New York, NY

[oktherapy]

You live in jersey city?

[Phoebed]

Hi everyone. I may fork out for NYU Stuyvs housing in the first year but I also have an option to share my friend's very large studio on the upper west side. Haven't fully decided yet and need to talk through some 'terms and conditions' with my friend. Figured I'd eventually move out to Brooklyn in my second year.

[m15a]

You live in jersey city?

yes. near journal square.

[felixsg]

Has anybody tried the University Apartment Housing at Columbia University ? is it hard to get ?

I think it might be a good option because I'm gonna need something just for one semester

(my girlfriend will be coming for the second one and we'll look for something together).

Otherwise, what is the usual minimum term contract for rooms in shared flats ?

Cheers

Felix

 

[hopeful grad]

I'm accepted to NYU for the fall for the MPA program - still haven't heard about funding. I'm thinking I will move there in June or July to try to find a full-time job before classes (depending on my financial situation). What do you think about surviving on a salary of 35K ish (I'm assuming if I get an admin job I'd be making that). I'm trying to find just a 9-5 so I can focus on school at night. I'm open to living with others, I was thinking brooklyn but not sure about the different neighborhoods. Any insight?

[astorian]

I'd definitely recommend living outside of Manhattan; Queens and Brooklyn are great options, with lower rent. Brooklyn is especially great if you're going to NYU, it's an easy subway trip into downtown Manhattan. I'm hoping to get into their Psychology program, and plan to remain in Queens if I do, it's about a 30 minute commute from Astoria.

Check out the mta site- http://www.mta.info, that will give you a better idea of where in Brooklyn you might want to live (NYU is 8th street on the Q/N/W line).

Roommates are always a good idea in NY. I live with my boyfriend, in a small but comfortable 1 bedroom, both of us working full time, and we aren't rich, but we certainly don't go hungry. 35k should be a comfortable salary if you have even just 1 roommate who also works.

If you get a chance to visit, that's the best way to get to know the neighborhoods. Not being a Brooklyn resident myself, I don't know that much, but even some good old internet searching should give you a good idea of what's best for you, what's close to the subway, what the rent prices are like, etc.

Good luck!

[hopeful grad]

Thanks Astorian! Good luck on your NYU applications. I still am undecided as I haven't gotten Financial Aid or Scholarship info...we will see. Keep us posted!

[Louiselab]

for cheap housing in the nyc area I know no one likes to hear this, because they'd rather live in a borough than nj buuuuut... Jersey City is on the up and up, especially if you go to NYU the path train takes you right to 14th st and 6th ave, so it's a viable housing option and takes as long as many parts of brooklyn or queens.

I know, I know, no one wants to live in jersey...

[bluewhenitsgray]

What about places to live while in a PhD program at Columbia? Is it better to go the graduate student housing route, find independent housing in Manhattan, or live outside Manhattan?

[hopeful grad]

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

[nativenewyorker]

Bluewhenitsgray,

I would definitely take columbia housing if you can get it. I just graduated in Oct from the MFA program, and though I didn't need the housing, I had several classmates were quite happy with theirs and even maintained their matriculation well past the time they could graduate just so they could hang onto their apartments. If you go the independent route, outside Manhattan is definitely cheaper but factor in that commute...I lived in the East Village at the time and had to switch trains three times which was a pain in the ass. Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any other questions you might have.

[Hadley]

The New School, NY

Anybody have any opinions on the grad housing at the New School?

[kant's mistress]

Does anyone know what the stipend packages are at The New School? Comparable to NYU?

[quantana]

Hi,

I got into a PhD program at Columbia, but havent got any info about hte aid package yet. I have a couple of questions:

1. is the area around Columbia safe?

2. how much does it cost to rent a reasonable 1 bdrm in a safe neighbourhood? Which ones are the safest? I prefer to be close to the school, of course, but if it is a dodgy place I would rather commute...

[portafoy]

I'm likely to end up at the School of Visual Arts. Any one have any tips on the area and where one should look for housing? I have heard vague things about how lower east side Manhattan is going through a kind of renaissance, but wonder if that means there is housing that is not crazy expensive. Any kind of input would be appreciated.

[helenforsdale]

congrats.

1. depends. it's the upper west side - it goes from real swank to fairly sketchy pretty quick. there aren't a lot of trains in the area.

2. rent varies, depending on the size of the apt and locale. expect to spend no less than 800-1000 if yr willing to have a roommate.

think about hell's kitchen. dull, dull, dull neighborhood - but the housing can be relatively inexpensive over there. it's south of columbia. i'm out of the market, and i haven't been following it in a while, maybe prices have gone up. if you don't mind the commute, consider williamsburg or greenpoint. very active young neighborhoods - easy commute. as a general rule of thumb - the further you get from manhattan, the bigger, nicer and more affordable the place. so don't rule out brooklyn. some people love queens, too - long island city is pretty popular. 1st stop in on the n/r, right by the ps1.

to the person asking about the lower east side: i'd avoid it were i you. it's loud, it's noisy, and on the weekends it's jam packed with drunk bridge and tunnelers. real unpleasant. yeah, they're pumping money into that neighborhood, but it's primarily insanely expensive condos that are being built. there's construction on almost every block - a new wholefoods just opened up on houston and bowery.

i will say that living below 14th, is definitely the way to go. maybe consider the east village (14th - houston, 4th ave - ave d) - you can still score some nice places in the east side - aves b, c.

and which neighborhoods are safest? they're all safe, if you have good common sense. you can get mugged in the safest, richest part of town, or stroll through the ghetto if you look like you know where yr going.

good luck...!

