I remember moving there and sleeping on the floor at my sisters Jersey City apartment.We finally saved enough to get a spot in downtown brooklyn.But every night on that floor was worth it compared to the energy and pace of NYC.Go for it and good luck.

me too what a city

SavonOsco said:

I too spent more time on the floor than I care to remember, wound up in Brooklyn too, lol. That's the thing about The Big Apple: You can find yourself in some pretty dingy surroundings sometimes, and sometimes life here can be like skating on a razors edge... BUT IT'S NEW YORK CITY DAMNIT!!! You don't have to read the paper or turn on the TV to find out what's going on in the world. All you have to do is step outside your door, lol.

I'm a born and raised NYer and I say if you wanna come here, then make it happen! It's been said here before, you need LOTS of cash to live here. It's not cheap and it seems to be getting more expensive. Don't be surprised if you need to have 2 jobs to make it here. Im fortunate to be from here cause I live with my Grandparents in the Bronx right now saving up money for a place. If you can bring someone along with you who also wants to live here, then that'll be even better. There is a lot to do here and a lot to see. With that said, it's a dirty town and if you have problems being around a LOT of people, then you won't like it here cause it's packed and even with it being expensive. I see more people on the streets and on the subways here than I ever have. The bus and subways run 24/7 and it's still a bargain compared to a cab or having a car here. Parking is a bitch here and folks here can't drive for shit and pedestrians don't give a damn about you and your car. NYC is what you make it. If you want to have a good time here, you will have a GREAT time. If not, you'll be super miserable. I wish you the best in your decision and your journey to this great city we call New York!

Oh before I forget, NYC is NOT just Manhattan. The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island are NYC too. There are great places to live and visit in those boroughs. And it's cheaper to live than Manhattan, though not by much. The subway doesn't go out to Staten Island, you got to take the Ferry or an Express Bus or drive to get out of there. Whatever the case, take advantage of it if you move out here.

purplecam said:

Don't forget Jersey. Lot of places to live, and it's a quick train ride into Manhattan.

Question for the natives: Is it possible to will a rent-controlled unit to someone when you die? Or does the unit automatically convert to rent-stabilized or back to market price?

Lammastide said:

This just came up in a recent news story here in NY. If I'm not mistaken, it depends on what was written in the original lease/rental agreement. If the agreement specifically states that the unit can be transferred in the event of death, then you're good. If it's not in the original agreement, don't count on the landlord having much sympathy. In other words, there's no one blanket rule that governs all possible scenarios - much depends on the original agreement signed-off on by both parties.

uPtoWnNY said:

Yeah..that was my suggestion earlier in the thread..I know so many that used Jersey as a starting block and it worked out for them..it worked for me

uPtoWnNY said:

But it's not NYC and that's what Tonylover has her eyes set on. I did think about that after I made my post. Jersey wouldn't be bad to live in. I don't think I could live there but I wouldn't tell anyone else not to. I could change my mind in a year. With that said, she or anyone else can live in Long Island or Westchester. They are all next door to NYC and accessible to the city by train as well.
[Edited 8/12/09 21:03pm]

PDogz said:

That sounds like something I've heard as well.

They are trying very hard to get rid of rent controlled apartments here in NYC. Landlords can get top dollar when people give up these apartments. There have been several court cases in the last few years trying to change the laws.

I have lived in Brooklyn my whole life and I love it. Manhattan might be too pricy but you can rent a studio or a room in one of the other boroughs. Manhattan is very accessible by public transportation.

ZombieKitten said:

why always NYC?

Can San Francisco get love?

I do like it there myself

http://farm4.static.flick...fe8a_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flick...2478_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flick...514b_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flick...f239_o.jpg

I took these last week of April this year - I want to go back

bboy87 said:

SoulAlive said:

Now that I think about it, remember when all those "Life in (insert area)" threads were going on?


the Bay Area didn't even get one!

bboy87 said:

Why don't you start one?

"Life In The Bay Area"
thread started by bboy87

SoulAlive said:

...and I shall!

Why?

bboy87 said:

...and I did!

Tonylover said:

i wouldnt sell my soul,but i am gonna try to move to brooklyn in a few years

NYC is alright....

Okie dokey then...

I had to stop reading midway through - all of the replies are NEGATIVE. Damn people, way to dishearten a girl!

For those who asked, I lived in The Netherlands for 7 months. I was paying $1200 a month for practically nothing. I am willing and able to pay $1000-$1500 a month in NYC. Obviously I plan to have housemates. A good friend of mine is planning to make the trip with me. We have scouted a couple of apartments, and most are in our price range. We would be willing to pay upfront.

I don't want to spend my entire life in NYC, but I want to experience something new and exciting. I do love the arts!!! I am pretty sure I can afford living in NYC for atleast 6 months on the money I would have saved by then. And, if I do get a job, then I would stay longer.

I have been to America twice, and both times I found the food and transport cheap. I acknowledge that housing may be an issue, and finding a job. How easy is it to get a waitressing job? I want something easy

I refuse to be disheartened guys... I need advice. But, telling me I need lots of cash is not what I want to hear (obviously).

Christina xx

PDogz said:

Thanks guys Encouragement is what I need.

Christina xx

purplecam said:

Wow, thanks for all the great advice. I am planning on coming with someone - I'm glad you mentioned the benefits. Plus, I don't really want to rock up in a foreign city by myself, with no car, no house, and little money...

I will definitely use public transport. I won't have a car - doubt I'll need one. It is so awesome that transport runs 24/7. In Australia, last train is at 1 am, and trams and buses stop running around midnight. How lame!

How about getting a part-time job? How easy do you think that will be?

Christina xx

Tonylover said:

for that price in NYC you aint gonna get shit trust me

It is an expensive city but you can make it if you try. I live in Queens with my fiancee and we had to prepare quite a bit. First and last months rent plus a brokers fee of 1 months rent. I lived off credit cards for the first two weeks i was here until i started working and I'm still paying them off 3 years later.

But I could not imagine having a better time anywhere else, everything is right at your fingertips just a subway ride away.

Another nice tidbit is that Queens is the most culturally diverse area in the entire world. I can walk 20 minutes and feel like I just went across the globe and then go another 10 minutes and hit another spot on the globe.

The only thing that we don't want to do here is raise a family. As nice as it is and we know its possible but we would rather have a smaler more suburban area when that happens.

I say move it and get to NYC, the center of the known universe.

IAintTheOne said:

You're wrong. You can easily find an apartment for under $1,500 in Manhattan, and it's easier in the other boroughs.

Tonylover, you should follow your dream. One thing you can do is check Craigslist for apartment sublets. (You could check for sublets that only last 3 or 4 months, so you're not locked into anything--then you could begin looking for a "real" apartment in earnest once you're here. It might take some of the pressure off to go that route.) Before you officially move here, spend a week or so in NYC looking at a bunch of sublets you have found on Craigslist and then hope you get the one you want. That's how I made the move to New York and it worked out well.

And read some more of the posts in this thread. They weren't all negative! (Mine wasn't.) And I have no idea why so many people wanted to shit on your dream in this thread. Ignore them. New York is the best city in the world.

IAintTheOne said:

That's about how much rent is in my building so she should be able to find an apartment in that range in the outer boroughs especially if she intends to share with a friend.

You can definitely find an apartment between $1000 to $1500 in NYC. In the outer boroughs you can even find a one or two bedroom in that price range. If this is what you want to do, just do it. Plenty of people have come to NYC with nothing but the clothes on their back and they have made it. This is a great place to live.