Oh yeah, I always forget about Staten Island. You can probably do well and find people who rent out of their houses if you go there. Go Iowa
Mullet, it's great that you are asking for advice and you know what you are getting yourself into and have realistic expectations. So many people don't really know how difficult it is to just live in NYC and move here and find that out the hard way. Are you working for a social work-type agency? I always get excited when I find out there are other SW's or people in human services on these boards. You can also check out the ethnic papers too. That's another way to find out about lower cost apartments. One of my sister's found her apartment in Bensonhurst, Bklyn in an Italian newspaper and me and another sister found past apartments in one of the Irish newspapers. If you need to move right away, you could also sublet or rent out a room with someone for short-term so you have time to learn NY and the boros and also bide more time to find a better deal that way (I think I/we said that though). Again, be prepared for sketchy roommates though even if they seem nice
I moved in once with a girl for 2 months who was really cool then she got a dog and left him alone for days on end and never returned to the apartment. I also lived in a studio with a sister once and that didn't work after she started having sex with her boyfriend out in the open in front of me. I think the roommate horror stories are for another thread though LOL
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