Here’s the scoop: I’m going to be working at a law firm near Wall Street from the beginning of May to the middle of August, at which time I’ll be going on to law school (location yet to be determined). I’m living in Oregon now, and, other than several excursions taken with my Lon Gisland kin and what I’ve seen on TV, know next to nothing about the layout of Manhattan or the other boroughs. To that end, while there are a lot of apartment and roommate listings online (at the Village Voice website, for one), I don’t know enough about street names/neighborhoods etcetera to grok uptown and downtown, let alone relative suitability to my needs.
My budget here is somewhat up in the air; a wealthy cousin of mine has offered to defray the costs of the apartment I find, provided it’s fairly economical. Can anyone offer any advice as to how someone three thousand miles away can secure decent summer housing in New York City? Does anyone know of an attractive sublet just waiting to be snatched up by a rising professional such as myself? Hell, anyone need a roommate? I can count to forty in German.
(Oh, and I’m moving to Philadelphia to stay with a friend for a couple of weeks before going to NYC, so I’ll have an opportunity to do some pounding of the Manhattan pavement on my own.)
Honestly, move to Jersey and use mass transit. . .
I grew up in North Jersey, and can vouch for the great efficiency (relatively) of NY/NJ mass transit. Depending on where you live, you may not need to drive at all.
Take a look at places. E-mail me if you need help in Bergen County.
Thanks, Tripler. Two questions: How long’s the commute, generally, from Jersey to downtown Manhattan, and how much does it cost each way? I actually don’t have a car, so that complicates things a bit as well.
I’d still prefer to find a place in the city if it comes down to it, though. Anyone else?
The easiest way to secure summer housing is through either Columbia or NYU. Both schools possess a considerable number of apartment-style dorm rooms that are rented to vagrants such as yourself over the summer. Just pop over to their websites and do a little digging.
NYU is much closer to Wall Street; consequently, it is more expensive. I made the Wall Street commute from the Columbia area, where I live, last summer. It wasn’t bad at all.
Definitely email me when you’re in town. I’d be happy to show you around a bit.
Actually, Gadarene, if I get a job in D.C. (a moment of silence for my headhunters, please), in the next month or so, I could use someone to take my place in my apartment for the rest of the lease (through the end of August). E-mail me.
Y’know, if you’re going to a big firm there may well be an internal firm newsletter with a classifieds section.
Meantime, I’ll check mine :).
A few hints: a place near a transit stop is a goldmine. I’d rather be in a tenement atop an express station in Queens than in a doorman building in Yorkville (part of the Upper East Side) way the hell gone from ANY subway.
Absolutely consider NJ. I used to work in Newark; parts of Jersey City are near transit but are still affordable (unlike Hoboken, which has been renovated to its eye teeth and priced to match). As far as NYC goes - since you’ll be working downtown, you’ll be more convenient to Brooklyn than Queens. Brooklyn Heights is close, but will be unaffordable. Park Slope, more distant but elaborately restored (Age of Innocence was filmed there) will also be unaffordable. Williamsburg, Green Point and Fort Greene may be more possible.
Although I hesitate since I don’t know when the last ferry runs - there’s also Staten Island. Downtown, you’ll be near the ferry landing.
Lower your expectations.
Lower your standards.
Lower 'em again.
TAKE CASH!
You’re very lucky to have your cousin. The rental market is starting to cool a bit, but it’s still a lot tougher than when I was in your shoes ten years ago. (How’s this for a laugh: at that time, NYU Law couldn’t keep its housing filled because it was so far above-market. They were losing millions until they contracted with other law schools to rent units out…)
Sorry, that’s gonna set your teeth on edge, I know. Best of luck.
Maeglin: Thanks for the tip about Columbia and NYU. (I’ll “vagrant” you…) I’ll check their sites out. And I’ll be e-mailing you, as well–an amoral tour guide such as yourself could come in handy.
xtnjohnson: I can always count on you for an informative post. I especially appreciate the names of specific neighborhoods–like I said, I know next to nothing about the layout of NYC. Let me know what your firm newsletter says. Oh, and…take cash?
I’m still on various d-lists for my ex-grad program. People are often looking for a subletter. I’ll forward whatever I have lurking in my inbox. If they look good, I’ll keep forwarding them.
Just adding my $.02 (didn’t keyboards have a cent symble at one time). Commuting from LI can would probally run you a min of 1h to wall st. (possilbe exception is the pt washington branch) And Metro North (westchester) would probally be the same. this is mainly due to the stations in Manhattan not being close to Wall St and requiring you to take a subway.
NJ has the advantage of comming right into the world trade center which is very close to Wall St. but I don’t know much about it.
