Moving to NY/NYU?

[prufrock123]

Hi,

I finally decided on Tisch for the PhD Cinema Studies program and will now have to make a big move, across continents! Just wanted to sound you guys out on some questions I have...

1. What would be a good locality to zero in on for someone who doesn't have a large budget and will be travelling to school everyday, mostly late evenings.. Queens seems like an option..?

2. How do you find flatmates?? I will definitely have to split the rent and will be looking for an apartment with a room of my own.

It'll be great to hear from others who are going through this process. Thanks!

[mtung]

Although it is getting increasingly expensive, somewhere off of the L train in Brooklyn would give you a very fast commute, and if you're interested in roommates, might not be too expensive. Craigslist is generally the answer to finding apartments and shares, but you should check with NYU to see what kind of housing resources they have, as Universities often maintain their own housing resources. NYU is close to a ton of train lines (L, 4, 5, 6, N, R, Q, W, B, D, F, V, A, C, E), so you really have a lot of options. In general I recommend Brooklyn, as it will be quicker to lower Manhattan, and the neighborhoods tend to have more amenities and activity. Queens is certainly a viable option, though, and will be relatively cheaper, but many neighborhoods are on the suburban side and can be inconvenient without a car; a few of the more active and accessible neighborhoods in Queens are Astoria, Sunnyside, and Jackson Heights (the latter are more around the 7, though, which wouldn't be convenient for you).

Will you have a chance to visit NYC before you start looking for a place to live? Do you want anything more out of a neighborhood than a place to rest (nightlife, restaurants, parks, etc.)?

[volumen]

I think it would be wise to do a sublet for 2 months - with or without roommate. get settled to moving to another country and then find a more permanent place for yourself after feeling out different neighborhoods. it will be difficult to rent a place without being in ny in person. but sublets are more lenient. have a trusty friend visit and vouch for you. depending on your living habits....being close to nyu is a plus but a change of scenery is always beneficial for the mind. so you are not stuck with a 5 block radius for years. i cannot imagine why a phD student would want to have roommates. unless you know them personally, it would be too much of an distraction. you can form friendships in more constructive ways. though having horror ny roommate story is a rite of passage.