to save and spend. The fact is, when you're working firm hours, you don't have the time to really enjoy things that cost a lot of money anyway. And NY is very conducive to working late hours--restaurants are still open when you get out of work at 10 or 11 or midnight. Most nights you'll want to crawl into bed for 5-6 hours of sleep if you can catch it anyway.

I lived in DC when I worked for a firm, and it's a much better deal price-wise. I lived a ten minute walk from my firm and paid 1800 for a one bedroom.

[rayiner]

The thing about NYC is that the transit is great, so don't worry about living in a neighborhood with a lot to do. You'll spend weeknights at the firm and order SeamlessWeb for dinner, so who cares if you're in a hip neighborhood? Find a comfortable apartment with a good commute, and on the rare nights you get off just cab it (they're very cheap).

[Anonymous User]

Is this kind of thing trustworthy? Seems too good to be true.

--LinkRemoved--

probably past the 90s on the upper east

[mths]

Is this kind of thing trustworthy? Seems too good to be true.

--LinkRemoved--

probably past the 90s on the upper east

^ wasn't supposed to be anonymous

[sunynp]

Personally, I wouldn't trust any craigslist apartment listing for NYC. Many of them are scams. I've heard of people going to look for places and being told they had to give money upfront just to see the place. Obviously, you would know better than going along with that, but many people get taken advantage of.

I think there is a company of no fee brokers, who show the not as nice, but livable place to tenants. Sometimes you need to go to the neighborhood and walk around trying to see what places are for rent. That wasn't possible pre-ITE but it might be more doable now.

I don't know about that specific one. You need to find a broker, or some places do their own renting without brokers, but have a professional management office. I'm not sure the best way to find those places that do their own leasing. The thing is that landlords who want to have brokers find their tenants are likely to be landlords who care about maintaining their places.

Or maybe at least check the real estate listings of the various papers.

[sellout]

What about living in Jersey City & taking the PATH train to the World Trade Center station? Has anyone actually done this? Some firms are based extremely close to the WTC, like Cleary, Milbank, & Cadwalader. It seems like prices are cheaper in NJ...

[rayiner]

What about living in Jersey City & taking the PATH train to the World Trade Center station? Has anyone actually done this? Some firms are based extremely close to the WTC, like Cleary, Milbank, & Cadwalader. It seems like prices are cheaper in NJ...

Tried it during the summer. Very quick and the PATH ride from Exchange Place is short and relatively comfortable. The downside is that the area around the station in Wall Street is a zoo (cops literally herding people in the evening).

That said, Exchange Place is cheap for a reason --- it's some of the most heavily contaminated land in the Tri-State area.

[jay115]

Are you on your own in terms of finding summer housing as a summer associate? Or does the firm send you suggestions/what not?

Most firms offer non-monetary housing assistance (ie can direct you to their brokers), but I'm definitely gonna ask some peeps at the firm for advice on where to live. I imagine that most of us who got summer offers did lunch or dinner with first year associates, so they'd probably know the pitfalls and tricks on securing a cool apartment. Hells Kitchen has been recommended to me over and over again (my firms office is located in Midtown).

Does anyone know if there is a non-craigslist place where NY summer associates from out-of-state schools might be able to find other similars as roommates over the summer? I'm sure that I could find someone to live with at a welcome reception or something, but it might be cool to live with someone who isn't going to work at my firm so that I could meet some more people.

[keg411]

What about living in Jersey City & taking the PATH train to the World Trade Center station? Has anyone actually done this? Some firms are based extremely close to the WTC, like Cleary, Milbank, & Cadwalader. It seems like prices are cheaper in NJ...

As a NJ native, I would do this. The commute is very painless. (And there are a few stops along the PATH in JC, though you have to be careful because there are some super-nice neighborhoods and some not-so-nice neighborhoods).

[Veyron]

WTF is wrong with you people, you should be able to nab a small studio for 1500 a month, even in manfuckinghattan.

[pikalove]

As some one who lives in Manhattan, this thread is quite silly.

Yes there are some expensive apartments in NY. But, you can easily find apartments that are not exorbitant AND are totally livable. As the poster above said you can easily find a studio/small 1 bdrm for ~1500. My apartment is only a bit more than that and it is in a nice neighborhood, quite large, has river views, is newly renovated and has a doorman. Honestly, it is totally doable living in NY on a reasonable budget. Plus, as people said before there is a plethora of cool stuff to do in NY for cheap or even free. My only advice would be to get a good broker when apartment hunting.

Just chill out guys.

