Commute to Midtown... Where to Live?
I recently accepted an offer for a full-time job after completing an internship this past summer.The job is in midtown. I wont be starting until next august or so but I wanted to get a good idea about where I should be looking in terms of housing.
Details:
- My salary is pretty bad at about 55-60K (no bonus)
- I don't think I can stand having any roommates
- I prefer not to live further than a 30-40min commute door to door
- Lastly, I am not really a "city" person but I could deal with it if the neighborhood was relaxed
Any suggestions would definitely help.
Where to Live When Working in Midtown?
While the NYC real estate market can change quickly, much of the general advice for where to live with a midtown job remain the same:
- Look for something close to the 4, 5, 6, 7 or the long-awaited Second Avenue extension of the Q train
- Get a roommate for more options (it’s not that bad, especially if you work long hours)
However, OP’s preference for no roommate and a more relaxed neighborhood further limits his choices. Some places to check out include:
- UES, meaning Yorkville
- Forest Hills, Queens
- Sunnyside, Queens
- Roosevelt Island
- Jersey City, NJ (but commuting can be a pain)
- Hoboken, NJ (ditto on commuting to midtown, and it’s getting more expensive)
One WSO member created a map of places that are a 45-minute commute to Penn Station, which may or may not be helpful depending on where in midtown you work.
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First I have to ask, why did you get a job in midtown if you can't deal with roommates AND are not a "city person".
Regardless, your options are limited but I would consider looking at Harlem and other areas way up around the 150s. If you would do a roommate or two your possibilities are endless because midtown banks are pretty easy to get to from anywhere. All your 'requirements' are kind of absurd though.
Probably not cheap around Columbia, but the neighborhood below it on Broadway has a good choice of restaurants.scene. If u need cheaper, Inwood is way way up there, but there are parks for those recreation weekends.
Agree with yeahright. Currently work in midtown and UES is probably your best bet (in terms of travel time and cost). And when I say UES, I mean Yorkville. Not sure what your price range is, but recently saw place on 96th (about 20 min from GC) for about $1200/month. It was very small and there was a roommate.
Best bet for quick commute to midtown would be something close to 4,5,6 or 7 (not too familiar with latter.)
^ 55-60 k is good money.. but its pretty hard to find something within your budget without a roommate, u should def suggest a roommate or two or three. lol
I would look in Forest Hills, Queens. It is about 30 minutes on the F train to the Bryant Park subway station (and it's only 6 total stops, I believe). That subway stop is no more than a 5-10 minute walk to most places in Midtown. If you are working further north, closer to the Park then you can get off at either Rock Center or 57th Street (which are the two stations prior). Forest Hills is much more affordable and has seen quite a bit of urban renewal over the last decade or so.
Another two places to look would be Sunnyside, Queens or Roosevelt Island. Roo Island is very close and much more affordable than the UES. You can probably get a studio there for under $2000. The issue with all of these places is that they are in NYC and therefore you have to pay NYC taxes.
New Jersey is less accessable, but you can get a bus to Midtown from Hoboken that takes about 30 minutes. However, Hoboken is relatively pricey.
I've lived in Forest Hills. The restaurant scene has gotten better with some decent pubs around. There is also the LIRR train, which will take you direct to MSG in 15 minutes for those games & concerts.
I was thinking Jersey would be my best option. I have heard decent things about Hoboken and even West NY. I really just want a reasonable commute and a relaxing place to come home to. As far as not wanting roommates, I dont think that it is a crazy requirement and I am not a city person but that just means I function better without the clutter and rush of the city life. I thought somewhere in Jersey might give me a good middle ground between housing and commute.
Queens Williamsburg Hoboken / Exchange Place -> 33rd street PATH if you're not too far up midT
....or get a roommate
i third queens. When I worked in Midtown it took me 20 minutes door to door from sunnyside.
The office is right near times square. I heard Williamsburg is a pretty chill place to live; any idea about what 1200-1500 a month could get me? Also, I hear that Exchange place is an ideal commute to midtown via PATH but I hear mixed things on the price of an apt.
JC is definitely doable on $55K/year. No city tax saves you $2K.
You are held hostage to the PATH system, which doesn't run that frequently after ~8PM.
