New York, NY

[mfafingerscrossed]

I am possibly considering going to SVA in the Fall for the MFA Design program located at 310 East 22nd Street..in between FlatIron and Gramecy.. Any past or current students have any suggestions on the best place to get an apartment or stay?

[r_sam]

I've been accepted to Fordham's Rose Hill GSAS program in the Bronx. Some friends and I have been planning to live in Brooklyn for years becasue we know its cheaper than manhattan, but will it be feasible to commute from Brooklyn to the Bronx almost daily via Subway? I'm also considering bringing a bike to make the commute?

Or should I just try to convince my friends to move with me to the bronx?

[spade20k]

I've been accepted to Fordham's Rose Hill GSAS program in the Bronx. Some friends and I have been planning to live in Brooklyn for years becasue we know its cheaper than manhattan, but will it be feasible to commute from Brooklyn to the Bronx almost daily via Subway? I'm also considering bringing a bike to make the commute?

Or should I just try to convince my friends to move with me to the bronx?

So I'm from the NY metro area and when I was younger, my friends and I would visit Fordham and watch the kids do jug (we were terrible but it was funny) so I'm pretty familiar with the Fordham University area.

Anyways, Brooklyn to Bronx:

That's a hike and multiple subway and bus transfers. Look at it like an Oreo, Manhattan is the cream and the Bronx and Brooklyn are the chocolate cookies.

It's probably around a 2hour commute via bike but maybe only an hour and a half on the subway.

You may just want to convince them to live in the Bronx. I think it may be easier to commute to Central Manhattan too from Fordham. In addition to the subway, the MetroNorth has a stop at Fordham and that's about a 15 minute train ride to Grand Central Station.

I hope that helps!

[bigdgp]

I've been accepted to Fordham's Rose Hill GSAS program in the Bronx. Some friends and I have been planning to live in Brooklyn for years becasue we know its cheaper than manhattan, but will it be feasible to commute from Brooklyn to the Bronx almost daily via Subway? I'm also considering bringing a bike to make the commute?

Or should I just try to convince my friends to move with me to the bronx?

r_sam, I will also be doing a PhD in the English department at Fordham this fall! Nice to virtually meet you and I look forward to actually meeting you in August. I'm also looking to move to the city, although I lived there for five years until my current 1 year hiatus in England working on an MA. In my opinion, Brooklyn would be a pretty awful commute. I lived in Astoria for a year while I taught at a high school near Fordham, a commute comparable to even the most convenient parts of Brooklyn, and it was utterly draining. At the end of the year I had to find another job in order to keep my sanity. If you don't particularly want to live in the Bronx, you could check out Long Island City. Apartments near the Vernon-Jackson, Hunters Point and Court Sq stops on the 7-train are certainly as affordable as much of Brooklyn, and far more convenient. The neighborhood has been experiencing a complete overhaul and has become quite trendy. My wife lived there until we got married, and at the time it was NY's best kept secret. The secret is out, so the prices are starting to rise, but they're not too bad. The 7 train is one of the most reliable and most frequent trains in the city and it literally only takes 8 minutes tops on the train to get from Court Sq to Grand Central Station (that's a REAL 8 minutes, not the kind of 8 minutes that a broker would claim in a craigslist ad). Two more minutes gets you to Bryant Park, where you can hop the D train up to Fordham! The bridges into the Bronx are heavily trafficked and have notoriously poor bike lanes, but my cousin is currently working on a new Willis Ave. bridge, so maybe that will be changing soon. Happy apartment hunting and I will see you in the fall.

[krisbee34]

I just got accepted to a program at the New School and am wondering if anyone has ever lived in their grad residence (the one on William St is indicated on their website). Being that I'm currently abroad, coming into town to apartment hunt is next to impossible and hunting via internet is just sketchy.

Thanks

I actually lived at William Street as an undergrad a couple of years ago & it wasn't the best experience and I am worried because I have been accepted into a graduate program at Parsons, a part of The New School, and will need student housing for at least the first year. There are other options for grad students, though, like 20th Street and there are some apartments as well, I believe. The location of the William Street dorm is fantastic but there is a major mouse problem in the building, or at least there was. One of the guards there told me that The New School signed a long lease with the building & were regretting it because the place is falling apart. I would look into trying to get a room at another one of their dorms or trying to find an apartment on Craigslist or something.

[theatrehippie]

I just got into Teachers College, and I'm trying to figure out where I should be looking for apartments. I've pretty much ruled out most of Manhattan (though if there are any affordable areas I don't know about, please enlighten me!), and I can't really tell what'll be moderately affordable with a reasonable commute. Help, please!

[truc]

I just got into Teachers College, and I'm trying to figure out where I should be looking for apartments. I've pretty much ruled out most of Manhattan (though if there are any affordable areas I don't know about, please enlighten me!), and I can't really tell what'll be moderately affordable with a reasonable commute. Help, please!