[pissantvache]

pissantvache wrote:
Jersey City: Lots of high rises and good views. Also cheap. The price? Have to live in Jersey,

What about living in Jersey City & taking the PATH train to the World Trade Center station? Has anyone actually done this? Some firms are based extremely close to the WTC, like Cleary, Milbank, & Cadwalader. It seems like prices are cheaper in NJ...

As a NJ native, I would do this. The commute is very painless. (And there are a few stops along the PATH in JC, though you have to be careful because there are some super-nice neighborhoods and some not-so-nice neighborhoods).

I did this. The commute is short, but it's not as painless as it sounds. There are a lot of herds of people moving along around the WTC entrance, and with construction, it can be pretty painful, especially when it rains.

The other thing is that the PATH train doesn't run as frequently on the weekends, and it can be really difficult to get uptown or downtown. Also, once you're out in Jersey, there's a huge psychological barrier to going back to the city, even though the commute is around 30 minutes.

That said, it's considerably cheaper than the financial district for the amenities and views, and the restaurant situation is OK around Exchange Place and Paulus Hook.

[Anonymous User]

FWIW I live in a large "junior" 1 br on the uws for under 2k. Great block, great neighborhood, and more than enough space in the apartment - but a broker was necessary. Try looking for brokers that also exclusively manage some of the buildings where they have listings - I think the rents are more contained, and the building is better maintained with one corporate landlord overseeing it. Rents overall are way up this year though, so finding something in that range may be difficult now.

[NoleinNY]

If you get a job for Skadden, their office is close to Grand Central. Thus, if you really want to save cash, you can live in Westchester and commute by train. It's fairly cheap and quick (about 20-30 minute train ride, then a very short walk.)

[rayiner]

If you get a job for Skadden, their office is close to Grand Central. Thus, if you really want to save cash, you can live in Westchester and commute by train. It's fairly cheap and quick (about 20-30 minute train ride, then a very short walk.)

Skadden's office is in TSQ. It's more than half a mile (in the NYC summer heat in a suit) through very crowded sidewalks for part of it. Not pleasant. DPW, STB, and Greenberg Traurig are well situated for that commute, though.

[Bauer24]

Yeah, depends on the firm. Midtown east is pretty difficult to get to from Upper West Side (UWS) on the subway. I like midtown east (probably above 50th) for proximity to work, relatively nice apartments, and good availability of things to do. UWS is affordable for Manhattan, and offers reasonably decent access to downtown/west side firms (cravath, skadden, S&C, Cleary, Ropes, Willkie, Milbank). Midtown East, UWS, and UES around 1st/york are generally more affordable than the other places to live in the city.

Here's how I think of neighborhoods (focus on manhattan, a little bit of brooklyn, queens, Jersey. Leaving out Bronx/Staten Island/Long Island/Westchester, since I don't go there or know anything about them)

Brooklyn:

Williamsburg: difficult to get to from most firms, full of hipsters
Brooklyn Heights: accessible for east and west side firms (4-5-6, 1-2-3), families, expensive (for brooklyn)
Other Brooklyn areas: Generally cheaper, depending on area. I could be wrong, but I've heard good things about DUMBO, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Park Slope, Greenpoint. All may have accessibility concerns.

Manhattan:

Financial District: bro-ish, accessible, high rises (so dollar-value expensive, but lots of amenities)
Battery Park City: High rises, cheaper than other financial district, feels like a neighborhood, but requires a long walk to the subway
Tribeca, Soho: $$$
Chinatown: Cheap, accessible, likely to have rats in your building. Also, canal street is a major negative (crowded, touristy, dirty, too much kitsch being sold on the street).
Lower East Side: Also full of hipsters. Public transportation is difficult. Rapidly gentrifying and getting expensive (hipster influence).
East Village: NYU hangout. Lots of bars, some puke in the morning. Relatively affordable, but usually walkups.
Central/West Village: expensive, trendy. 80 Marc Jacobs stores on Bleecker, people to match.
Union Square: Meh. Has a Whole Foods and Trader joes. Transitional area between NYU and the Gramercy/Flatiron/Chelsea areas. Also, Union Square is where many protests/street performers gather. Positive or negative, depending on outlook.
Meatpacking district: $$$, and also dirty.
Gramercy/Flatiron/Chelsea: Fairly expensive. Gramercy is the most genteel, transitioning gradually through corporate/shopping stores around 5th ave, and into chelsea which has a sizeable gay community.
Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village: Lots of bros, but fairly affordable.
Kips Bay/Murray Hill: lots of bars; this is where the stuy town/peter cooper people come to hang out. Not sure what that means? http://www.toniceast.com/media/tonic.html
Midtown: Lots of office buildings. Probably don't want to live here. Boundaries are a little bit uncertain; may include Herald Square area up to 59th street. Lots of businesses, lots of tourists. Some ok apartments to the west side between 23rd up to 50th, depending on what you're looking for, maybe on the east side as well.
Midtown East: Residential again, good for east side law firms, not great for west side, see above for more.
Hell's Kitchen: Good for west side law firms (Cravath, etc.). Excellent food. Suffers somewhat by being on the edge of the theatre/times square areas.
Lincoln Center/Midtown West: Some Trump buildings here; may have nice apartments. Growing in price.
Upper West Side: comparatively reasonably priced, decent transportation around 2-3 express stops. "neighborhood-y" feel (though not quite as much as Brooklyn and West Village).
Upper East Side: More expensive, more upper crust. 4-5-6 is the most crowded train in the city. Good for east side law firms.
Harlem: Gentrifying pretty rapidly. Pretty good food. Very transitional (danger levels change by street/avenue).

