moving to NYC

[cutout]

This topic has probably been posted numerous times by people moving to the city....

My wife just got accepted to grad school at Columbia for writing which is thrilling, but neither of us have a clue where to live. We're both from small-town Virginia and honestly never considered living up there. I'd love any tips on neighborhoods that are ideal, price-wise, and also in proximity to the school, though she doesn't mind a long subway ride. Once we're there I'd also love to meet other FOTs for drinks if there are meetups happening...

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

Hey congratulations to your wife, that's an incredibly competitive program.

My brother just started going there for engineering and he just used the off-campus housing office to find a place in Morningside Heights, nearby.  Even though the Upper West Side and Harlem are totally expensive - $1200 for a closet, that sort of thing - there are pockets of affordable student-oriented housing nearby.  And if you don't mind commuting you can probably find something really spacious and maybe even really beautiful in Washington Heights or in Inwood, on the northern tip of Manhantan, where they have medieval castles and eagles. 

Probably not super-practical to look in the boroughs (unless you're really adventurous and want to check out the Bronx) - uptown and West Side are probably going to be your best bets.  Though the other thing about NYC is that it's full of impossible bargains that people just luck into, so you never know.  I lived in Williamsburg for $400 a month until 2002 (also get used to people just coming out and talking about rents).

[Forrest]

(also get used to people just coming out and talking about rents).

What you payin', Grote?

[Jack from Arkansas]

Congratulations on the big move.  If I moved there I would look into living on Roosevelt Island or Hoboken.  Student housing at Columbia are actually just awesome apartments.  Good luck.

[Forrest]

I agree with Jack that Hoboken is pretty awesome, but rent there can easily equal or exceed rent in Manhattan. If you can afford it, though, you've got great restaurants and bars, one of the best rock clubs in the world, and you're ten minutes from the city.

[JonFromMaplewood]

I lived in Sunset Park in Brooklyn for quite some time. I liked it a lot.

The price is right, but the commute for your wife would be brutal.

[cutout]

Thanks guys. I think my wife applied for student housing which might be a good deal, but people keep saying that neighborhood near Columbia/Morningside Heights is not so exciting in terms of proximity to fun things. My wife is somewhat opposed to living outside the city, aka Jersey, but neither of us know what we're talking about. A couple friends just moved to the lower east side - is that fun/affordable? Sorry to sound like a rube, but there's no hiding it.

[jed]

Morningside Heights is pretty boring. There's nothing to do at night and no good bars.

I lived on the far northside of Greenpoint, Brooklyn when I was going to school and was able to get to Columbia in just under an hour on the subway (walk or bike into Queens and take the 7). Rent wasn't cheap but it wasn't Manhattan prices either. We paid $1200 for a three room very clean apartment. If you went for something smaller you could do better maybe. I always felt like Brooklyn or Queens offered a better life than Manhattan could and didn't mind the commute because it meant good bars and food in my neighborhood on nights and weekends. 

[break]

My wife and I lived in Astoria for 3 years, i'd go back. 

Real estate people sometimes call the part of Washington Heights below Inwood Hudson Heights.  As Grote said, it's very beautiful around there. 

[JustSheaNo]

Hey cutout,

When I worked at Columbia, plenty of the grad students/adjuncts would get either student housing or "off campus," i.e. not university sponsored-apartments in Washington Heights, in the immediate vicinity of the medical center on 168th Street, or in Hamilton Heights, around 145th Street heading toward the West Side. If you get a place near the medical center on 168, there's a free shuttle for students/staff that runs between there and the main campus at Morningside. 

There is also a shuttle service to the Upper East Side (near Cornell and Rockefeller University), but I don't know if its open to Columbia students.  Upper East Side isn't so fun, though.

I agree with Jed that the boroughs can be good, but I too commuted from Greenpoint to Columbia and it was more than I could take (I did the walk to Queens, then 7 to the A train), especially in  the warm months.

If you are willing to travel a little bit for fun, then consider renting in Riverdale, in the Bronx. Its a really nice neighborhood, about 30 minutes to the campus. You can get a nice 1 bedroom in a great building for $1250 or so.  Just know its not a terribly exciting place to live.

[cutout]

Taking a look at Riverdale neighborhood now, thanks guys.

Also, any opinions on Park Slope or Prospect Heights?

[senorcorazon]

Park Slope, you'll be at the mercy of the F train, which is the third ring of the Inferno. Getting all the way up to Columbia will be a royal pain in the ass. And you'll be priced out unless you have Doddy types of money. Be careful with both of those neighborhoods because listings for it will lie and say that something in Crown Heights is Prospect Heights. I used to work in the projects down there; Crown Heights ain't all bad but it's block by block and hard to get a sense of that without walking around

[scratchbomb]

Park Slope, you'll be at the mercy of the F train, which is the third ring of the Inferno. Getting all the way up to Columbia will be a royal pain in the ass. And you'll be priced out unless you have Doddy types of money. Be careful with both of those neighborhoods because listings for it will lie and say that something in Crown Heights is Prospect Heights. I used to work in the projects down there; Crown Heights ain't all bad but it's block by block and hard to get a sense of that without walking around

Yes, very important to keep in mind that NYC realtors are notorious for for fudging neighborhoods (since those boundaries are pretty fluid anyway). For years, they referred to Bushwick as the non-existent East Williamsburg, until Bushwick became less scary for the average hipster.

If you know anybody who lives in the city (or is familiar with it), I'd definitely have them peep any address you're interested to make sure it's a decent spot.

Anything is Brooklyn is probably gonna require a long, long subway commute to Morningside Heights. And because of the train routes, Queens is not much better either. For ease of commute, upper Manhattan or Riverdale (as JSN noted) is probably your best bet.

One glimmer of hope: rental rates have declined or flatlined in many neighborhoods, due to the crappy economy. So you may be able to get a better rate then you would have a year ago.

Good luck.

[iAmBaronVonTito]

We paid $1200 for a three room very clean apartment.

jeepers!  when was this, jed?  in 2009, we're paying $1350 for a small 3-bedroom in tempe, az (which i imagine is cheaper than NY).

[A.M. Thomas]

We paid $1200 for a three room very clean apartment.

jeepers!  when was this, jed?  in 2009, we're paying $1350 for a small 3-bedroom in tempe, az (which i imagine is cheaper than NY).

I think he meant 1 bedroom (3-room, bedroom being one of them), not 3-bedroom.