Washington Heights and Inwood are pretty affordable, I have a friend who lives on Fort Washington near the CU medical center and she loves it. Not a bad commute to Columbia either.

[Ok88]

Louise:

I would consider Jersey City. What is so bad about it? Is there a specific neighborhood that would be best? Any idea the cost of rent or commute time to NYU?

Thanks for the suggestion

Technically if you're living in Essex County or Hudson County, your commute is actually shorter than living in some other boroughs that are also outside Manhattan, like Brooklyn or Queens-and it's still within the NYC area (Manhattan area).

[juilletmercredi]

My two cents:

I was accepted at Columbia for my PhD and am thinking of going to their graduate housing (at least in the first 1-2 years). Can anyone comment on how good/bad is Columbia graduate housing? It has the huge advantage of being rather cheap (in NYC terms) and very close to the campus.

I'm assuming you're on main campus and not the medical center campus. Most of the PhD students I know who are on main campus live in campus housing. The distance is very, very convenient, and for the area of New York that Columbia's housing is in (Upper West Side) it's very affordable on a student stipend. Columbia's stipends are also quite generous, so I know that the students there are comfortable. I've been inside a few and they are very nice - they look like your average apartment, except for New York they are quite nice (most NYC apartments are a lot older) and quite comfortable in size by New York standards. If you are going to be on main campus I recommend looking there first.

I go to school on the medical center campus (even though I am in a joint program, officially I belong to the CUMC) and the housing up here sucks. It's very dorm-ish and it's around the same price that you can get your own non-Columbia housing place up here, if not cheaper, with fewer roommates. (I have half a two bedroom apartment for the same amount that I would have to pay to share an apartment 3 ways in Columbia's housing.) So if you're looking at medical center campus housing, start looking elsewhere IMO.

I've been looking all over, including Brighton Beach (yes I know it's far from Manhattan but who cares, I'm from Miami and commute a total of 4 hours daily...), Flatbush, etc.

Being on the CUMC campus of Columbia I know a LOT of people who commute in from Brooklyn. As long as you are game for the commute (on the subway it ends up being about 1-1.5 hours to Columbia depending on how far into Brooklyn you live, longer at night after the trains run local. If you are going somewhere closer to downtown - to NYU I'd imagine it'd be ideal, maybe 15-45 minutes; to the New School and CUNY somewhere in between). I have a few friends who live in Flatbush and they love it.

Would living in Manhattan be doable on this? I'll be looking at renting a room from someone, not getting a whole place to myself.

Yes. It won't be high on the hog but you'll be comfortable. For comparison, after taxes I live on about $2100 a month, and I do fine, even sneaking in the occasional dinner out and new pair of shoes. It's pretty tight; I was doing better when my after-tax income was $2300 a month but my funding situation changed recently. Definitely more roommates is preferable - if I don't get the residence life positions I'm applying for, I'll be looking to rent a room in an apartment with more roommates for a lower rent.

I've been accepted to Fordham's Rose Hill GSAS program in the Bronx. Some friends and I have been planning to live in Brooklyn for years becasue we know its cheaper than manhattan, but will it be feasible to commute from Brooklyn to the Bronx almost daily via Subway? I'm also considering bringing a bike to make the commute?

The medical center campus I attend is about a 20 minute commute to Fordham in the Bronx, and I know a lot of people who commute from Brooklyn to CUMC every day So yeah, it's feasible if you are willing to make the trek. I also have a post-doc in my lab who bikes from Brooklyn to the main campus on 116th St every day. But as someone who lives a 10-minute walk from campus, it's a lot more convenient. Still, almost everyone in NYC commutes somewhere so you won't be alone. It doesn't have to be multiple transfers - if you live on the 4 or the B/D it won't be any transfers, and if you live close to a subway that connects to those trains along the line (almost any train that runs through Brooklyn) it can only be one transfer. But I would also look in Harlem - you can find affordable housing in Harlem and it's a lot closer than Brooklyn. Try Washington Heights and Inwood, too. I live in Wash Heights.

I just got into Teachers College, and I'm trying to figure out where I should be looking for apartments. I've pretty much ruled out most of Manhattan (though if there are any affordable areas I don't know about, please enlighten me!), and I can't really tell what'll be moderately affordable with a reasonable commute. Help, please!

IMO, Harlem would be the closest commute and affordable. I live in Washington Heights and I can get to Teachers College in 25 minutes door to door (from the time I walk out of my building to the time I'm walking into the building), and it's affordable here too. Inwood would be a bit longer (35-45 minutes depending on where you live) but I know folks who live up there too and it's nice. Also some of the closer areas in Queens might work out, like Astoria and Long Island City. I do know a lot of people who commute up farther than TC from Brooklyn, but you've got to be willing to do it.

