Moving to New York?

Question

I am moving to New York from Houston and I have been all over the internet insinde of apartments for rent and lease and I have found many that I'm interested in. I'm wondering though, is it really true that the cheapest there are is about $1200/mth. So if that's the case, is salary higher there than in Houston? I know I have to look for a job there before I move and I've been doing that as well, but I'm just wanting to know if anyone from New York City can help me.

Answer 1

Depends on where you want to live. Must you live in Manhattan? And if you live in Manhattan must it be certain areas? If you live in not so great parts (ie. Harlem, Washington Heights/Inwood, Lower East Side (aka LES) the rents are cheaper. But keep in mind you will have to deal w/certain aspects you may not be use to. I grew up in Inwood on the 5th floor of a walk up. My parents only paid $125 a month (this was 1992) bc my dad lived there since he was 16. But we couldn't have an air conditioner, you had to walk up 5 flights of stairs (which you get use to), there was little to no water pressure in the summer bc of the fire hydrants open (kids play under them bc parents are too lazy to take them to the sprinklers in the park) and then there's the crime factor. The cheaper the neighborhood, the higher the crime. It's generally a given.

Now there are nice places in the "outer boros" as its called to live in. Staten Island is fairly nice but remember its an island. The only way in if you work in Manhattan is via a ferry. If that ferry goes down, you may be screwed. Queens, Brooklyn & the Bronx have decent areas. I live in the Bronx & the only places I would consider (based on crime & cleanliness) are Riverdale, Throgs Neck, Morris Park, Pelham Bay, Pelham Gardens, City Island, Country Club & Woodlawn. A lot of these areas offer apts in houses which will run about $700-900 a month & often include gas, electric & maybe cable. Plus in these places you can have a car bc parking is available moreso than in Manhattan (we always had a car but we had a parking lot which is a HUGE must). Keep in mind too that car insurance is VERY expensive here too (I pay $200 a month - shock!).

Of course you will need a job before you get here. And yes, the salaries are higher but so is the cost of living (COL). So 60 grand in Houston might be a lot but here it's average. You will have to take in account for your transportation commute which will run around $80 a month (Metro Card does offer a discount...let's just assume this on a $2 fare each way for the bus/train). This is provided you live in Manhattan. If you live in one of the outer boros you may want to NOT deal w/the subway, which is what I do. I take an express bus which costs me $5 each way. I LOATHE the subway bc it isn't efficient to the Bronx or at least where I live (some nights I got home in over 2 hours).

If you want to live in trendy areas, ie Upper West/East side, Chelsea, the Village you will pay well above $1200 in rent. You would be lucky to find something for $1200 & that includes a studio. I would guess $2000 for a studio, maybe a very small 1 bedroom. But again, you have to check the amenities (ie. air conditioning, how many stairs do you climb, the neighborhood, safety of the building, what your neighbors are like). I would suggest you not move on the same street or across the street from a bar, club, school or park. You won't sleep.

Before you get excited about moving here, have you ever been here? And when I say been here, have you been to the non-tourist places? Have you explored north of 96th Street? Gone to Brooklyn & I don't mean some yuppy place like Brooklyn Heights. Rode the subway during rush hour? Rode the subway through Harlem or the South Bronx? Have you seen this place in the summer when its 100 degrees, humidity is 100%? I understand Houston gets hot but I also understand you guys walk from one AC to another. That doesn't happen here. You will melt waiting for a train. Your I don't know how many stories below ground & in August that can feel like HELL (like last summer did).

There is more to moving to NYC than being able to afford the rent. Moving here is a huge step & a bigger committment than I think people are aware of. You just don't move here. Don't come here w/false hope or high expectations. And please make sure you have a job. This is the last place on earth you want to be w/out some sort of financial security.

Good luck & let me know what happens.

Answer 2

The cost of living in New York is a lot higher than living in Houston, so salaries are higher. However, it is still not likely that you will be able to afford what you are looking for right away. The best way to save money on rent is to live with a roommate. Roomi allows you to find a great place and roommate in any neighborhood, and a lot of people are using it in NYC! Check it out here:

Answer 3

$1,200 might not be the cheapest apartment, if you are looking in all the boroughs (Queens, Brooklyn) as well as Manhattan, but it is a very low/good price.

You should look at a salary calculator to see how much a Houston salary is worth in NYC. You will probably have to make about double here to live the same way. However, the salaries are higher here, so you should be able to find a job that pays more.

http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html

Answer 4

The cost of living in NYC is much more expensive than the cost of living in TX. However, the salaries are also generally higher. $1200/mo for rent is very reasonable by NYC standards, and is actually cheap if you want to live by yourself in a 1BR or a Studio. Most NYers defer living expenses by having a roomate or roomates. In Manhattan, "cheap" rent is anything around $1000 or less.

If you decide to move to the other boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, etc.) or into the suberbs, the rent will be much lower. However, the commute will be longer.

Looking for apartments, Craigslist.org is a great website, I've found every roomate and every apartment I've lived in NYC on that website......Good Luck!

Answer 5

Yes that about the price you will get. However if you move on Brooklyn, Queens or Bronx you can get better deal. Also if you are willing to share apt, you can end up paying a lot less.

About salary, it depends in what is you career. Over all the pay in New York is not that great comparing it with the high rent.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

I am moving to NYC too...not for a few years though. I would strongly suggest you secure a job before moving...rents are high, everything is just a bit more expensive there. Salaries may be comparable to Houston, but not sure..I currently live in Columbus, Ohio.

Good luck!!! New York is a great city, and I can't wait to get there!

~ChiChi

Answer 7

That sounds about right depending on the area. I am in the process of moving to the West Village in the city, which is an amazing place and I would recommend. There is definitely more money to be made there, but it is still an VERY expensive place.

One piece of advice is to fly in and see your neighborhoods and apts before you settle on a place. Brokers and photos are VERY deceptive. Most brokers are very pushy and will tell you anything over the phone. Set up all your appointments for 2 days, visit a lot of places, don't let anyone tell you that you will get used to a 6 floor walk up, negotiate your broker fee and application fee (there is always room for them to adjust their fees). The "nicest" brokers I have met were at a place called Mosaic Properties. I was skeptical of them but they were amazingly non-pushy, had awesome places, and got the rent lowered as well as dropping a couple %'s off the broker fee.

Good luck!!!

Answer 8

I think $1200/month is TOO LOW. It might be a scam.

Yes salaries are higher here. If you can, you should find a job at a company that will pay for your relocation. They might also pay for some of your rental fees (they can be quite surpising in NY). Most apartments come with fees. It is usually around 15% of your YEAR'S rent. So it comes out to be about 1.8 months rent.

Answer 9

The houses docost more than Houston because the pay in New York is way better