NYC GCers, Mullet needs some major help
 

In my attempt to completely jinx myself from getting this amazing job I applied for (and will find out about on friday) working for a nonprofit in NYC - I seek the advice of the o wise ones of GC.

If I am offered this job, I will have to move my Midwestern ass to the Big Apple. The company is located in Midtown Manhattan and I would honestly be making pennies (seriously, it's a nonprofit) and I would have somewhere around $1000 a month for rent and utilities.

Now I know this is basically a joke - but I'm hoping some of you can advise me as to the neighborhoods of NYC - where is good to live, where will have cheap (but decent) apts, and where to absolutley avoid.

I'm not afraid of a commute on the public transportation (but i'm hoping it will be less than an hour) - so any advice would be absolutely super :)

Let me sleep on this, and I'll get back to you. You can start by checking out craigslist.

Re: NYC GCers, Mullet needs some major help
 

I have friends who are living for that amount on the upperwest side. If you find people to live with it comes out at a decent price. But honestly if you want ot pay less or live alone, you may want to move out of Manhattan. If you're hot I'm sure you can move in with a banker who will pay for your rent too.

-Rudey

HI! I work in non-profit and trust me it is HARD to get by on my salary and I make more than most (sadly). I say look in Queens. I by luck got my $600 a month apartment (thanks to being passed down by a sister;) ). The area I am in now which is 10 minutes from mid-town you probably won't find anything. Peaches is right, check out craigslist. You may want to check further out, like Eastern Queens. You can also do what I did when I first moved here, get a roommate, and when you get on your feet and learn the area more, move out. Feel free to PM me for anything.
Allison

Yeah, roommate would be a good idea at first. Definitely craigslist - sublets and such might be listed. You might find something in the Columbia area - W 110-120s (Streets, I mean!). But your best bet is probably Queens. If you can get something close to the subway (7, E, F, R into eastern Queens and N into northwestern Queens) it will make commuting a lot easier.

Or you could try Hoboken or Jersey City in NJ.

i don't know anyone in NYC, so i won't lie, I'm sketched out on having a random roommate ;) Of course i know people do this everyday, and it's definitely on my list of possibilities :)

Does anyone have any experience with or know know anyone who found a random roommate through craigslist and the such?

My brothers friend told me to check out Phipps Houses Service on 28th Street and 2nd Avenue - its Section 8 housing where you pay according to your salary. Anyone have experience with them? Or is this pretty shady?

So far:
Queens gets a +
Jersey is a good option

Rudey: aren't you a banker... :cool:

Just so you know, Section 8 basically does not exist anymore in NYC. If you are a woman with children who is in a domestic violence situation you may stand a chance but the common everyday working person is not eligible for this benefit. Also, any type of lower income housing is not something you are going to be able to move to NYC and be eligible for right away. You usually have to get put on a years-long wait list and then it is a lottery system in order to obtain. I understand your reservations about the whole roommate thing. If you would like, join my yahoo listserv in yahoogroups for NYC Greek Alums and you can post you are looking for a roommate. You may be able to meet someone that way. I would advise coming and meeting with a few potential roommates though because there are a lot of sketchballs out there. Good luck, and again, feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

Oh yeah, I also wanted to suggest getting into contact with alumnae from your organization in the NYC area. I don't know what GLO you are in but I belonged to the Panhel listserv when it existed and there used to be posts for roommates/vacant apts. all the time.

Hoboken really nice- and way too expensive for someone making a nonprofit salary, unless you have a parent who is paying your rent ( I worked for a nonprofit in NJ so I know). Jersey city does have cheap rent, but the commute is a pain in the ass and it depends on your neighborhood- I wouldn't live near Journal Square (where most cheaper rents are). Your best bet in the city is Queens or Brooklyn. Queens is probably slightly cheaper, but the commute from Brooklyn is WAY shorter. Just be very careful of the neighborhoods in BK! Some are awesome and some scare the hell outta me.

Good luck!

The NY Times real estate section is a good place to look.

Craigslist.com is a great place to look.

Phipps is a legitimate, and well respected real estate family, but like winneythepooh7 said, you are probably not going to get it. I'd offer to be an abusive SO, but I'm supposed to be ZTAMich's stalker, and I can't even get off my butt to stalk her.;)

If you really want good help, tell us where you will work. Midtown is HUGE. That way we can recomend neighborhoods that will give you a one seat ride to work.

Other suggestions
 

Mullet:

Have you joined Socialserviceforum.com yet? This is a good site for people interested in the human services field in NYC. There is a board where I've seen people list they are looking for potential roommates. I also agree with Russ, where is the job located? There are also nice parts in the Northern and Eastern Bronx where the rents are cheaper. It will probably take you longer to get to work though. The further you get from the city (where cheaper rents are) the longer the commute. Also the farther from Manhattan, the less stuff is around such as stores and restaurants so you may want to think about having a car (more expenses cuz of NY insurance-close to $400 a month) unless you don't mind waiting for a bus at midnite. Honestly my best advice would be to try to look in the outer boros or for a roommate. I have a friend working in non-profit as well making $30,000 (before taxes) a year. He lives in Manhattan and his rent (not including utilities) is $1200 a month and that is WITH a roommate. So do the math and you can see he has very little after he pays for his rent. When will the job start? Also remember that getting an apartment (with or without a roommate) often involves paying first and last month's rent, not to mention a broker fee (which most people end up resorting to in NYC). My last friend I know who got an apartment in Manhattan paid close to $6000 in just first months, last months and fees to the broker before he even moved into his apartment. Manhattan is a great place to live IF you have money but if not, it is going to be very difficult to live and make ends meet. You don't want to be stressed out because of this. You can live well like the majority of New Yorkers by living in the outer boros. I know that unless I marry into money, as a Social Worker, I most likely will never be able to live independently in Manhattan. It's a sad reality but not many people want to be in their mid-late 20's and past that living with roommates. One of my sister's is a Social Worker and she lives in mid-town with 3 other roommates. They all have their own room and get along well enough but she is still pretty unhappy. I don't want to sound negative or discourage you but I hear of way too many people that don't make $$$$ who have never really experienced life in NY have false dreams that they are going to be able to live well in Manhattan. It's just not going to happen. Look at all the people coming here from other countries with that idea. So many of them are living 4++ in studio apts. in bad sections of the boros and they can barely make ends meet. Again feel free to PM me;)

Dont leave Staten Island out of the search- everyone forgets about it. Not as convenient, but if you check NYTimes- might find some good prices for apartments. Last summer when I was being swooned to consider teaching the NYC schools after college- that was the place in the apartment ads that stuck out to me.

Wow, thank all of you for your wonderful advice already - it really is much appreciated :)

I am totally keen on living in one of the boroughs - i know i would have to struggle far too much to live in Manhattan! I guess i just need to start with which ones are good/closest/most convienant to live in!

The company is located on 35th St - right by Madison Square Garden & the Lincoln Tunnel, I've been told.