New York, NY

[pea-jay]

Yeah, I called financial aid dept. yesterday and the girl told me the letters haven't been sent out yet. They hope to have them sent within the next 2 weeks. That is awfully close to April 15th!

She said the key thing was that the FAFSA had already been completed and that we will be notified whether or not we receive aid.

Best of luck to you too!

Yeah thats cutting it close.

When did you submit your fafsa?

[britboi04]

Yeah thats cutting it close.

When did you submit your fafsa?

I think I submitted mine around January 2nd.

[missamy]

I'm coming from the West coast...does anyone know the best way to get your things to NYC?

[pea-jay]

I'm coming from the West coast...does anyone know the best way to get your things to NYC?

Depends. Do you have a lot of stuff or a little?

[juilletmercredi]

About the 40-50x rent thing - a lot of renters will post that but I'm not necessarily sure so many of them hold you to it, especially in buildings that are used to having students. I live in a building that's close to CUMC and all they wanted was to see me and my roommate's letters from the school confirming our offers. We did have to use our parents as guarantors (me my dad, and she her mom) but our parents are by no means rich - both solidly middle-class at best.

When I moved I had very little - just clothes - so I put everything I could into a checked bag and a carry-on and brought that with me, and packed the rest in boxes and had my mom send it to me in pieces as needed (she sent me the fall clothes in the fall, and the winter clothes in the winter, etc.) I think if you have a lot of stuff (like furniture) it might be more economical or easier to get rid of a lot of it and then get cheap stuff when you get to the city. I had a beautiful bedroom set my mother bought me that she was going to let me take, but instead of letting it get banged up in transit and paying all that money to have it shipped somehow I bought some cheap stuff from IKEA and asked her to just hold it for me til I get a more permanent spot.

Edited March 29, 2010 by juilletmercredi

[stormydown]

The deadline was only 2 weeks ago (March 15), but I was wondering if anyone had any idea when we might hear back. I'm not expecting an acceptance, but I'd rather not twiddle my thumbs until the second week of April or something. (Not that I've heard back from Penn State's MA either.)

I know this isn't "English"-specific, but I thought maybe some other people were a bit cross-disciplinary like I am. (I also posted to the Interdisciplinary board.) I applied to English and Irish Studies programs this year.

Edited March 29, 2010 by stormydown

[robinsparkles]

I live on Long Island now and I am choosing between Hunter and Columbia. Right now, I have to make a 1 hour trip from my town to Penn Station, and then take a 20-40 minute subway ride to get to either school. I am looking for neighborhoods to move into where my commute would be less than 1 hour. Living in Manhattan would be great, but the average rent prices are more than I want to pay, so I think I'm primarily looking at Queens and Brooklyn. Does anyone have specific examples of neighborhoods that would have a commute less than 1 hour to either Hunter or Columbia? I'm looking for "good" neighborhoods... I know "bad" neighborhoods can be cheaper, but as a young female who will be living alone, safety is important. Any ideas?

[britboi04]

About the 40-50x rent thing - a lot of renters will post that but I'm not necessarily sure so many of them hold you to it, especially in buildings that are used to having students. I live in a building that's close to CUMC and all they wanted was to see me and my roommate's letters from the school confirming our offers. We did have to use our parents as guarantors (me my dad, and she her mom) but our parents are by no means rich - both solidly middle-class at best.

Thanks for the info. This had worried me as I couldn't understand what sort of students coming out of undergrad had this kind of money!

Not so sure if my parents would agree to be guarantors since they really want me to stay put and go to grad school where I'm currently at, but once I get my financial aid letter, hopefully it will have some good news that can persuade them otherwise.

Which, btw, NYU says they hope to have fin. aid letters sent out this week.

Edited March 30, 2010 by britboi04

[A.K.]

Is Brooklyn College, or its surrounding area a solid place to live?

[pea-jay]

Which, btw, NYU says they hope to have fin. aid letters sent out this week.

Not holding my breath on that one...