Seriously, 8pm sounds crazy early, especially considering most people that use PATH are working past that time. Bummer, how else would someone get home?
Williamsburg is a great option. You'll be able to find a place in your price range even without roommates and can get anywhere in Midtown in ~30 min. Very young, much quieter than living in Manhattan.
Thanks. That is great to hear. I will definitely be checking out places there.
Cool neighborhood, but that neighborhood ain't cheap anymore. It's been "discovered" by Manhattanites.
Still get much more for your money in Billyburg than you do in Manhattan. It's only a bit more expensive than Hoboken.
If you move to Williamsburg, just be sure to buzz the sides of your head and grow it long on top. Also, invest in a hammock, some skinny jeans, and an industrial-grade juicer.
Jersey City or Hoboken (though Hoboken may be a little pricey alone). The PATH easily drops you off at 33rd and 6th, the bus at Port Authority and the ferry is available as well, lots of options
Agreed, the wait isn't bad at all. Why not look at the schedule and plan when you leave accordingly?
Try Hoboken around 14th street, the ferry goes straight across the river for a quick commue.......but you have to scrape craigslist for a good deal uptown
But seriously, talk to anyone who lives in JC or Hoboken and they'll say the commute is great during rush hour but sucks late at night and on the weekends. I think it has something to do with the fact that cab rides to JC/Hoboken are really expensive while a 40 block cab ride in Manhattan is ~$10.
@UFOinsider Taking the ferry is a lot of fun, but:
1.) It's ~ $8 each way, which is an extra $12/day or ~ $200/month. That's ~6% of OP's take-home. 2.) For most places (maybe 14th st) it runs every half hour, which is great if you can keep a strict schedule, but sucks if you miss the 8:30 ferry.
It sounds like, if you add in commute cost from hoboken/jersey city, I may be better off getting a place in williamsburg with a similar commute time and apartment space or possibly a shoebox-type apt in the UES with an even better commute time. Does this sound about right?
I believe the northern part of Williamsburg close to the Bedford Ave station is the nicest area. It will get more cheaper & a bit grittier as you go south or east.
That's correct. Bedford is the expensive / waterfront area. Lorimer stop is a good bit cheaper and still a vibrant area.
There are a bunch of $700/800 rooms in upper Hoboken, basically legacy rent controls that the lease holders charge at just above cost. I have no idea why they do this, but there are actually a bunch of folks that do this....mostly older people who keep control of the apartment and I guess just want to be nice to someone who's just starting out. With this configuration, all in rent/commmute is right around $1,000. Pretty good deal if you don't mind roommates. Plus about half of them prefer month to month rent, so you aren't even locked in. You just have to dig a bit, they don't use agents.
Where have you found these? I have never seen a place that cheap in hoboken.
I took a good look at New Jersey when I was hunting around for places to live and just decided that the price of an apartment was too much to justify the length and cost of the commute. If you are not working IBD analyst hours, then maybe living a bit further out would make sense. If not, my inclination would be to lean towards Queens. A lot has happened there over the last twenty years where many areas are not only liveable but quite nice for a single person. Especially one who is looking to not have a roommate.....
Take a look at Long Island City. There are a bunch of new developments there that are very well equipped and it is an amazingly easy commute to midtown. Several good bars and good shopping, as well.....
Craigslist, trulia, word of mouth. Just like the better jobs, you have to know someone. Guy I know hit it off with the owner of a place and rents an entire 1 floor, 1 bedroom apt two blocks from Hoboken PATH......for under $1,200. If you're new to the area or don't want to dig around for a bargain, then you'll pay the standard rates. Thing is, there's always someone doing something for well below market for a variety of reasons, you just have to be patient and look for it.
Makes sense. Basically what I did when I lived in JC a few years back. Had a massive 3 bed 2 bath place with a big balcony 5 minutes from the Newport PATH for $2100 total.
I think adjusting to live with a roommate somewhere on the island like midtown/the village/lower manhattan would be easier and relatively more convenient than living in NJ and figuring out whether swimming or taking the ferry should be your contingency plan.
Youve got a whole year to find a place and a roommate if need be. Take it from the owner directly and skip the brokers crap.
