New York, NY

[kimmibeans]

The South Bronx? That's really the only thing that comes to mind. A lot of previously "bad" areas have gotten a lot safer due to gentrification and the NYPD's broken windows policy.

[as4300]

Hey everyone! Trying to get information about housing in New York gets complicated as there are people everywhere, arguing nowhere is safe in New York. Considering my housing experiences, I have always seen that these "unsafe" arguments were never true. But I still wanted to ask here, are there any specific areas in New York, including Queens, Brooklyn, Jersey City etc that you would avoid, or you would say unsafe?

Thanks!

 

I lived in Harlem (which some consider "less safe") for around three months, and it was okay. There were 3-4 fights I had witnessed but I was safe. Tried not to leave or go back to my apartment after midnight though. 

[ravyn]

 

You can definitely commute from New Jersey to Manhattan on a daily basis -- a lot of my professors do it, and so do some friends. I bet you've already looked into it, but the PATH trains run from as far west as Newark, NJ up to 33rd St. in Manhattan. It's a short walk from the 33rd St. station to the CUNY Graduate Center. You can look up the station locations and schedules here: http://www.panynj.gov/path/maps-schedules.html

 

I am so so sorry. I did not notice that you replied to me! I don't understand how this forum works. Thank you so much!

Actually, I had not looked into that option of using PATH (the only thing I've done is apply to the graduate housing CUNY offers lol).

 

I will look into it

[juilletmercredi]

Hey everyone! Trying to get information about housing in New York gets complicated as there are people everywhere, arguing nowhere is safe in New York. Considering my housing experiences, I have always seen that these "unsafe" arguments were never true. But I still wanted to ask here, are there any specific areas in New York, including Queens, Brooklyn, Jersey City etc that you would avoid, or you would say unsafe?

 

I agree with the South Bronx; that part is still pretty bad. I have a couple of friends who lived there and didn't go home after around 10 pm - stayed with friends.

 

Maybe Bed Stuy (in Brooklyn), but even that has/is gentrifying and is not so unsafe anymore depending on what part you live. Other than that, there's no place I would say I absolutely wouldn't live in for safety's sake. Now there are a couple of neighborhoods I wouldn't want to live in because of access to amenities and what's there in the neighborhood, but I wouldn't fear for my life.

[Madhini]

Hi, I am an international student coming in to NYC in August to start school at Hunter College, CUNY.  My classes end pretty late around 10.00 pm and I am hoping to find affordable housing somewhere close to school and roommates as well. Would be glad to have any information. TIA

[nikolas.asteri]

Hi guys, thanks for all the info, although I must admit that I didn't read all of the 30 pages.

I am coming to NY in August on CUNY's GC Fellowship, which is 25k per year.

First of all I would like to ask what is the tax situation for this amount.
Secondly, although I have done some research on affordable neighborhoods were I can share a place for ~$1000/month, I would like to ask if the remaining ~$1000/month are enough. I must take into consideration the metro pass (120), mobile(60), groceries(300?), any other suggestions that are standard for the monthly budget?
Lastly, keeping in mind that the big chunk of the stipend is deposited around November, what amount of money do you think I should have with me when arriving in NY? Taking into account that I can stay at a friend for some time.

Thank you

[ravyn]

Hello,

 

I am in a very similar position as @nikolas.asteri

 

I will be attending CUNY on $24K Science Fellowship and will be living Graduate Housing for ~$1,100/month (hopefully just for my first year, and I plan to look for cheaper apartments for the rest of my education).

Tuition is covered, so I shouldn't see a tuition fee in my bills from CUNY.

 

How doable is this or will I be in trouble?

[juilletmercredi]

@Madhini - Very broad question (or statement, rather). What is affordable to you - are you getting a stipend, do you have savings, do you have family support? Hunter is located on the Upper East Side, which is a very expensive neighborhood in NYC. You'll be unable to live there, most likely. However, East Harlem (above 96th St, east of Central Park - so between around 5th Ave and FDR Drive) is less expensive and a quick commute on the 4/5/6 trains to Hunter. To the west, between about 110th and 125th and between Morningside Park and 5th Avenue is the rapidly developing area that's being called South Harlem, but is pretty much still Central Harlem. Rents are going to vary - lots of luxury buildings in the area, but it's still Harlem. Right over the bridge are Astoria and Long Island City - both affordable neighborhoods in Queens that are a quick commute from Hunter.

