Living in NY

[RivkahJ.]

Hello Everyone,

How feasible is it to make NYU work on a stipend? While I love the school, I've been warned that it would be really tight. I’ll have a stipend with the possibility of other fellowships and the change to supplement with teaching.

Secondary question, If I was to go with NYU, what are some great areas to consider searching for housing?

Really any thoughts on NY and grad school would be appreciated.

[coffeentv]

2 hours ago, RivkahJ. said:

Hello Everyone,

How feasible is it to make NYU work on a stipend? While I love the school, I've been warned that it would be really tight. I’ll have a stipend with the possibility of other fellowships and the change to supplement with teaching.

Secondary question, If I was to go with NYU, what are some great areas to consider searching for housing?

Really any thoughts on NY and grad school would be appreciated.

I have been living in NYC for a long time. I don't know how much your yearly stipend is, but it's possible to make it work if you get more than $25k/year.

You'll probably want to look for an apartment with roommates in East Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, Hamilton Heights, Bushwick, Sunset Park, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Astoria, Long Island City and some other neighborhoods. You can also live in Jersey City. It's a quick commute to NYU on Path.

Buy groceries in Chinatown and Trader Joe's. If you don't go out too often, you should be able to save money. Just be prepared to spend around $1000/month for a decent room. Maybe you'll get lucky and find a good deal, but who knows.

A monthly unlimited ride metrocard costs $121.

I share a small 1 bedroom apartment with my boyfriend and rarely eat out. My monthly cost of living is around $1500.

If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.

[iamlia]

Hi! I am considering the same but I have two different questions, as an international student, how feasible it is to find a place to live on the internet? I've been reading about scams everywhere and I'm really not sure if that would be a safe option, but on the other hand it would be really difficult for me to travel there just to visit apartments.

The second question is, is it possible to find decent studios in Manhattan? I haven't had nice experiences sharing apartments over the last few years and would really like to try it on my own. From what I've seen in some websites there seem to be decent looking studios for around $1,600-1,700, which again makes me a bit wary.

 

Any thoughts and insights are appreciated  Thanks!

[coffeentv]

18 minutes ago, amaliaov said:

Hi! I am considering the same but I have two different questions, as an international student, how feasible it is to find a place to live on the internet? I've been reading about scams everywhere and I'm really not sure if that would be a safe option, but on the other hand it would be really difficult for me to travel there just to visit apartments.

The second question is, is it possible to find decent studios in Manhattan? I haven't had nice experiences sharing apartments over the last few years and would really like to try it on my own. From what I've seen in some websites there seem to be decent looking studios for around $1,600-1,700, which again makes me a bit wary.

 

Any thoughts and insights are appreciated  Thanks!

I really don't recommend signing a lease without looking at the apartment in person. You'd want to know what the neighbourhood is like at night, see if the lobby/stairs are clean, etc.....

I suggest that you find a sublet online/book a hostel room/book an Airbnb for your first few weeks. Come here a few weeks before your classes start. You won't want to be stressed from apartment search and moving.

It is definitely possible to find a studio for $1600/month in Manhattan if you don't mind living uptown (Washington Heights or Inwood, maybe Hamilton Heights as well. If you don't have a good credit score, it can be difficult to find a landlord who is willing to rent an apartment out to you. Some owners are ok international students without credit history if they have guarantors or can put down 2-3 months worth of rent for a deposit. Also, be prepared to pay a broker's fee.

You are welcome to PM me if you have more questions. 

[RivkahJ.]

2 hours ago, coffeentv said:

I have been living in NYC for a long time. I don't know how much your yearly stipend is, but it's possible to make it work if you get more than $25k/year.

You'll probably want to look for an apartment with roommates in East Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, Hamilton Heights, Bushwick, Sunset Park, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Astoria, Long Island City and some other neighborhoods. You can also live in Jersey City. It's a quick commute to NYU on Path.

Buy groceries in Chinatown and Trader Joe's. If you don't go out too often, you should be able to save money. Just be prepared to spend around $1000/month for a decent room. Maybe you'll get lucky and find a good deal, but who knows.

A monthly unlimited ride metrocard costs $121.

I share a small 1 bedroom apartment with my boyfriend and rarely eat out. My monthly cost of living is around $1500.

If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.

 

 

 

Does having a dog make this process all the more complicated/ expensive? Also, my stipend is 28k, with the possibility of another 11k after the first year if I teach. Is that enough?

Edited February 22, 2018 by RivkahJ.

[coffeentv]

6 minutes ago, RivkahJ. said:

Does having a dog make this process all the more complicated/ expensive? Also, my stipend is 28k, with the possibility of another 11k after the first year if I teach. Is that enough?

You'll need to find roommates who are ok with having a dog. Also, some buildings are not ok with pets. Probably you'll have to pay an extra deposit if you decide to bring your dog. 

Your first year stipend is not enough to cover all the expenses if you want to live alone. With 38k, it's definitely possible to live in a studio.

[iamlia]

17 hours ago, coffeentv said:

I really don't recommend signing a lease without looking at the apartment in person. You'd want to know what the neighbourhood is like at night, see if the lobby/stairs are clean, etc.....

I suggest that you find a sublet online/book a hostel room/book an Airbnb for your first few weeks. Come here a few weeks before your classes start. You won't want to be stressed from apartment search and moving.

It is definitely possible to find a studio for $1600/month in Manhattan if you don't mind living uptown (Washington Heights or Inwood, maybe Hamilton Heights as well. If you don't have a good credit score, it can be difficult to find a landlord who is willing to rent an apartment out to you. Some owners are ok international students without credit history if they have guarantors or can put down 2-3 months worth of rent for a deposit. Also, be prepared to pay a broker's fee.

You are welcome to PM me if you have more questions. 

Thanks a lot!!

[hennyholzer]

On 2/22/2018 at 12:03 PM, coffeentv said:

Your first year stipend is not enough to cover all the expenses if you want to live alone. With 38k, it's definitely possible to live in a studio.

Theoretically, it's possible but that's incredibly unlikely unless you find an independent landlord(pretty rare). Most studios in the city are between $1,100 to $1,600 a month and they ask that you show proof of making 40 times that(appr. $44,000-$64,000). A share is definitely possible though and you may have an easier time with the dog in Brooklyn or Queens.