Trust me. When youre working long hours with unpredictable schedules, the last thing you want is the stress of how to get home. Whatever you're going to save from living a swim away you're going to pay plus interest. It's either in cash or in stress. It's going to be paid.
Sorry i dont have something tangible to offer, but I have been through this myself and after a long thougt i decided to a pay a little extra just to be closer to where I'll be commuting and expend my time and energy on more productive stuff which should pay for itself.
Good luck.
Brooklyn and Queens both don't have the complications of figuring out how to get home. If I were the OP, I would look into LIC, Astoria, Billyburg, Bushwick and Ft. Greene. All have commutes shorter than Hoboken and prices that are reasonable.
Jersey is obviously your best bet, but don't plan on driving. 45 minute commute is doable.
In fact you could probably go well into the suburbs on a 45 minute time budget. Northeast Corridor train goes straight to Penn Station and central Jersey is about 40 minutes out.
You guys have all given more info then I thought I would get on this question; thank you. I guess I am leaning more toward the Jersey City/Queens/Williamsburg locations. I am not in IBD so my hours wont be that intense but because I am doing accounting, busy season will probably be just as bad. It will be good to have a place that is not too far from the office where I can stretch my legs and not get washed by the cost of rent/commute.
BTW does anyone know if any places in Westchester would be around a 30 min commute? I was told that Tarrytown would be a good bet but something tells me that this may not be the case.
You can hop over into queens and for 1500 in astoria, some of Long Island City, Sunnyside, and Woodside, have your own 1 bdr and be able to make it to TS in less than a half hour door to door.
Expensive to Live in Midtown? (Originally Posted: 01/20/2007)
Is it really expensive to live in midtown or pretty much on par with what you could expect in other areas of the city? I'd rather not have to deal with the subway, even if Grand Central is minutes from work.
I'd be interested to see the responses to this question too...any ideas for buildings to check out in that area ?? I'm too lazy to walk and I hate the subway..
Why in the world would you voluntarily live in Midtown? Unless you are in one of the high-rises near CP South, why would you even want to?
Hate the subways? Cmon, the subway is not scary - man up.
there are lots of buildings over on the east side sutton place area that are nice...a lot of luxury rental buildings going up in hells kitchen as well..
Uppereastside, I typically refuse to take the subway in this town if there's any other way. I walk or take cars. The subway is actually somewhat expensive ($2 per ride or slightly less if you buy huge amounts on the Metrocard) and I enjoy walking in this city. I don't know why, but I really dislike it. I definitely chose my apartment so that I didn't have to deal with it.
Walking from mid-town to work is great, but in winter you will find yourself taking a lot of taxis rather than walking.
its just strange to hear someone who doesn't take the subway in NYC. For me its just a part of life
I interned close enough to work that I could walk. I just remember how gross the subway platforms were in the summer and would rather not have to deal with that when I'm dressed for work. Going home, I wouldn't care, but not when I'm freshly dressed.
uppereastside, could you expand on what you find wrong with living in midtown?
I never took the taxi in NYC. Worked close enough to walk to work in financial district and at nights/weekends, the subway just took too long, was hot, etc....
So, is it expensive to live in midtown? What are the pros/cons?
Would it be better to live in the UES?
Besides being convenient to work - what are the pros of living in midtown? It's very dirty, full of tourists on the weekend, not as many bars/restaurants as other areas..
I just don't see the point of why someone would want to - but that's just my opinion. I would much rather live on the UWS, UES, the Village, almost anywhere else...
midtown is for business. if you are young it is not that fun. unless you live in murrary hill which is still on the lower side
not a bad place to live (especially hell's kitchen) and it's near a number of banks. a 1 bedroom can be rented for 3k a month, not terrible.
3k month is pretty steep for an incoming analyst. Jimbo, is it feasible for those 1 bedroom apartments to be split between 2 people?
If you are spending 3k on a 1br in Hells Kitchen - then you are getting bent over backwards. That's how bad of a deal that is.
A 1br in midtown goes for around 2000-2600 aprox... Go on craigslist and you can get a pretty good range of what the prices are.
I live in Midtown East/Murray Hill area, about $1,700 a month, and I work downtown. Reasonably priced, close to subway, lots of bars and restaurants. Pretty solid place to get an apartment.
