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May I ask what you are paying for the apartment on the UES?
What someone mentioned about your work hours is important too. What hours are you working, Buses don't run frequently late at night and during rush hour that will be a long bus ride. Add more time than what it says to get there.
Also know that most people don't hang out in there neighborhoods and their social lives aren't build around where they live. It's NYC, your friends will live all over the place, you will meet up in all different neighborhoods.
I'd recommend the apartment near work. You can walk to work, go home for lunch, go home after lunch and change and then go out downtown with your friends. It's safe to take the train back home after. What you heard about the neighborhood is probably outdated or from some small minded people.
You can also take the M2 bus from the E 70s to the W160s, which would take about 45-60 minutes, depending upon traffic and specific stops, walk to/from the bus stop, etc., but is a single mode of travel, which can be easier than switching subways. The M2 runs uptown on Madison and downtown on 5th on the UES. However, the benefits of employer-sponsored housing make any inconvenience worth it, not only for the reduced rent and better amenities, but it's also likely to be well managed and easy in which to secure a lease, points outlined above with which I agree wholeheartedly.
The M3 & M4 also run up 5th/Madison and connect to Washington Heights. The OP said the option Google Maps suggested was the M101, which presumably means she's closer to 3rd/Lexington. I think the M101 is a bit slower compared to the 5th/Madison buses, especially since it travels across 125th (which doesn't have a lot of traffic, but has a lot of people getting on and off, which slows down the bus).
I don't think the roads across Central Park are generally too crowded, so at worst, it's maybe 10 minutes to get from York to 5th (from Lexington, probably only 5 minutes), and then 10 minutes to get across the park (even with the detour down to 66th Street), and then the subway ride.
Overnight, it might be better for the OP to time themselves for the M2 or M101 bus directly, since the M72 doesn't run overnights (the M79 does, though).
Whichever bus you use to commute, you'll enjoy having a phone app to predict when the bus is coming, in real time. The schedules printed on metal poles at each bus stop give a general idea of time intervals at various times of day and week. Phone apps are better and more precise because they connect to equipment tracking actual buses as they move. You can time your walking to the bus stops accordingly.
I use "Moovit" while others on C-D prefer the system where you get the code number for your bus stop, text it in to an MTA place and get quick text back on when the next ones are coming. I always imagine it as the Wizard of Oz, sitting behind his green curtain, telling people about their next bus. Both work well, but recently Moovit was inaccurate at my bus stop, so I'm going to try the MTA system again. (It might have just been poor prediction of the street traffic between where the bus was when a half-mile away from my stop, so not blaming Moovit forever.) Google around MTA and you'll find it their app. See what works for you.
If you happen to be using a "Limited" or express bus stop as some lines have, then you want a system that distinguishes between Limited and local buses. I live closest to a local stop, so I'm sure to only ask about buses stopping exactly there, unless I feel like walking a few blocks more to reach a Limited stop. If your bus line uses both Limited and not-limited (unmarked), it's important to get onto the right kind of bus that you need.
There's another speedy category of buses called SBS (select bus system) with special lanes, but I don't think the ones mentioned in this thread are SBS. So, just file that with your general knowledge. You might find some SBS helpful as you move around the city on down-time.
Last edited by BrightRabbit; 12-10-2015 at 06:26 AM..
Livingsinglenyc someone else got the apartment before I made up my mind! They have a range of prices from 1700-4000, this one in particular was just under $1700 and it was a huge studio.
It's good to know that people don't necessarily hang out where they live, but as a new comer to the city with less than a hand full of friends/aquqintances I think it would be easier to live where I could easily step outside and find something of interest.
In terms of the things I've heard about WH, someone I know that currently works in the area has recommended I do not live there because it is boring, rowdy, too far from everything, loud neighbors, dirty... However I heard it's safe.
I thought I had decided on the UES but I think I'll give myself sometime to thi it over again until my next visit in 2 weeks. I'm moving next year, in the winter, so hopefully the rent prices downtown (west) drop and I can take advantage of it.
Livingsinglenyc someone else got the apartment before I made up my mind! They have a range of prices from 1700-4000, this one in particular was just under $1700 and it was a huge studio.
It's good to know that people don't necessarily hang out where they live, but as a new comer to the city with less than a hand full of friends/aquqintances I think it would be easier to live where I could easily step outside and find something of interest.
In terms of the things I've heard about WH, someone I know that currently works in the area has recommended I do not live there because it is boring, rowdy, too far from everything, loud neighbors, dirty... However I heard it's safe.
I thought I had decided on the UES but I think I'll give myself sometime to thi it over again until my next visit in 2 weeks. I'm moving next year, in the winter, so hopefully the rent prices downtown (west) drop and I can take advantage of it.
far from everything lmaooo, its 15-20 minute express A train ride to Midtown
and 30 minutes local 1 train, if thats far for you, go get your car back.
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