(Not that my other school is any better at getting this info out)

[missamy]

Depends. Do you have a lot of stuff or a little?

a little, thankfully

[pea-jay]

a little, thankfully

If you have mostly personal stuff and clothing, you could rent a minivan or regular van one-way and load it up. The added bonus is you'd get to see the entire country. Doesnt work so well if you have furniture though. A friend of mine moved from PA to CA via Amtrak-8 large boxes shipped freight while he rode as a passenger. Decent savings that way, though there probably is only so much train food one could stand.

[missamy]

If you have mostly personal stuff and clothing, you could rent a minivan or regular van one-way and load it up. The added bonus is you'd get to see the entire country. Doesnt work so well if you have furniture though. A friend of mine moved from PA to CA via Amtrak-8 large boxes shipped freight while he rode as a passenger. Decent savings that way, though there probably is only so much train food one could stand.

ooh that's an idea, thank you

[LFAlix]

Is Brooklyn College, or its surrounding area a solid place to live?

I can't speak from personal experience, but as I'm heading off to Brooklyn this summer myself, I've been talking to a few friends about the area and Brooklyn more generally. The area right around Brooklyn College looked a little bit sketchy when I visited in February, but I really didn't feel too bothered or threatened. However, I'm not sure I would really want to live in the Brooklyn College/Flatbush area. One friend who attends Brooklyn College recommended living in the Greenpoint or Williamsburg areas of Brooklyn, but she added that she knows people who live near the school and they haven't really had any problems with it. I'm probably going to look for a place in Greenpoint myself. From everything I hear about it, the area is OK, and it's a reasonable commute to both Brooklyn College and Manhattan.

[Dith Vader]

I'll be moving there from Indonesia, but I've been wondering whether I should secure my housing before I arrive or stay in a hotel for a few weeks while hunting down an available apartment downtown.

Which is a better idea?

[pea-jay]

I'll be moving there from Indonesia, but I've been wondering whether I should secure my housing before I arrive or stay in a hotel for a few weeks while hunting down an available apartment downtown.

Which is a better idea?

If you have the resources, do the hotel option or even better yet, the short-term corporate-style apartment rental. WHy? Because this way you can do a search on your pace, visit far more apartments than you could from afar plus check out the neighborhood BEFORE you sign the lease. It would suck to get that great apartment but have a neighborhood that does not meet your needs. Granted Google Maps and streetview helps the initial research process immensely but nothing can beat putting your feet on the streets and doing your own investigating. This recommendation really should apply for anyone moving from a long distance to a new city of a decent size.

[Dith Vader]

If you have the resources, do the hotel option or even better yet, the short-term corporate-style apartment rental. WHy? Because this way you can do a search on your pace, visit far more apartments than you could from afar plus check out the neighborhood BEFORE you sign the lease. It would suck to get that great apartment but have a neighborhood that does not meet your needs. Granted Google Maps and streetview helps the initial research process immensely but nothing can beat putting your feet on the streets and doing your own investigating. This recommendation really should apply for anyone moving from a long distance to a new city of a decent size.

Thanks a lot! I think I may have enough extra fund to do the short-term corporate-style apartment rental for 2-3 weeks. I agree with you though, nothing beats actually visiting the place.

On another note, what does everyone think about Nate Silver's "The Most Livable Neighborhoods in New York" article on New York magazine: http://nymag.com/realestate/neighborhoods/2010/65374/index.html

[suzy]

Hi,

I will be attending Columbia in the Fall, and have never been to NYC. Any suggestions for housing that is within walking distance, but also cheap (not creepy)? It looks like graduate housing is just as expensive! Also, what is the whole "fees" thing? I've never had to pay a fee to rent a place...is this a New York thing?

missamy - I just moved from San Diego back to my parents' in Minnesota, and used UPS to send five extra large boxes (40lbs each). It cost me a little under $200 for the whole shipment. Not bad if you can squeeze it all in.

[cgking]

Hi,

I will be attending Columbia in the Fall, and have never been to NYC. Any suggestions for housing that is within walking distance, but also cheap (not creepy)? It looks like graduate housing is just as expensive!