Hi,

I got into a PhD program at Columbia, but havent got any info about hte aid package yet. I have a couple of questions:

1. is the area around Columbia safe?

2. how much does it cost to rent a reasonable 1 bdrm in a safe neighbourhood? Which ones are the safest? I prefer to be close to the school, of course, but if it is a dodgy place I would rather commute...

[portafoy]

Helen, thanks very much for your response. It is really very helpful.

[Steve]

With regards to the New School, they aren't known for being generous with money. The problem, at least for the New School for Social Research, is that you can't apply directly to the PhD program but have to go for a MA first. If you already have an MA form another school, then you can apply directly to the PhD, but I think they still aren't very good about money

[onetwofive]

A general observation and question about living in NYC:

In my limited experience as an outsider, it seems like everyone who moves to Manhattan is head-over-heels in love with the idea of living there. And then after a while, either they still love it or they have come to hate it. (Or they still love the city but hate living there.)

Where does that leave people who are a little lukewarm about living in manhattan to begin with? Is that a bad sign? Does living in NYC ever *exceed* expectations?

[shima]

My fiance and I are both accepted to Columbia University and U of Michigan and we are considering to join Columbia. However, we have realized that cost of living is really high in NYC (specifically the apartment rentals). We have estimated to get the stipend of 5000$ per month from Columbia University, but we are not really sure that this amount of money is sufficient to have a nice life in NYC.

Could please give us an estimation of how we should spend our budget on each of the following items:

1. One bedroom apartment: We have considered to live in Moriningside Heights, Astoria, Greenpoint or Williamsburg (if you have any other good neighborhood in mind please let us know). There is another option of on-campus housing which we do not have much info about (the site needs user pass) and we really appreciate any info (such as rental, facilities, environment) on on-campus housing.

2. Cost living: which might include food, clothing, commuting, cell-phone and some other expenses of the apartment like gas, water and laundry. How much will do the mentioned items cost per person?

3. Entertainment: this is a very important criteria for our decision; after considering the amount of money spent on the above items, how much money is left for us for entertainment? is this amount acceptable to fairly use the available entertainments? In fact, we are choosing Columbia over U-M just because we see lots and lots of entertainments in NYC, however if we won't be able use them, what difference does it make between Ann Arbor and NYC?!!

[labmouse]

Does anyone know what the stipend packages are at The New School? Comparable to NYU?

I think it depends on your discipline. I'm in Fine arts and Parsons was quite generous, whereas NYU gave no funding at all.

Hadley,

I've been looking at alternatives to New School's grad housing in an effort to save a few dollars and also to have a bit more privacy. It seems that the school has a lot of Open singles/doubles and triples.

[anese]

I'm still waiting on info from NYU's grad housing--I know it's supposed to be the more expensive route, but I feel more comfortable getting housing through the school than I do going for an apartment with strangers or something. My sister is finishing up her last year of work at FIT and if she doesn't get housing this year, we are going to go in on a place together.

She knows NYC better because she also went to school at Columbia and is pretty certain about finding an affordable even if tiny place for the two of us in Manhattan...anyway...

just putting feelers out if anyone knows about NYUs grad housing situation? I know that nothing is written in blood with this waiting list...I am quite frankly in jitters about this and dread having to find a hotel or something to stay in if I don't get anything and she does, in order to find a crappy apartment somewhere!

[hopeful grad]

Has anyone applied to be an R.A. in the graduate or undergraduate dorms? I'm considering this and would like some input.

Thanks!

[juilletmercredi]

I applied to be a graduate hall director at Barnard College this March. I had a year and a half of RA experience and a year on my residence hall association, plus some other experience, and I did two great interviews (feedback from the interviewers). I'm not sure what the competition was like, because I didn't get the position. Looking back, I should've applied to more RD positions (I should've applied to Columbia's! But I think by the time I thought about it, it was past the deadline), but then I thought that I might not want to be a GHD or anything -- I decided not to do it my senior year of college and I had SO MUCH MORE FREE TIME. Being a resident assistant is already very time consuming; being a resident director is even more so.

Now I'm here, and I live in Washington Heights with a roommate, and although I sometimes miss the duties of being an RA (and the free rent -- I could save SO MUCH MONEY every month, pay off debts and some interest on my student loans, if I had the extra $925 every month that I'm shelling out in rent), I'm sort of glad I didn't get the position. I'm content with being swamped with work and being able to go out (whether go out means a bar or the library) whenever I want, rather than worrying about the duty days that I have.

[cogneuroforfun]

Is it at all feasible/cheaper to live in northeastern Newark and go to school at NYU? What kind of public transit commute time and cost would I be looking at? I'm coming from the southwest, so NYC is going to be completely foreign to me, and I'm not sure I could handle being in Manhattan/Brooklyn full-time until I got more situated, nevermind figuring out how to afford it.

What kind of somewhat cheaper commuter living locations could I start looking at?