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My career prospects in NYC would pay me around $75K
Would I even be able to live on this income?
It's just me, no kids.
What are typical rents in the outlying areas like Brooklyn and Queens or maybe even Jersey City, Hoboken, etc? What are the commute times like from these areas? Would the commutes be stressful and very long?
Realistically I know I won't find a job making more than $75K. I am middle aged but may be able to find a friend who will agree to be a roommate, so perhaps I could get a 2 bedroom and split with him. I'm way too old to consider rooming with strangers, I'm not a 20 something college student.
I have always wanted to live in NYC but wonder if it's just too far out of reach, too expensive, too stressful...
75k is a good salary. There are many, many people in NYC (including myself) who live on much less than that. That being said, it seems anytime these "Can I survive on this salary in NYC?" threads pop up, there are inevitably a slew of people who will likely respond with a simple "No Way". 50k, 100k, 250k...whatever, somebody out there will consider it not enough to live comfortably in NYC. It's subjective.
Keep in mind...NYC is a stressful place. I see you are coming from Greenville, SC...haha I've been there before and let me tell you, NYC is no Greenville.
It's good that you're open to living with a roomie and living outside of Manhattan. BK and Queens are both big boros, so commute will vary. I will say that I live in Queens not too far from LaGuardia Airport and my commute to Midtown takes 45 minutes...and that includes a bus and the subway.
You say "career prospects", so I'm guessing you are just going by what online job postings say? Or do you already have job contacts here?
Who on EARTH would think you CAN'T live in NYC on 75k a year?
It's a stupid question.
Duh.
Or are you trying to make us feel inadequate for not making 75k a year?
Either way, it's still a stupid, immature question.
Yes, if you dont blow 60% of your income on housing alone, or believe that a decent entertainment budget is 35% of your income.
My friend earns $ 65k and lives comfortably in a studio apartment on the Upper East Side. She cooks and shops frugally (ie she doesnt blow $150+ on a pair of shoes). has no cc debt and takes vacations 2x a year. Its definitely possible.
Yes, if you dont blow 60% of your income on housing alone, or believe that a decent entertainment budget is 35% of your income.
My friend earns $ 65k and lives comfortably in a studio apartment on the Upper East Side. She cooks and shops frugally (ie she doesnt blow $150+ on a pair of shoes). has no cc debt and takes vacations 2x a year. Its definitely possible.
I agree with this I'll also add, don't let others try to say "Oh try Brooklyn and Queens (etc) because it's cheaper". Truthfully certain areas are higher, the same or just about the same as Manhattan's desirable areas (especially in BK, I.E Park Slope). 75k is a feasible salary as long as you make the right decisions. Be realistic but know your salary would be fine to have your own place in a nice area.
Most landlords or buildings like for candidates to have 40x's the rent, in their salary. So make a budget and decide how much you want to spend. Remember the more desirable (and closer to the waterfronts) the more money it'll be.
With that said, I recommend Brooklyn. =) (Yes I'm bias, sue me) Brooklyn is a great borough and we pretty much have everything you'd need. But still you'd have to search for yourself and make that decision. Regardless of the borough you pick, you have 5 (or 4 depending on your liking of Staten Island) great places to choose from all within reach of your salary!
Yes- it is all about your lifestyle. If you are smart with your money you can live pretty decently on that. And the roommate culture in NYC is much different than in other parts of the country- I roomed with individuals in their 40s and it was considered totally normal. There really isn't a 'cutoff age' from this arrangement, the rigors of the city have made it very commonplace.
Hi, it's the OP here, thanks so much for your replies...I want to answer a few questions...
I know from looking at job boards and from contacting recruiters that I could make $75K in Manhattan. I have read several posts on this board where people were moaning about how hard it was to live in NYC on anything less than like $200K, so believe me, I definitely did not post this salary figure to boast in any way....not at all...I just figured $75K was considered pretty low for someone living anywhere around NYC (be it NJ or Brooklyn, Queens, etc).
Yes, I am living in Greenville, SC right now, but I just moved here 6 weeks ago and already HATE it. I am originally from Boston but I lived in New Jersey for 7 years (but not close to NYC, I lived in central Jersey, so I'm a true yankee and while I've never lived in NYC it wouldn't be a major shock to me, it's not like I'm some country bumpkin from SC...no offense to country folks)
And I have learned to live very frugally. I wouldn't expect to have a huge entertainment budget and I wouldn't expect to drop $200 on shoes. I have lived and learned...I've been beaten up by this economy and I'm definitely in a downsizing and frugal phase. I know how to save now. I don't carry a balance on my credit cards.
this was just to answer a few of your questions... so what is an 'average' rent for a 1 bedroom apartment in Brooklyn...or JC or Hoboken, etc? When I look on various sites it seems like everything is $3K, which is out of the question high! How do people DO that??
It does seem strange to me to have roommates again but if it's normal and fairly easy to do then I'd consider it.
Thanks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastBoundandDownChick
Yes- it is all about your lifestyle. If you are smart with your money you can live pretty decently on that. And the roommate culture in NYC is much different than in other parts of the country- I roomed with individuals in their 40s and it was considered totally normal. There really isn't a 'cutoff age' from this arrangement, the rigors of the city have made it very commonplace.
Who on EARTH would think you CAN'T live in NYC on 75k a year?
It's a stupid question.
Duh.
Or are you trying to make us feel inadequate for not making 75k a year?
Either way, it's still a stupid, immature question.
Again....duh.
I can't tell if you're joking/pulling my leg or not... but I don't think this is a stupid question. I'm 40 years old. $75K doesn't seem like it buys much in NYC so I'm genuinely concerned. I made $65K when I lived in central Jersey a couple years ago and it was hard to make ends meet. I certainly would never be able to buy a house....
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