Unfortunately, if you want to be able to walk to Columbia, their grad housing seems to be the best deal around. You can find some cheaper rents further uptown, but it gets a little less safe/nice the further up you go. It'll be really hard to find rents under $1000/person (with roommates) in Manhattan at all.

You can find cheaper stuff in the outer boroughs if you're willing to commute to school-- some neighborhoods in Brooklyn (Williamsburg, Greenpoint) are popular for students because they have cheaper rents, aren't that far from the city (it takes about 40 minutes to get from Williamsburg to Columbia), and are fun neighborhoods with lots of creative, young people around. Parts of Queens can be even cheaper, but a little less young and hip.

I'm planning on just accepting my poverty and doing Columbia housing, at least for the first couple of years. Living in NYC is all about compromises: housing costs vs. location, size vs. amenities, etc. For me, being close to campus in a safe, clean apartment is the most important thing. I'll eat ramen

[TheMole]

Unfortunately, if you want to be able to walk to Columbia, their grad housing seems to be the best deal around. You can find some cheaper rents further uptown, but it gets a little less safe/nice the further up you go. It'll be really hard to find rents under $1000/person (with roommates) in Manhattan at all.

You can find cheaper stuff in the outer boroughs if you're willing to commute to school-- some neighborhoods in Brooklyn (Williamsburg, Greenpoint) are popular for students because they have cheaper rents, aren't that far from the city (it takes about 40 minutes to get from Williamsburg to Columbia), and are fun neighborhoods with lots of creative, young people around. Parts of Queens can be even cheaper, but a little less young and hip.

I'm planning on just accepting my poverty and doing Columbia housing, at least for the first couple of years. Living in NYC is all about compromises: housing costs vs. location, size vs. amenities, etc. For me, being close to campus in a safe, clean apartment is the most important thing. I'll eat ramen

To the original poster, my main piece of advice would be this: don't worry about walking to campus. The subway is, after all, your friend! Besides, Morningside Heights is nice enough, but you can get a much better deal elsewhere.

Here are the things you should keep in mind:

1. expect to have something of a commute. That's just life in NYC. The subway is convenient and will take you virtually anywhere you want to go, but from Morningside down to the Lower East side runs about 30-40 minutes, and that's using the fastest options (express trains, and savvy planning). Even if you live a block away from Columbia, the trade-off will be $$$ and you'll still have the commute to anywhere else you go. And you should go elsewhere - I can think of no greater tragedy than living in New York and not exploring the infinite things the city has to offer you.

2. Consider Washington Heights or Inwood. These are the neighborhoods at the top of the West Side of Manhattan, and at the very top of the island, respectively. The rent is a bit cheaper (though you'll still want a roommate, and that's likely to be true anywhere in the city), and the Heights still has real character - it's heavily Dominican, Mexican and Puerto Rican - but it's not too unsafe. The crime there, my sense is, is the sort that you have to go looking for. Stay aware of your surroundings, walk like a New Yorker (fast), and use some common sense, and nothing will happen to you. These neighborhoods are also the only affordable ones in Manhattan where you're going to have a very quick commute. Crossing Central Park from the East Side is not just a pain (only buses make the trip), but you can forget about being able to afford THAT side of town, unless you want to live in a shoebox. I speak from experience here: I live in Washington Heights, and was cross-enrolled in a language class for three semesters at Columbia. Door to door on the 1 line from 157th street, my commute was regularly 20 minutes. I can bike the trip at a fairly leisurely pace in about that same amount of time, using the very pretty greenway along the Hudson River. Food is also cheaper up there - restaurants are generally expensive in NY, but take-out or delivery from the ethnic dives in the Heights are, I'd say, at least a few dollars cheaper than what you'll find down in the UWS.

Oh, as a final point of advice, I'd recommend only taking one or maybe two roommates. I've had friends who went crazy loading up on them, and inevitably they've gotten stir-crazy. Besides, you should be able to get something reasonable. The other neighborhood you could consider, though it's likely to be pricier, and it is absolutely noisier, is Hell's Kitchen. You can't beat that area for ethnic cuisine, and the vibe isn't bad, though it's not the Village.