 

@nikolas.asteri - I think if you are frugal you can live on the remaining about. I set aside about 15-20% for taxes each year. After taxes I was making $2200 a month and my rent was about $900, and I made the rest of it work while saving a bit each month. If you cut the savings, you can make it work. Your groceries don't have to be $300 - I spent about $200-250 on mine per month as a single person living alone. One idea is to try to reduce the amount you pay to share - you can find a share in a less expensive neighborhood perhaps for $700-900.

 

Will you be staying with a friend until you get paid in November? That will determine how much you should bring.

 

@ravyn - Doable, as long as you're frugal.

[nikolas.asteri]

Thank you very much for your thorough juilletmercredi. I appreciate it.

Do you know any online resources (or maybe there has been an older post here) on finding a cheap way to do things?

Meaning: If you live in Harlem for example, do not shop from store A, prefer store B because it has better value for money stuff.
Another example might be: Don't use a major cell company in NY because while in the city the coverage and support of the X smaller provider is exactly the same.

Stuff like that.

Or maybe I should learn the hard way   

Thanks.

[surlefil]

nikolas.asteri, on 03 Jun 2015 - 12:42 PM, said:

Another example might be: Don't use a major cell company in NY because while in the city the coverage and support of the X smaller provider is exactly the same.

Talking about cell companies, which one would you recommend? I'll be living in Morningside Heights and I read in a forum (the posts where from 2009, though) T-mobile didn't cover that neighborhood so well, but it is the cheapest service. What do you think?

[higheredhopeful]

Do you know any online resources (or maybe there has been an older post here) on finding a cheap way to do things?

 

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC

 

You can search for key words there.

[juilletmercredi]

For cell service, I would go with AT&T or Verizon.

 

I had T-Mobile during the first year of my PhD program. I got terrible cell service in my apartment - I lived in upper Manhattan, not exactly an out-of-the-way place. I switched to AT&T after my first year and had no problems with cell service. Calls are occasionally dropped because of high volume, but that happens on Verizon too.

 

I had a friend who had Sprint and she seemed to have issues with cell service and quality.

 

There are no smaller carriers I would recommend that have the same coverage as the big four. For one, you don't want to go with one of those providers that limits you to the metro area because grad students travel quite a bit for conferences.

 

You can learn how to save money by trial and error in the neighborhood, or by asking people. It kind of depends on what you're trying to do.

[surlefil]

For cell service, I would go with AT&T or Verizon.

 

I had T-Mobile during the first year of my PhD program. I got terrible cell service in my apartment - I lived in upper Manhattan, not exactly an out-of-the-way place. I switched to AT&T after my first year and had no problems with cell service. Calls are occasionally dropped because of high volume, but that happens on Verizon too.

 

I had a friend who had Sprint and she seemed to have issues with cell service and quality.

 

There are no smaller carriers I would recommend that have the same coverage as the big four. For one, you don't want to go with one of those providers that limits you to the metro area because grad students travel quite a bit for conferences.

 

You can learn how to save money by trial and error in the neighborhood, or by asking people. It kind of depends on what you're trying to do.

Thanks a lot for your input! I will consider the ones you mention. The only con of those is that they are more expensive, but we’ll see.

[Madhini]

@juilettemercredi thank you very much! And I apologize for sounding vague. I will not be receiving any stipend. As of now I rely on my parents resources.

[sarminja]

Hi everyone!

I will be going to NYU through the Fulbright scholarship. Currently I have not been sent information on the amount of the stipend I will be given. Does anyone know the Fulbright rate for NYC (I believe there is a standard living expenses rate for each city)?

 

Maybe those of you living there could share some information on how much money you spend on rent (do you live alone, with roommates, where etc)? How much do you need for other expenses (living normally on a budget but not eating left over pizza for a week)?

