Anyone in the New York area?

starburst · 02-04-2008, 12:54 AM

I'm not sure if this belongs in the Knitters Knear You section, but I think it belongs a bit more in this section.

I was just wondering if there was anyone in the New York area who might be able to give me some advice as to what I should look for when thinking about moving to NY. I'm hoping to move right after graduation next year but my parents are super hesitant to let me go without knowing that I have done a fair amount of research and planning.

I would highly appreciate any tips you could give me especially save areas and relatively less expensive housing areas

brendajos · 02-04-2008, 06:04 AM

I used to live in the area but it has been a long time so I can't say that any REAL advice I would have would be terribly valid anymore...lol

however, one question that has to be asked is what part of NY are you thinking of? It is a pretty big state and I don't know that we want to assume right away that you mean NYC.

starburst · 02-04-2008, 06:12 AM

I hope to work at the RCA building, so I just need to find some place within a reasonable distance.

kbagel · 02-04-2008, 08:25 AM

By RCA Building you mean Rockefeller Center right? You really need to ask yourself what reasonably close to Rockefeller Center is. Do you mean 10 minute subway ride or 30 minute subway ride? Close in distance to Rockefeller Center would put you in Midtown somewhere or the Upper West Side, both of which are pretty pricey. If you're willing to go for a bit longer commute, like 20-30 minutes, you could live in Harlem or Hamilton Heights, which is the historic district within Harlem. There are other options too, like Astoria in Queens or various neighborhoods in Brooklyn or even New Jersey, especially Jersey City.

My best advice is to come visit with your parents for a weekend. The city isn't the big scary place it used to be, aka the 70s and 80s. That way you can see the neighborhoods and your parents will be a bit more comfortable with you moving here.

You should also check out Craigslist to get an idea of the prices for renting an apartment. If you start now, you might get over the sticker shock and you'll be able to limit your search when you are ready to move.

My other advice is it's much easier to find a job in the city when you're actually here. Trust me on this one, I know from experience. This is totally shallow but employers look for the NYC addresses. It might be worthwhile for you to find a job at a store or something to pay rent and give you time to find your dream job. Or, if you have freelance-able skills, start talking to your professors and alumni to make conncections.

This is kind of long but I hope it helps. Moving to New York is crazy, exciting, and scary all at the same time. If you have any other questions just let me know.

Kristin

starburst · 02-04-2008, 09:47 AM

Thanks--that's extremely helpful! I was thinking that it would probably be a good idea to head out there for Spring break and look around.

As for a commute, I'm pretty flexible. 30-40 minutes wouldn't be bad at all. Around here, a two hour commute is fairly normal. Plus, considering that I'm just starting out in a new place and without a whole of money to my name at the moment, I realize that I really can't be that picky.

Sanibelle · 02-06-2008, 09:55 PM

I live just outside the city on Long Island. I was from the city orginally but moved to another part of the country and moved back 9 years ago.

I love NY - we have everything here - I am just minutes from beautiful beaches, a short commute to the city where I can find everything - great museums, Broadway, fantastic shopping - you name it.
But with all that, NY is so expensive. I moved here from Cincinnati and was shocked by the price of housing. I sold a beautiful home in Ohio before I came here and to replace it with something similar would have been at least 3 times the amount. Property taxes where I live are through the roof. Things at the grocery store are a lot higher too than in Ohio. I love living here, and would never go anywhere else and fortunately both my DH and I have good jobs and are OK.
With that said, I agree that you should come out and check it out before you move here....

Good luck and if you need any information, PM me. I will be glad to help if I can.