Best of luck!

[TheMole]

I live on Long Island now and I am choosing between Hunter and Columbia. Right now, I have to make a 1 hour trip from my town to Penn Station, and then take a 20-40 minute subway ride to get to either school. I am looking for neighborhoods to move into where my commute would be less than 1 hour. Living in Manhattan would be great, but the average rent prices are more than I want to pay, so I think I'm primarily looking at Queens and Brooklyn. Does anyone have specific examples of neighborhoods that would have a commute less than 1 hour to either Hunter or Columbia? I'm looking for "good" neighborhoods... I know "bad" neighborhoods can be cheaper, but as a young female who will be living alone, safety is important. Any ideas?

First off, nice username! Second of all, if you're willing to get a roommate, then I would recommend checking out Fort Greene, down in Brooklyn. It's going to be a bit of a haul to Columbia, though. Downtown Brooklyn is nice, too, and the housing market has collapsed some there, since a bunch of developers built these absolutely insanely nice luxury towers and then couldn't sell the properties, leading to renting at cheap rates.

I would caution you to not entirely discount Manhattan. The top of the island isn't too shabby - I live in Washington Heights, though currently I'm in Madrid for a few months - and my wife is still there, with no big scares or any incidents whatsoever. Well, there is one exception: the very loud and obnoxious crazy dude who dances outside our apartment building, strutting and (badly) singing Lady GaGa, Michael Jackson, or whatever else has taken his fancy. But New York is quirky like that, and it's still fine. You should also be able to live in a place like Steinway or Astoria in Queens (personally, I think Queens is an ugly shithole, though, so I don't recommend it) for a reasonable price.

[juilletmercredi]

. Does anyone have specific examples of neighborhoods that would have a commute less than 1 hour to either Hunter or Columbia? I'm looking for "good" neighborhoods... I know "bad" neighborhoods can be cheaper, but as a young female who will be living alone, safety is important. Any ideas?

I second the Mole's comments - I live in Washington Heights and attend Columbia. I go to both the main campus and CUMC - the medical center is four blocks away and the main campus takes me door to door 30 minutes. If you live in Washington Heights or Inwood you can get a nice apartment for cheaper than you would anywhere else in Manhattan and the ride down to main campus will be about 30-40 minutes.

Hunter's a different story though - because it's on the east side getting there can be a pain. You can ride to 72nd St and take a cross-town bus through the park, or ride to 125th and take the m60 to the 6 and then ride that down to the Hunter stop, or you can ride the 1 or the A to Times Square, get in the 42nd ST shuttle,a nd then ride the 6 back up (that doesn't make as much sense as the other options). It'd be better to live on the east side if you're trying to get to Hunter, preferably on the 6 line.

If you wanted quiet you wouldn't move to New York, so disregard that dude. I've got a group of young adults who like to play MJ and salsa out on the sidewalk until about 2 am some nights (especially during the summer). You get used to the city sounds after a while.

Edited April 14, 2010 by juilletmercredi

[juilletmercredi]

I can't speak from personal experience, but as I'm heading off to Brooklyn this summer myself, I've been talking to a few friends about the area and Brooklyn more generally. The area right around Brooklyn College looked a little bit sketchy when I visited in February, but I really didn't feel too bothered or threatened. However, I'm not sure I would really want to live in the Brooklyn College/Flatbush area. One friend who attends Brooklyn College recommended living in the Greenpoint or Williamsburg areas of Brooklyn, but she added that she knows people who live near the school and they haven't really had any problems with it. I'm probably going to look for a place in Greenpoint myself. From everything I hear about it, the area is OK, and it's a reasonable commute to both Brooklyn College and Manhattan.

There's nothing really wrong with Flatbush per se - it's the best area but not the worst either. It used to be worse but in recent years has been improving along with the rest of Brooklyn.

