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My fiance and I are planning on moving to New York some time next year. We've done a bit of research but are having a tough time deciding on an area where the rent fits within our budget while minimizing any red flags in regards to safety/crime/etc.
We're looking to move into a decent sized studio if not a one bedroom that's relatively close to the city.
We're also a bit undecided as to whether or not we should take our vehicles.
If we keep them, we're only looking at a budget of 1200/mo. and without them we'd look to spend no more than 1800/mo. if possible.
Does anyone have any ideas as to which cities/areas might accommodate these needs?
Please feel free to weigh in on the car/no car debate as well.
From where in CA are you moving from and where do you plan to move to in NY? I moved from a small town in CA to SLC in Utah and then to NYC which is a move I have regretted since I got here. I got married here and except for my family, NYC is not where I want to stay. As far as transporation here, there is plenty of it with the buses, trains and so forth. Cost wise, you'll be paying through the nose for many services, rents and food, gas etc. Think about this before you come out because it could be a very big change for you, especially if you're coming from a smaller town.
Vehicles? Like MULTIPLE cars? That'll cost you (in Manhattan) at LEAST 900 or so each month. Do you really need TWO cars? Or even one? There's no need for a car in New York City, and especially in Manhattan.
Where will you be working? That'll be important in deciding where you want to live. And were you thinking in the city or the suburbs?
We're moving from the San Fernando Valley. We're not entirely sure where we'll be working yet. We're kind of shotgunning that idea as we go.
We're looking to have enough money to cover the cost of living for a few months as we look for a job in the city.
We'd like to live in the city more so than the suburbs, but depending on transportation from the 'burbs; it might be fair for us to take a gander.
Because of the various forms of transportation in New York, we're definately leaning towards getting rid of our cars (yes, two of them).
For the person who moved from Cali to NY, how did you get started in New York? What steps did you take in searching for an area to live and how did you go about finding a place? What city did you end up in?
For the person who moved from Cali to NY, how did you get started in New York? What steps did you take in searching for an area to live and how did you go about finding a place? What city did you end up in?
I actually cheated in this area. My wife, whom I met online, was already living in the north Bronx area and after we met, it was easier for me to move here since she had family in the area and I really didn't have anyone/anything tying me down.
I would keep one of the cars because you most likely find yourself wanting to take a drive sometime and go to CT, NJ, PA, or upper state. Plenty of place to go to and visit. Around town though, you can definitely get around with the transit system they have here. It's $2 a pop on the train or bus (one way) or you can buy them in amounts of $10, $20 or up, depending on how often you will use them. From the north Bronx, it takes about 45-60 mins to get to Grand Central depending on whether you get a local or express train. There is another train you can catch to get to Times Square but you have to transfer which means just waiting on the platform for the right train.
Some people drive into town but it seems to me that most just take public transportation. It's much easier.
As far as areas to live, you really will have to look around. Where we live, the area is not too bad but if you walk 2 blocks, it's not as good but walk another 4 blocks and you're looking at million dollar homes along Pelham Parkway. Go figure!! Best advice I can give you is to do your homework and look long and hard at area and homes...they are very pricey here anywhere you go, no matter what the neighborhood is like. If I can help with anything, I will certainly be glad to.
I actually cheated in this area. My wife, whom I met online, was already living in the north Bronx area and after we met, it was easier for me to move here since she had family in the area and I really didn't have anyone/anything tying me down.
I would keep one of the cars because you most likely find yourself wanting to take a drive sometime and go to CT, NJ, PA, or upper state. Plenty of place to go to and visit. Around town though, you can definitely get around with the transit system they have here. It's $2 a pop on the train or bus (one way) or you can buy them in amounts of $10, $20 or up, depending on how often you will use them. From the north Bronx, it takes about 45-60 mins to get to Grand Central depending on whether you get a local or express train. There is another train you can catch to get to Times Square but you have to transfer which means just waiting on the platform for the right train.
Some people drive into town but it seems to me that most just take public transportation. It's much easier.
As far as areas to live, you really will have to look around. Where we live, the area is not too bad but if you walk 2 blocks, it's not as good but walk another 4 blocks and you're looking at million dollar homes along Pelham Parkway. Go figure!! Best advice I can give you is to do your homework and look long and hard at area and homes...they are very pricey here anywhere you go, no matter what the neighborhood is like. If I can help with anything, I will certainly be glad to.
Thanks.. Did you have a job lined up waiting for you when you got to ny or did you have to start over with the hassel of looking for another job? If so, how long did it take you to find another one?
Vehicles? Like MULTIPLE cars? That'll cost you (in Manhattan) at LEAST 900 or so each month. Do you really need TWO cars? Or even one? There's no need for a car in New York City, and especially in Manhattan.
Where will you be working? That'll be important in deciding where you want to live. And were you thinking in the city or the suburbs?
From what i gathered from other responses on this forum. We wont be taking our cars with us and its going to kill our credit when we give them back though... I want to stay close to the city, Which areas would you suggets ? Is finding employment fairly easy or is it difficult getting a job out there?
It depends on what type of job you are looking for. I am a graphic arts person who has had a very rough time finding work because there are soooooo many people and the competition is fierce. What kind of work do you do? A couple of ideas are to look on the NY Times site and search the classifieds. It is associated with Monster.com and lists a lot of jobs. Another place to look is craigslist.com and look under NY. They have all five boroughs listed with headings under many different categories.
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