What is with you people telling this budding young professional to live in New Jersey? Would you tell someone moving to work in Santa Monica that the Valley is a place to live. Or somebody with an offer inside the Loop in Chicago that the 'burbs around Naperville are ok? Or commuting in from Walnut Creek to San Francisco is an alternative (OK, forget the last one, everybody but B Gates has to do that now)
But when you talk like that, I don’t even know you, man. I am only 5 months into my Manhattan experience and I already look down with bemused condescension on the folks who have to commooooote in on the cattle cars from across the river every day. (There is a line in the WSJ today about a TV Manhattanite who refers to Staten Island and the Bronx as “the country”.)
The old line about only rats, pigeons, cockroaches and humans thrive here might be true but there is a vibrancy in NYC that I never felt in Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco or Philadelphia. This is from a life-long (but reformed) despiser of New York. If you are only going to be here for a while, buck up, pay the price ($1500-$2000/month) and live the experience 24/7. Now, if you will excuse me, Times Square is about 8 blocks away and I still enjoy gawking at the lights like some Iowa farmboy.
Last time I did it, it took me an hour* to get to the Villiage from Bergen county. Of course, this included all the stops along the way, and because I missed the PATH train I wanted to get. My roundtrip to Hoboken cost about $8, and figure another $2 for the PATH. A monthly card is a little cheaper. IIRC, Wall Street is in the southern part of Manhattan, so it should be about the same time for you as it was for me. I think there is also a subway station right there. . .
It’s still the easiest way to go. No parking, no vehicular theft, and the mass transit in NYC is the best in the country. And regularly on time, too!
And sorry mips, but I think the guy’s on a budget. Besides, the lights may be pretty, but they get boring after a while. That’s part of the reason I left!
Tripler
*Note: Actual times may vary.
Thank you! Now, about cash: what I mean is for a deposit. You do have to be careful, here (make sure you’re signing paper, too), but when you’ve got competition who’re fussing with the checkbook and meanwhile you’ve got greenbacks - guess who wins?
Yup, it’s brutal here. I will, however, vouch for Sua’s fine character (he needed that) and hope that solution works for the both of you.
Forget Jersey. Live in the city, especially since you’ll be here only for the summer. Be in the action, see all the historic places, live it up. Don’t spend your time commuting to save a few dollars.
The easiest way to get a place for the summer (especially from 3,000 miles away) is to go through a broker. You’ll have to pay fees, but you’ll most likely get what you need.
Beg for cash from all available sources and family members.
I don’t have the name of a good broker, but I’ll ask some friends and send you an e-mail.
I think that Columbia’s official deadline for summer housing may have passed already at the end of last week, but I’m not sure if Barnard’s has (across Broadway from Columbia). NYU, I think, is technically cheaper for housing, but they require that you buy a mealplan, so I think that it totals up to more. NYU is really close to Wall Street (which is very downtown, below the Village and where the numbered streets start), and Columbia is at 116th Street (think Upper Upper West Side/Morningside Hights/just below Harlem, which is Uptown) and about 40 minutes from the bulls and bears. You might have the most success with a sublet in the neighborhoods around the two universities since many people who work or study at them go away for the summer.
If you desperately need to stay in Manhattan but are under a strict budget, the best places to look are Harlem and Washington Hights. Washington Hights (above Harlem - approximately 160th to 190th or so, but I’m not sure of exact designations) is probably the cheapest, but it’d probably be an hourlong commute, and it’s not the greatest of neighborhoods.
New Jersey really isn’t bad. I grew up there, and like it. It’s just that it’s mostly suburbs (the cities are rather blighted), which can be kinda lonely for single people. New Jersey Transit (www.njtransit.com) is clean, prompt, and not too expensive. The ride from two or three stops out of New York would probably be under an hour door to door. But the rent is definitely much cheaper than in the city, and the trains do run at night for those who want to do all the cultural stuff.
A tip - get a street map of Manhattan and stare at it for a while. A good one will have the names of the neighborhoods labeled. Most of Manhattan is very simple - it’s numbered. The stuff downtown has names, though. Get familiar with the map before you go where you’re going, since walking around with a map or asking directions are cardinal sins for New Yorkers.
Sorry to be the voice of doom on the NYU summer housing, but no housing (for non-students) is available until the END of May, and it seems like you would need something available at the beginning of the month.
Like Green Bean, I do get some fliers for sublets and I will keep my eyes open in case anything looks promising.
Thanks, everyone. I’ll keep my eye out on this thread. Anyone who wants to go grab a beer with Maeglin and me while I’m in the city should drop me an e-mail, too.
If you are having serious trouble finding a place before you move in, there is plenty of crash room in my apartment. I can always set you up until you find a pad of your own. That is, if you don’t mind cats.