Williamsburg is a very hipster-ish area; a lot of young professionals live there and it's a good prospect for someone headed to Brooklyn College. Greenpoint is getting that way too and is also an option. There's also the BoCoCa area (Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens) and DUMBO that are relatively nice areas. Downtown Brooklyn/Brooklyn Heights is a bit pricier and thus nicer, and right over the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan. Park Slope is also pretty close to BC but of course Park Slope is a fancy-pants expensive neighborhood.

[pea-jay]

I second the Mole's comments - I live in Washington Heights and attend Columbia. I go to both the main campus and CUMC - the medical center is four blocks away and the main campus takes me door to door 30 minutes. If you live in Washington Heights or Inwood you can get a nice apartment for cheaper than you would anywhere else in Manhattan and the ride down to main campus will be about 30-40 minutes.

Hunter's a different story though - because it's on the east side getting there can be a pain. You can ride to 72nd St and take a cross-town bus through the park, or ride to 125th and take the m60 to the 6 and then ride that down to the Hunter stop, or you can ride the 1 or the A to Times Square, get in the 42nd ST shuttle,a nd then ride the 6 back up (that doesn't make as much sense as the other options). It'd be better to live on the east side if you're trying to get to Hunter, preferably on the 6 line.

I'm strongly considering Inwood/Washington Heights. I've walked around there and explored the neighborhood last november. It has an ethnic/linguistic mix that appeals to my family (bilingual/bicultural) and has or is accessible to job locations for my wife in Northern Manhattan or the Bronx (areas with high percentages of Spanish speakers). It also has a few dual language elementary schools and all these wonderful old apartments with character. What does look like it will suck is getting to Baruch which is off of Lexington Avenue on the East side. But I can put up with a three-train trip for everything else the far north of Manhattan has to offer.

For those NY residents, what are your thoughts of the Bronx? Although I have been a visitor to New York ever since the early 90s I have never set foot in the Bronx. Go figure. Most people I've talked to have disparaged that Borough or recoiled in horror. Is that an accurate assessment or way off the mark? Given the possibility of employment in the Bronx and the fact the 4-5-6 trains that serve a good portion of that borough also pass by Baruch, are there areas worthy of consideration.

I've also got a Brooklyn question, but that's in the Brooklyn thread

. Well, there is one exception: the very loud and obnoxious crazy dude who dances outside our apartment building, strutting and (badly) singing Lady GaGa, Michael Jackson, or whatever else has taken his fancy. But New York is quirky like that, and it's still fine. You should also be able to live in a place like Steinway or Astoria in Queens (personally, I think Queens is an ugly shithole, though, so I don't recommend it) for a reasonable price.

So does he take requests? ;-)

If you wanted quiet you wouldn't move to New York . . . You get used to the city sounds after a while.

Very true. I miss the noise @ night. When I lived in Chicago I lived one block south of a hospital and one block north of a 24hr/day el Stop...it never got quiet. When we moved to San Diego, I replaced the varied urban noise with the dull roar of a 10-lane freeway. When we moved to the rural reaches of CA and OR, I was forced to get a white noise generator so I can fall and stay asleep. Silence disturbs me. I'm kind of odd that way.

[pea-jay]

There's nothing really wrong with Flatbush per se - it's the best area but not the worst either. It used to be worse but in recent years has been improving along with the rest of Brooklyn.

Williamsburg is a very hipster-ish area; a lot of young professionals live there and it's a good prospect for someone headed to Brooklyn College. Greenpoint is getting that way too and is also an option. There's also the BoCoCa area (Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens) and DUMBO that are relatively nice areas. Downtown Brooklyn/Brooklyn Heights is a bit pricier and thus nicer, and right over the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan. Park Slope is also pretty close to BC but of course Park Slope is a fancy-pants expensive neighborhood.

How about Bushwick or Ridgewood right across the line in Queens? While a number of potential employment locations are in the Bronx or northern Manhattan, there appear to be job opportunities in Central Brooklyn for my wife as well. I've heard about Williamsburg and explored/visited and know people in southern Brooklyn, but I could use another perspective on the Bushwick area. Is it the next up and coming "Williamsburg/Greenpoint" or is that mostly hype?