Queens:

Long Island City/Astoria: Affordable. Pretty good train service through east side law firms and, to a lesser degree, west side law firms (follow the N-Q-R).

Jersey:

Hoboken: Cool and young. Can be hard to get to, especially if you live far from the PATH train. (Also, keep in mind that PATH service is limited and requires transferring to the subway, and also, if you get out at WTC, has a nasty walk along Vesey street)
Jersey City: Lots of high rises and good views. Also cheap. The price? Have to live in Jersey, and also can be hard to get to (especially for midtown firms).

I live in Jersey City. Commute isn't terrible for me at all [~20 minutes] but I work in the Financial District. Getting to Midtown takes a little longer but even there- probably only about 30-45 minutes.

[imchuckbass58]

As some one who lives in Manhattan, this thread is quite silly.

Yes there are some expensive apartments in NY. But, you can easily find apartments that are not exorbitant AND are totally livable. As the poster above said you can easily find a studio/small 1 bdrm for ~1500. My apartment is only a bit more than that and it is in a nice neighborhood, quite large, has river views, is newly renovated and has a doorman. Honestly, it is totally doable living in NY on a reasonable budget. Plus, as people said before there is a plethora of cool stuff to do in NY for cheap or even free. My only advice would be to get a good broker when apartment hunting.

Just chill out guys.

Agree this is totally doable. There is no good reason you should spend more than $2000 unless you absolutely have to live on a great block in a tony neighborhood, or you need a luxury apartment. There are many quite nice, quite livable, quite convenient places for less than that, even in good neighborhoods like the east village, UWS, UES, etc.

I'll disagree though and say you absolutely should not use a broker, unless you are literally coming in a week before work starts. Brokers are enormous ripoffs (15% of yearly rent), and really don't give you access to anything you can't get on your own with a little legwork. For those that are looking try out this website: http://www.nybits.com/ it has no-fee listings for pretty much every large apartment landlord in the city. Many friends (and I) have found great apartments through that site.

Also, not sure about other places, but in NY craigslist is a totally viable way to find apartments. That's largely where the good values are - to give you an idea I'm living in a 2-bedroom, doorman, 1 block from the express on the UWS, stainless steel appliances, 21st floor, river views for $1500, and I found this place on craigslist. That's not even a particularly good deal compared to what some of my friends have found. Will you get some shady characters, or places that are not as advertised? Sure. But if you're willing to sift through those, you can save several thousand dollars in broker fees.

[rayiner]

^^^ Firms will usually cover broker's fees.

Also: the apartments on the UWS in that price range suck. Doorman buildings from the '20s with outdated plumbing, god-awful bathrooms, terrible common spaces, etc.

OP: since you seem to be from out of town, take "quite nice, quite livable" with a grain of salt. New Yorkers have a very warped perception of these terms.

I went to go see a 2BR in Astoria where the tenant was subletting one of the rooms for $700/mo (so $1500/mo for the whole apartment). After seeing the bathroom I literally had to leave immediately. Like "uh, thanks, I uh, will call you."

[dixiecupdrinking]

Rayiner, I think that people who have lived in NYC for a while are trying to offer some useful advice that it might behoove you to take into consideration. For instance I live in an apartment that is well under market value but a fantastic place which I found on craigslist a couple years ago. Feel free to dismiss everything under two grand a month as de facto terrible but you're missing out.