Moving to New York

Good luck with your move.

Hi janelire,

Great question, i love answering these ones, and it's great you have a bit of time up your sleeve so you can make the best possible decision.

From my personal experience of New York, I would say wholeheartedly, jump in the deep end and move. Don't hesitate, it's an amazing city and I've never met a person who hated New York.

Choosing a neighborhood depends so much on what your criteria are, how much cash you have, how active socially you are etc etc so a bit more information on that front would be great. My personal favourite would have to be Soho. It's a great mix of younger people with a bit of cash up their sleeves, and has some of the trendiest bars and clubs in all of Manhattan (purely a personal choice of course).

Your work will also play a big part on where you should live as well. You don't want to be commuting too much, althought the subway isn't too bad. I just know I prefer not to commute too much.

So perhaps give us a little more criteria and we can help you get that perfect place to live!

oh another good post is this one janelire - talking about the worst neighborhoods in New York. Perhaps some areas to avoid :)

Worst Neighborhoods in New York City
http://www.streetadvisor.com/new_york/forums/worst-neighborhood-in-new-york-city

Hi janelire,

Hows the decision making going? Have you made up your mind about NY?

AJ

It really depends on where your job is, and what your commute is like. Right now I have a friend who lives in Yonkers, but commutes to Brooklyn. Yeesh! He thought he was going to be working in the Bronx - did not work out that way.

As to safety, it depends in some areas on a street by street basis. I've lived way uptown Washington Heights area, and you really do want to look at the street, the building, the type of neighbors you have. Can't really do that on the web, you have to go there and get a feel for it.

I think this is fabulous for you! YOu should go with your gut on neighborhoods. And parts of Brooklyn ARE really nice. You have to decide what works best for your commute, and your day to day living. It's not just "is it safe" and well lit, it's also about where do you do your grocery shopping, your dry cleaning, get your prescriptions filled, see your doctor, walk your dog, etc. What kind of great stuff goes on in the neighborhood. Your daily life.

For example, I have one friend who is seriously asthmatic. She had no problems anywhere in NYC until we got to the connecting tunnels in the subway at 42nd st. Something there really set her off. She had some kind of serious allergic reaction - throat closing up, wheezing, etc. We tried this several times. She then realized that her daily life cannot include those tunnels, the long walks in them. You have to see what works for you. She had to figure out then where to live so she could either take the bus or only be in the subway for a little while, more direct.

And it sounds like you are WAY better prepared for your New York adventure than I was when I first came.

It is a WONDERFUL city, with so much to offer you, a place to really be happy and always have fresh experiences, great friends, good life. Just be sure that you are on solid footing with your rental, and your job. It's not a good place for money surprises - but yes, it is a great place to live. YOu will have the time of your life.

Also - the area may seem upper class, but you do need to look at the street life for your particular address, and see what is going on there.

The nice thing about East Village is it has gone from trendy to upscale, but it still is a real NY neighborhood.

I know I shouldn't focus on the "Is it safe" aspect so much, but it's really hard not to from an out of towner. New York is portrayed as a dangerous place sometimes, and I know that's the media playing it up, but my feelings just tell me to be safe.

I am very secure in my job for at least 12 months, which I am happy with, and as you say, its not a good city to be living if you run into money surprises, but then again, which city is.

I guess I am prepared to a point, but I am so excited, and and very happy about you giving East Village the thumbs up.

It can be a rough place, but really I think it is the pace of things. People can seem abrupt sometimes to a newcomer. But once you settle in, I think you will find it is an exciting place to be.

Here are some general tips for being street smart:
http://www.ny.com/survival/safety.html

The outer boroughs are usually cheaper than Manhattan. For the price, you'll probably get something bigger in a nice area. Check out parts of the North Bronx. They are gorgeous!

I grew up in Jersey, went to college in the Bronx (Riverdale, to be specific), and after I graduated I moved to Manhattan. I got a job at my undergraduate college and was taking grad classes at Columbia, so I found that the best place for me was Inwood, because I was a half hour from everywhere I needed to get to. (Except when I went to see Patrick Stewart in Macbeth in Brooklyn!) I got a decent apartment for $1075 (though it was a small cross between a studio and a 1 bedroom. It had a separate bedroom, but a studio kitchen.) Inwood has the lowest crime rate in Manhattan and is still affordable, though I would sugest if you want to move there, stick to the west side of Broadway, closer to the park. What a beautiful park it is! Inwood is the part of Manhattan that feels like an outer borough!

Anyway, now I live in Westchester county, and I have a bigger apartment for only $25 a month more. Electric bill is only 40% what it was in Manhattan, but I spend hundreds more on commuting per month, since I still work in the city.

Sounds like the OP is really focused on lower Manhattan. Hey NCC1701, maybe you could start a thread to tell us about life in Westchester. You're right, upper Manhattan is often overlooked, but you do have to be careful, it varies street by street.

As for commuting - what? No transporter beam????? Your username says it all.

Hello guys!

WOW, you go on christmas break, and suddenly there's a huge thread!! Great to see guys.

Hudson, great advice for everyone, thanks!!

NCC1701 - I'm very jealous you got that username, I'm a huge trekkie. We should start a new thread on Trekkie fans in NYC :) Patrick Stewart in Macbeth? How was that? I still love his cameo in Extras, it was hilarious.

I've never been to Upper Manhattan myself, I've always been under the impression is was not very safe? Guess I was misinformed.

AJ