Bateman:
How many roommates do you have?
depends what kind of building you want to live in and how big the place is. yes places can be had for cheaper.
these one bedrooms can be split, yes.
One roomate.
Housing in Midtown (Originally Posted: 01/11/2010)
Beginning work in August, but I'm still interested in seeing some advice as to where to look for apartments in/near midtown. I want to be near midtown because that's where I'm working.
What are typical price ranges, what are some good websites, what to watch out for, etc...
http://www.nybits.com/
Studio will almost always top $2000/month if you are in a high rise building in Midtown. If you are sharing with another person, then it depending on if it is 1-bedroom convert or a 2-bedromm apt. The former will be about $1500/month, and the later will be $200/month more.
^^ That's about right - share w/ a roommate you can probably get away w/ $1400-$1600, depending on building for 1-brm convert. I've known a few people that have their own studios in midtown/murray/lower UES for less than 2k/mth and in prime midtown areas, but they were rare finds and quite small.
Try craigslist.. there's tons of people always looking to replace their roommates in a m/t apartment. Or, if you've already got a roommate, something to consider is going directly to the buildings in the areas of interest. A lot of apts have signs outside that say 'apts for rent, call mngt...' In some cases, going directly, you can avoid the middleman broker, if the apartment does not already have a deal with a broker firm to handle their units.
I suggest trying Pine Management. They offer No Fee apartments in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Visit their site at www.pinemanagement.com
SPAM
Apartments in Midtown West? (Originally Posted: 06/03/2010)
Similar to a thread I saw a few days back, I'm curious whether anyone has recommendations for apartments in midtown west (40-55th streets) besides the Metro (where I'm sure a third of this board lives). I'm trying to find a studio, expensive as it is. I know Archstone has a really nice building on 50th that's also quite expensive, and there's also the pricey Biltmore as well. Maybe I need to accept their $2300+ prices as reality but hopefully there are deals to be had.
Thanks!
a lot of us live at the metro?? metro people PM me!
metro is a terrible building. the archstone ones are nice but very overpriced.
theres a building on 42nd and 10th called silver towers thats very nice but also pretty expensive
Yea, 10th and 11th aves have a lot of nice buildings, but they're also a fair clip outside of "comfortable" walking territory, at least for my lazy ass.
nice buildings but terrible location. far from everything, grimy and unsafe area.
Symphony House: 56th between Broadway and 8th
Stick to midtown east. Between 38th and 52nd along 2nd Ave, Lexington, etc...midtown east is much more of a professional area with normal people as neighbors as opposed to midtown west. Just my opinion though.
Yea, my only concern is that 6 avenue hike every morning and night.
For those of you who live in studios or know about studios in the city, how much are you currently paying, and could you let me know where in the city it is and whether it's luxury doorman?
Well you're going to be hiking close to 6 avenues one way or another anyway, do you want to do it from a more dirty and less professional area in midtown west, or from a more comfortable and professional area in midtown east? If you're looking for something directly in midtown in between east and west, good luck, because most of the 'luxury' places available to you will be more east or west. You can go a bit more uptown or downtown while staying more central though, and find something decent, but, overall, it will be about the same distance as being at about the same street but a few avenues away from the office. Good luck man.
Best area to live for Midtown Job in NYC? When to start looking? (Originally Posted: 01/12/2012)
I'm working as a corpfin analyst at a BB and my office is in Midtown. I want to be close and want to get a lease that starts in July if possible. ~$1200 with roommate
Any help would be great.
Having moved to NYC last year, I can tell you I ideally wanted to move in for $1200, but after looking at $1200 apartment($2400 for two), my decision quickly changed. You literally get a dump for $1200, or are living east of 1st avenue or above 90s or financial district. I also, work in Midtown and wanting a decent area, I chose Murray Hill and in that area you can find decent apartments for $2800ish. Other areas to consider would be Chelsea, Gramercy, Murray Hill, Midtown areas, Sutton Hill, etc. If you are ok with traveling then look to financial district/upper area of Manhattan. Hope that helps
I suggest FiDi at that budget (still might be a bit tight).
also going to be looking for a place near midtown/grand central (murray hill, kips bay), anyone have suggestions for (non-craigslist) websites/listing services that you've found particularly helpful?
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