Astoria/Sunnyside/Woodside? (New York, York: sublease, apartments, lease)
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I will be moving to New York City in August 2011. I will be working in midtown Manhattan.
I have been looking for places to live. I heard Astoria, Sunnyside and Woodside are pretty nice areas and they are only 20 mins from Midtown. My budget for rent is $1300. I would rent a studio or a 1 br apartment.
Can anybody tell me how are the above neighborhoods? Do these places have restaurants, grocery stores, bars, etc. Since I'm very young I want to live at a place that is pretty lively.
Go with Astoria. IMHO it's better for young people, especially those who want something lively. Sunnyside and Woodside are nice neighborhoods but not as much to do.
I lived in Astoria when I was up there and I loved it(near the Astoria Blvd stop). There's a cool mix of cultures there. There are Irish, Greek, Croatian, Egyptian, Hispanic and other types. Each tends to have an area where they are more prominent but everyone seems to mix in well together. Steinway, Broadway, and 30th Ave are lively at all times and there are a lot of packed hangouts on the weekend. The N and the R lines make it really convenient to Manhattan and as long as you live within reasonable walking distance of either of those two lines you are golden.
You should be able to find a decent place for $1300. My friend pays less than that for a 1BR on Steinway.
Thanks guys for the info. Can anybody tell me where to look for apartments? I have heard that it's not worth looking for an apartment on Craigslist? Does anybody know any reputable realtors?
Also, If I will be moving there in the beginning of august, when should I start looking for places?
I say go to Sunnyside, it's alot closer to manhattan, clean neighborhood. up and coming too..they filmed a few episodes of the entourage there. Of course, i hated it because i couldn't find no damn parking because of the long ass movie trailer, over all..it's a great neighborhood to live in. Woodside is also cool. I haven't really been much around Astoria.
Thanks guys for the info. Can anybody tell me where to look for apartments? I have heard that it's not worth looking for an apartment on Craigslist? Does anybody know any reputable realtors?
Also, If I will be moving there in the beginning of august, when should I start looking for places?
Thanks
Astoria is definitely the best choice of the three. Keep in mind though that if you drive, parking is an absolute nightmare and you might want to factor in additional $ for a garage or parking space.
Unfortunately, it's really hard to look for places too far before you're ready to move. Most landlords hate empty apartments, people usually move in the second the last tenant moves out. So I would say early July, with a firm August 1 move in date. As for realtors, that's a crapshoot, most have all the same listings so I would try to find the one who will discount your rate. The going price is one month's rent and they really don't do a damn thing for you, they help the landlord more than anything, and you pay them. All they are is a middleman who opens the door and shows you the place. They usually handle all the credit checks --again, for the landlord--but that's about it. So I would say, look on craigslist for listings in astoria, and cross reference the contact info with the phone book to make sure it's a legit outfit. Shop around...good luck.
Astoria. I'd recommend you sublease (a month or two) or stay in a hotel for a few days so you can figure out areas on your own to your needs and then sign a lease. You don't want to end up with 1 or 2 year contract and stuck at a place.
Also ask your employer if they have someone who can assist you. If company is large enough, HR should have some leads they can point you to.
Craigslist really isn't bad. You just need to know how to spot fakes and offers too good to be true. I'll agree with the folks above that it's difficult to find a place well ahead of time in NYC. The decent deals don't last long. I was lucky enough to already have a place to stay up there and was looking for just a room anyway so my experience was probably as involved as yours will be.
I also second their comments about cars. If you really don't need it consider getting rid of it. They can be quite an expense and a hassle. Of course they are very convenient at times.
i'd go for astoria it's the most beautiful place to live in queens, peaceful,affordable and VERY close to nyc i'd say about a 20 minute train ride. astoria is beautiful.
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