Best advice on Moving to NY?

Question

I want to move from Chicago to NY by June. I want to live in either Queens, Brooklyn, or the Bronx. How much money should I save? I also would like to know if I should bring my car? Any adivce?

Answer 1

I've moved recently and there are definately many things I'd consider changing. One thing's for sure, if you have a car, do live in one of the boroughs. Here are some suggestions for easier commute - If you work in Midtown, move to Queens. If you work in Downtown (Financial district), move to Brooklyn. If you work in UWS or UES, move to Bronx. It'll be easier to commute from all boroughs with the subway. Plus, you'd have a car that you can use on the weekends.

Now for rent, check out craigslist.org. I'd say you'd be spending somewhere between $700-800 a month incl gas + electricity, that is if you're living with a roommate, which I'd suggest as it's a good idea to split the costs of everything else if you're on a budget. If you're planning to rent one on your own, you may or may not want to find a room mate, but it requires some deposit, usually first month's rent and last month rent for security deposit.

Everything else you should be able to figure out, like food. I top out at around $20-25 a day. I could care less to cook but if you do, it'll save you heaps. Then there are extras for garage, but that's up to you..you can park in the streets. It would add on to about $100-$150 a month on top of your rent for garage. Don't forget furniture..if you want 'just enough', you may be spending anywhere between $2500 - $5000. I spent $10g on my apartment, 40% of it was for rent.

All in all, depending on where you work, you'd want to consider the location around your job. If you already have a job, I'd say you need around $5000 to get yourself settled. If you don't, save up for 2-3 months in advanced plus the $5000 to settle in. That should be sufficient.

Answer 2

Rents in NYC are astronimical right now, even in the outer boroughs. Depending on the area, you're looking at at least $800 a month for a studio. You really need to be careful about what neighborhood you pick - while the city as a whole is much cleaner and safer than ever, there are still plenty of areas that I wouldn't move into. Of course, the cleaner, safer areas are the most expensive.

To rent an apartment, you have to figure on having several months worth of rent to pay for the first and last month, plus a security deposit. And you will need to have a job that will allow you an income to cover your rent - landlords will check your credit history and job status.

For the most part, if you are living in the city, you won't NEED a car. NY has one of the most extensive mass transit systems in the world, it's inexpensive and runs 24/7. A car would be a convenience, but you will have to consider if it's worth the hassle to find parking (and moving your car on alternate side of the street parking days) or paying for garage space (which in some areas can run well over $300 per month).

If you're just looking to spend a few months living in the city, you can probably sublet an apartment, but you are going to need to figure on around $2000 a month to cover rent, utilities, food and the occasional going out. Of course, you can easily spend much more than that.

To get an idea of rents in NY, check out the real estate sections of the following papers:

http://www.nydailynews.com/
http://www.villagevoice.com/
http://www.newsday.com/

Answer 3

You aboslutely dont need a car in NYC. I would sell it and save that money from the sale of the car. If I were you i would try to get a job lined up first so this way you dont get here and get stuck without a job for two months. Competition here is a bit fierce.

Moving to the outer boroughs is cheaper but even the bronx, queens and brooklyn have very expensive areas so you're going to have to do some research as to where you want to move to. Good luck!

Answer 4

Rent is very high; expect to pay $1500 and up for a small one-bedroom apartment. So every penny you can save counts. I'd go with no less than $6000, so that I could cover first/last month rent and deposit. If you don't have a job lined up yet, add another $2000 or more to tide you over till you have work. I would get rid of the car; lots of people have them in NYC but you don't really need one. The subway takes you everywhere and you can always rent a Zipcar for a day if you want to go out to the suburbs to go shopping. I'd also recommend going to NYC for a week, before you actually move, to look for an apartment. If you arrive in NYC with all your stuff and nowhere to live, you will be miserable. Then go back to Chicago and make your actual move.

Answer 5

From my experience:

-Share an apartment with 1 or more people, unless you're making a lot of money and can afford your own place.
-Bring enough cash to cover move-in costs (up to 4x monthly rent: 1st month, last month, security, and broker fee if applicable).
-Have a job lined up, or, a very promising lead and/or potential of getting a job.
-Don't bring your car, just use the subway, or get a bike. Biking around the city is great, very efficent, and saves money (at least in the warm months).
-Invest in "NYC Atlas" by Stephen Van Dam. It's a great map/guide book and an absolute essential to find your way around the city when you're new there.

Answer 6

residing everywhere in manhattan isn't worth it. beginning over in manhattan isn't a good factor the two. With Taxes so extreme that it could drain your wallet dry. i could advise shifting to New Hampshire the place this is captivating and the taxes are way low and next to Nil. in case you pick for a sparkling commence do no longer pass to manhattan! pass someplace you could shop your money and stay comfortably!! manhattan is all approximately ripping off its own human beings!! Beleive me i do in comparison to residing right here yet I own a house and the Taxes could kill you. good success to you on the place ever you progression!!