nycgradx3

for a studio/to live alone and still be in manhattan and still be accessible to nyu via 6 to astor place (or a more scenic route by bus) i would take a stab at the upper east side. there's a huge inventory of more reasonably priced rental apartments generally and prices are falling. you will not find something for <$1000 if that's what you are talking about but higher up you might come close (at least to what you would pay in one of the boroughs) and it could very well be worth it in my opinion. in any case, the market is such that you should totally negotiate no matter where you are looking (and keep in mind that folks with roommate situations they are trying to fill might be paying a higher rent for their apt than is market these days so it might end up being a kinda lame deal, even if still cheaper than a studio). also people are talking about the ny boroughs but parts of jersey city are nice too and if you are looking for something bigger for your $$ (not necessarily the cheapest thing going, but value) it might be worth looking into also, for those of you talking about columbia on campus housing, i had a fantastic experience and the price was right HOWEVER i think my program got priority if i remember correctly. you should definitely look into it though. just some thoughts.