Pistache

I have been accepted at nyu and I know if I go it will require substantial loans. As such, I'm interested in the cheapest living option (within reason). I lived in nyc as a young kid so the subway/commute isn't a problem. I am more concerned with price than convenience (without forgetting safety, obviously). And how hard is it to find a job? I have Waitressing experience and figure that's the best way to find a night /weekend job but I don't know how competitive the job market is. I'm not looking to make 100k at some fancy place. I'm really just hoping for something that could cover rent plus some extra change for a beer or two.

I want to get into a masters program to improve my research experience. The only problem is that I'm having trouble finding programs that have faculty interested in the same area as myself (community violence, both direct (e.g. Domestic violence) and structural (e.g. Homelessness) with a focus on prevention) The ones I have found are very expensive and I would rather avoid the debt if possible. So how important is it that faculty in a masters program share interest? Would I be able to research in a completely unrelated field?