This is a post pulled from my old blog, Girl Meets Life. It was helpful to many people, so I figured I’d “resurrect” it to live somewhere!
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Ever since I moved to New York, the majority of emails I get from readers are about life here – getting an apartment, a job, making friends, etc. While I’m definitely no expert (yet), I have picked up a thing or two that might be helpful, so I figured it was about time to do a series of posts answering your top questions about life in NYC. Let’s start with the number one topic I get asked about…
1. The budget
It’s no secret that rent in NYC is some of the most expensive out there, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a multi-millionaire to make it work. You do, though, have to be an expert at managing your money rather than letting it manage you. Before even looking at apartments, figure out exactly how much you can realistically spend on rent each month/year (be sure to include utilities). In my opinion the best way to do this is to make an Excel sheet with all of your expenses – taking into account everything else you’ll be paying for and won’t be paying for (i.e. no more car payments, holla). If you’re a newbie to making a budget, here are some helpful budget forms. Lastly, know that unless your income is 30-40 the monthly rent, you’re almost definitely going to need a guarantor.
2. The roommate
There are some definite pros and cons to having a roommate(s). The number one reason to have a roommate is to cut the cost of living (depending on how your little budget-making thing went), and if you decide to live with a friend, just having the company of someone you like is an obvious perk. My number one tip for living with a roommate is go over every single ground-rule before moving in together. Decide if you’ll be sharing things like food (which I highly don’t recommend), who will clean when, etc. It might seem a little bit awkward at first, but trust me when I say it’s better to have all of that out in the open rather than letting it turn into stupid arguments down the line.
3. The location
For the most part, right now you can get the most bang for your buck in Manhattan by living in Upper East Side, Upper West Side, and Financial District. When I say “bang for your buck” I mean the nicer buildings with most affordable rent. You can also find reasonable living in Hell’s Kitchen, East Village, Murray Hill/Kips Bay, and Lower East Side.
The thing is, you actually CAN find more affordable living in just about every neighborhood, but you’d have to be willing to downgrade in the amenities department (i.e. I live in West Village for 2 years, but it was a very old building and a 5th floor walk-up).
Personally my ideal neighborhoods to live in (which also happen to be the more expensive and best transportation-wise) are Chelsea, Flatiron, West Village, and SoHo. I would suggest being open to all neighborhoods if it’s your first time living here, and the next time you move you can be a little more picky. You could also look into living in the other boroughs, but I know very little about them.
4. The search
First of all, always be sure to bring someone with you for safety reasons. Secondly, I would definitely try to avoid using a broker because their fees are ridiculous. If you do end up working with a broker who “insists” there are no fees, don’t be afraid to grill them to make sure that they’re not giving you the runaround…and definitely don’t sign anything without reading the fine print. With that being said, here are some resources to search for apartments:
- Craigslist. Definitely a hit or miss. You can find a great deal but also get really ripped off via Craigslist. Also – just because you choose the “for rent by owner/no-fee brokers” option, brokers with a fee still find a way to sneak on there, so be sure to still question them.
- StreetEasy.com
- RentHop.com
- Apartable.com
- UrbanEdgeNY.com
- directly through management companies. Here’s a pretty decent database of NYC management companies.
- walk ins. Take a day to walk around the neighborhoods you’re interested in and just go in buildings and ask about vacancies. Most of the time they’ll be able to direct you to the management company or landlord.
- social media. You never know which of your friends on Facebook or Twitter know someone who lives in New York, so it wouldn’t hurt to put the word out there that you’re looking for living options.
The bottom line:
Do your homework, but also don’t be afraid to as too many questions. The first time I lived in New York a few years ago, I did just about everything wrong. I ended up getting taken advantage of and paying way too much. Get as much information as possible from as many resources as possible so you can actually know what you’re talking about when working with the apartment brokers and owners.
If you have any more questions feel free to leave them in comments section! And good luck, you little future New Yorker, you.
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disclaimer: Please note that I’m not an expert and these are only my thoughts based on personal experience!
What else would you like to see me answer about life in New York?