[truc]

Can anyone recommend good (read not terribly sketchy) ways to find apartment shares/roommates? My quite limited funding from the New School is going to need to stretch as far as possible.

[adinutzyc]

Try sending email to professors / staff and see if you can get emails of other students going there next year. This is the least sketchy way I can think of... Or maybe the school has a classifieds board or something...

Also, my one semester in the city I stayed in an apartment on 70th St and 1st Ave (not sure about the 70, but def less than 75). it was 1800 a month, so a 900$ share, which was pretty much affordable (for Manhattan, you won't get anything cheaper)... The apartment was also VERY nice, as opposed to many others in the price range. Unfortunately, the owner said it was short term only and that he was going to increase the prices for long term (he was renovating some apartments upstairs, though we never heard any disturbing noise).

[mfafingerscrossed]

Anyone attending SVA this fall? On-Campus? Off- Campus?

[juilletmercredi]

Craigslist, honestly. I know it sounds sketchy but if you can come to the city to visit the places and meet the people advertising the apartments, you can separate the sketch from the true. I found my roommate this year through Craigslist, and a lot of my friends found apartments and/or roommates through Craigslist.

Also, if the New School has an office of off-campus housing, inquire there. Columbia has one and that's how I found my apartment AND my roommate last year. We got emails of the other students who were coming in the fall and were also on the waitlist for housing, and she emailed all of the women on the list and I was the first one to respond. Don't email professors, though, as they won't have it. Contact the housing office. Sometimes the departmental secretary gets these advertisements too.

Very unlikely to find another apartment on the Upper East Side for that price, heh. I've seen a lot of fake listings on Craigslist, and they seem to favor the Upper East Side with way-too-low prices for studios and sometimes one-bedrooms. It does sometimes happen that there's an incredible deal (a rent-controlled apartment someone inherited and is subletting, or someone has bought an apartment and you're paying half their mortgage, etc.), but usually if it looks too good to be true it probably is. I think it's worth saying that I don't know a single grad student who lives in the UES, or Park Slope, or Tribeca, or any of those traditionally expensive neighborhoods (okay, there is one exception - my psychology post-bac friend who is married to a BCG consultant).

[erinl]

I have just been admitted to the School of Social Work at Columbia, which I see is on Amsterdam between 121st and 122nd. Initially, it looked like I had plenty of subway lines to take, but upon closer view, the line that makes most sense is the 1. (Though the walk from 125th A, B, C, D doesn't look bad at all.) Did I read above somewhere that the 1 is a scary line to take at some points of the day/night, or was that just my imagination?

Also, I'm pretty open to moving into most neighborhoods surrounding Manhattan, including in Manhattan itself, if the price is right (which for me, would be pretty inexpensive). A lot of people have mentioned Washington Heights and that seems ideal given the close proximity to campus; my only perhaps far-fetched question is: because you're passing through Harlem by subway everyday and perhaps during the evenings/nights, too, are you putting yourself in any danger? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I ask because I've visited NY only a handful of times and despite being in love with the city, have never made it past 85th street. I'm originally from the Bay Area, have lived on the border of Berkeley and Oakland while going to school in Berkeley, and definitely know how to handle myself well...I guess being a small young woman just makes me a bit wary at times.

[domesticdiva327]

I have just been admitted to the School of Social Work at Columbia, which I see is on Amsterdam between 121st and 122nd. Initially, it looked like I had plenty of subway lines to take, but upon closer view, the line that makes most sense is the 1. (Though the walk from 125th A, B, C, D doesn't look bad at all.) Did I read above somewhere that the 1 is a scary line to take at some points of the day/night, or was that just my imagination?

Also, I'm pretty open to moving into most neighborhoods surrounding Manhattan, including in Manhattan itself, if the price is right (which for me, would be pretty inexpensive). A lot of people have mentioned Washington Heights and that seems ideal given the close proximity to campus; my only perhaps far-fetched question is: because you're passing through Harlem by subway everyday and perhaps during the evenings/nights, too, are you putting yourself in any danger? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I ask because I've visited NY only a handful of times and despite being in love with the city, have never made it past 85th street. I'm originally from the Bay Area, have lived on the border of Berkeley and Oakland while going to school in Berkeley, and definitely know how to handle myself well...I guess being a small young woman just makes me a bit wary at times.