 

Just some "insider info" and any advice could really help.

[juilletmercredi]

If you flip back through the earlier pages of this thread, many people have shared details of their personal budgets - rent, food, where they live, etc.

[sarminja]

Thanks! Yeah, I guess I was a bit vague.

So my question regarding Fulbright stipend for NYC still stands, but to be more specific - is it possible to find a room in a shared apartment with other students for around 1 000$ in the East Village?

 

Since it is close to NYU I would really prefer living there and would be willing to live in a worse apartment for the sake of location. I have never been to NY before, but I found the East Village to be the best option (via my google searches) as I would prefer to be able to walk to school ( even if its a very long walk). But I am open to any other suggestions... maybe someone has lived or knows someone who lived in the East Village? Any concerns?

[ugurcanevci]

Thanks! Yeah, I guess I was a bit vague.

So my question regarding Fulbright stipend for NYC still stands, but to be more specific - is it possible to find a room in a shared apartment with other students for around 1 000$ in the East Village?

 

Since it is close to NYU I would really prefer living there and would be willing to live in a worse apartment for the sake of location. I have never been to NY before, but I found the East Village to be the best option (via my google searches) as I would prefer to be able to walk to school ( even if its a very long walk). But I am open to any other suggestions... maybe someone has lived or knows someone who lived in the East Village? Any concerns?

 

Hey I am also a Fulbrighter and they said that we'll be receiving $2000 per month, and the total budget for 10 months (I guess including insurance etc) is $27.500

[ugurcanevci]

Does anyone have specific information about Bensonhurst? I heard it's very diverse today, but none of the sources that I have found were written by people who are living there, nor up to date. Would appreciate some info, especially for around Bay Parkway

Edited June 21, 2015 by ugurcanevci

[kkk123]

New York is an amazing city

 

 

 

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[flowerpower07]

Does anyone have recommendations of phone apps that are really helpful in the city and the area? I'm like terrified of getting lost D:

[juilletmercredi]

HopStop is really good for subway directions. Accurate timing and gives you several different routes; it'll also change routes in case of subway construction and gives you the taxi price, too, in case you were thinking about maybe taking a taxi somewhere. I also like the app NextTrain because it tells you how far away the next subway train is from your station. It's relatively accurate.

 

There are several apps that give you a subway map. I used NYCMate. If you search "NYC subway map" you'll find one; they're all pretty similar. Try to find one that allows you to store the map(s) on your phone, though, so you can use it underground. One that has a map of the bus system (or several) is also a good bet. Each subway car also has a map posted nearby the door.

 

It's pretty difficult to get lost in New York, especially once you learn the subway a little.

 

Uber will let you hail a yellow cab. You pay the yellow cab a metered fare, not the Uber prices. You can also hail a regular UberX car with it too, of course, but some people prefer taxis.

 

Of course normal apps like Yelp work in New York - great for finding nearby restaurants or other venues to chill in that are tasty/good.

[bluejay123]

HopStop is really good for subway directions. Accurate timing and gives you several different routes; it'll also change routes in case of subway construction and gives you the taxi price, too, in case you were thinking about maybe taking a taxi somewhere.

 

^ Completely agree that HopStop is one of the handiest apps for the city.

 

I also recommend The Infatuation, which is really useful for finding great places to eat and has the best food reviews!

[ravyn]

Hey guys,

 

I have a super duper freakishly serious question...

 

What kind of sneakers should I buy for walking around daily in NYC. I don't think my old pair of sneakers will do a good job since my socks get soaked very very easily when I simply step in a small puddle. Plus, my friend said they were looking kind of flat lol. I am throwing them out.

 

I have snow boots right now because I have been to New England for a few winters. I hope the last/are good enough for NYC. But it doesn't hurt me in any way to learn more about what kind of snow boots NYCers wear during the winter

 

Yes, I know... very super serious question lol.

[as4300]

Does anyone have recommendations of phone apps that are really helpful in the city and the area? I'm like terrified of getting lost D:

 

Google Maps is in fact pretty reliable in NYC

HopStop for transport

Yelp for food