I'm always up for putting people at ease about NYC. I was born and raised in Washington Heights, and it is certainly one of the least expensive parts of NYC right now, and only about 15 mins to 125st, which is where you'd get off of the 1 train to get to school. If you've experienced Berkeley/Oakland (which I only visited recently myself!) then you'll be fine! Just be street smart -- stay on well-lit areas, etc, but honestly, Harlem is nothing to be afraid of. Broadway is main street so you'll always have places open (corner stores, etc) where you can pop in if you ever feel unsafe, but as a small young woman myself, I'd say I've never felt at risk. I actually really like the 1 train because it goes through so many different kinds of neighborhoods, which means a variety of people ride it. Also, it has a stop about every 10 blocks, so you always feel that you can get off the train if you wanted to and walk. So please don't be afraid

[Zorah]

I have just been admitted to the School of Social Work at Columbia, which I see is on Amsterdam between 121st and 122nd. Initially, it looked like I had plenty of subway lines to take, but upon closer view, the line that makes most sense is the 1. (Though the walk from 125th A, B, C, D doesn't look bad at all.) Did I read above somewhere that the 1 is a scary line to take at some points of the day/night, or was that just my imagination?

Also, I'm pretty open to moving into most neighborhoods surrounding Manhattan, including in Manhattan itself, if the price is right (which for me, would be pretty inexpensive). A lot of people have mentioned Washington Heights and that seems ideal given the close proximity to campus; my only perhaps far-fetched question is: because you're passing through Harlem by subway everyday and perhaps during the evenings/nights, too, are you putting yourself in any danger? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I ask because I've visited NY only a handful of times and despite being in love with the city, have never made it past 85th street. I'm originally from the Bay Area, have lived on the border of Berkeley and Oakland while going to school in Berkeley, and definitely know how to handle myself well...I guess being a small young woman just makes me a bit wary at times.

By the way, Columbia University is in Harlem.

[erinl]

I've been hearing conflicting views -- some say Harlem starts at 125th, others say Columbia is in Harlem. Either way, it doesn't matter much. I'm just wondering if traveling through Harlem via subway to get home to Washington Heights at night is at all dangerous.

By the way, Columbia University is in Harlem.

[savvytruffle]

I have just been admitted to the School of Social Work at Columbia, which I see is on Amsterdam between 121st and 122nd. Initially, it looked like I had plenty of subway lines to take, but upon closer view, the line that makes most sense is the 1. (Though the walk from 125th A, B, C, D doesn't look bad at all.) Did I read above somewhere that the 1 is a scary line to take at some points of the day/night, or was that just my imagination?

Also, I'm pretty open to moving into most neighborhoods surrounding Manhattan, including in Manhattan itself, if the price is right (which for me, would be pretty inexpensive). A lot of people have mentioned Washington Heights and that seems ideal given the close proximity to campus; my only perhaps far-fetched question is: because you're passing through Harlem by subway everyday and perhaps during the evenings/nights, too, are you putting yourself in any danger? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I ask because I've visited NY only a handful of times and despite being in love with the city, have never made it past 85th street. I'm originally from the Bay Area, have lived on the border of Berkeley and Oakland while going to school in Berkeley, and definitely know how to handle myself well...I guess being a small young woman just makes me a bit wary at times.

Congrats! As long as you are aware of your surroundings and use common sense (i.e. don't walk through dark side streets with your head phones blasting in your ears), you'll be fine.

That being said, there's a good number of housing options around the immediate Columbia area for sublets/lease. I know the 100-110 streets between Broadway and Amsterdam has options and also 122-125 streets between Bway and Amsterdam. You can snag some of the roomshares at pretty decent prices. When I was searching I was looking for below $900 and eventually found an apartment for $850. I chose that over getting a less expensive apartment ($600-750) in Washington Heights or Queens because I dislike commuting and like the option of going home to retrieve things, eat lunch, etc. I probably could've saved $100-200 on rent, but if you figure in expenses that comes with commuting i.e. unlimited metro card, time spent traveling, I thought it was worth it for me in the end.

[Dr.EJM]

Hello all, I was wondering if anyone has moved with a dog or has a dog that could give me a little insight to what life might be like with my 4 legged friend. (my goal is to be living in Brooklyn, fyi)

[locomotive38]

Has anyone approved for Columbia apartment housing for 2011 heard about roommates yet? I've received my apartment assignment but no word about who I'll be living with.

[luce373]

I'm in the same situation. I have a room but no roommate yet. On the website I think it says they process applications through mid-July, so I suppose I'm not surprised I haven't heard. I'm moving in August 1st so I'm hoping to know in the next few weeks so we can coordinate things.

[Eisenmann]

I got information about my roommate. However, I sent the guy an email and he never replied (been almost a month already).

[jeckysmith]

Hello...I am new member to thi9s forum and i am very glad to join this forum. Thanks for sharing this forum with us.

[Zorah]

Hello all, I was wondering if anyone has moved with a dog or has a dog that could give me a little insight to what life might be like with my 4 legged friend. (my goal is to be living in Brooklyn, fyi)

NY is incredibly dog friendly. It should not be a problem.

[ars333]

I'm starting CUNY (PhD Computer Science) this Fall and looking for a place to live. Wondering if any other students from CUNY or other schools might be interested in pooling efforts to find an apartment and room together. Any other advice or tips would be welcome.