<p>I think there’s a sort of theme running through this thread – which is that finding a decent place to live, at a price you can afford, without an extremely long commute, is more difficult in NYC than most other cities.</p>
<p>This is worth thinking about when the time comes to accept a job offer. You might be better off in a different metropolitan area – at least for your first job. Of course, this is not always possible (some types of jobs are only available in Manhattan), but if the option of living in a different city is available, it may be worth considering. </p>
<p>After all, you really don’t want to live deep in the New Jersey suburbs with a 90 minute commute to work. I know. I did that for six years. In my case, I did it because my husband had a job in New Jersey, and it made sense for us to live there even though I worked in NYC. But some people have to do it to save money.</p>
<p>Marian–I agree. I remember back when I was in college and kids were getting job offers in NYC and DC and just over the moon about their $40K/year jobs, while the rest of us were in the $16-20K range, until they came back from their first apartment hunting trips and figured out they would need at least 2 or 3 roommates to survive.</p>
<p>D1´s boyfreind works in DC. He shares a large 2 bedroom with one other person (1200/mon), but he likes to go up to NYC to visit because there are more things to do. D1 does have a large one bedroom that she has nicely decorated. She took most of the furniture we got for her while she was in college living off campus. We also gave her some furniture from our house when we moved. She also had dishes and cooking utensils from her college apartment. She didn´t have to spend much money in furnishing her apartment.</p>
<p>Son just got back from a visit to NYC this past weekend and he was so happy to be back. 6 months ago he had to make a decision of living in NYC/Boston for med school vs. Chapel Hill and he is so glad he choose CH. At first it was hard to be away from all his buddies but now after visiting several times, especially this weekend he knows he made a great choice financially, socially and quality of life. It might not be the best choice for others but after deliberating for months he was so happy when he got back, of course, it was really Carolina blue yesterday without a cloud in the sky! (He missed the snow by 1 day, it had melted by the time he landed!)</p>
<p>He hasn’t been the type to really notice surroundings or have creature comforts, we are a large family with very little living space. So for him to react so strongly to living arrangements, climate, and cost of living really says something. He was really torn while making his decision but now the long term financial consequences are really taking shape.</p>
<p>oldfort, I assume the DC 2 bedroom is 1200 per person? Son is in DC and has a 2 bedroom and it is about $2600 a month so he pays $1300 a month (has a roommate)in Chinatown in a building with a concierge. Prices are pretty high in DC as well but he enjoys living in DC for now. Sounds like NYC is even higher than DC though.</p>
<p>Wea are paying $815 for D’s studio in walking distance from her Med. School. We did not choose the cheapest option, we choose the most convinient.</p>
<p>Oldfort is your D sharing a convertible 2 or living in a 1BR alone? D is hoping to land a job in NYC. H and I will sleep easier if she is living in a building similar to the one your D is in. We will probably have to subsidize her rent and co-sign any rental agreement. :(</p>
<p>TutuTaxi - D1´s apartment is a convertible 2, with one large bedroom a smaller one. The rent is around 3500. D1 is paying more because she got the larger room.</p>
<p>It took D1 and H a week find an apartment. They were in NYC everyday looking. There is no point in looking months prior, except to figure out where you want to live and how much you want to spend, because most landlords want you to move in a month after you signed the lease.</p>
<p>Thankfully Chicago is a bit less expensive than many other large cities; as a recent grad I pay $740 plus utilities to (unevenly, since my roommate has the master bedroom with his own bathroom) split a $1600/mo condo 2br/2ba, although certainly the price goes up as you near the skyline and if you want to live by yourself. Start up costs are a bit of a pain, though; Craigslist furniture can be great, but in bigger cities without a car delivery is expensive and full-price Ikea with home delivery ($50 flat rate for any size purchase) can break even. Mattresses, too, are a rather big initial cost, since in larger cities with a bed bug threat you’ll probably want to caution toward the new side. Thankfully I had several well-stocked friends leaving for grad school elsewhere and was able to buy plates/silverware/cookware off of them on the cheap, which definitely adds up if you’re buying new. Surprisingly Craigslist worked well for us for finding a place, although scams are plentiful there and especially there in other cities. I know of friends who have used free services in Chicago like Apartment Finders to get a place quickly when they needed one.</p>
<p>Thanks oldfort for the info. We live in the Northwest … probably easier and cheaper to use a broker when/if the time comes for D needing a NYC rental.</p>
<p>Chicago location probably make a diff. There was nothing less than $1200 for studio close to Feinberg School of Medicine in downtown Chicago and having a car was financially not feasable at all - somewhere around $250 of additional monthly at every apartment building that we have checked. I would not call Chicago cheap(er) at all.</p>
<p>Actually, we’ve found Chicago to be pretty reasonable, but it is a function of location. D has an apartment in Lincoln Park, near the el, that goes for $1000 a month (she lives by herself) and includes all utilities except for the internet. It’s a nice place - large and recently remodeled. Her kitchen is nicer than mine (slate floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances), and her landlord is a dream.</p>
<p>She can purchase parking at a nearby garage for $200/month, but for now she just uses the el and the bus system. She’ll graduate in June and has dreams of moving closer to downtown (she wants a doorman and a high-rise, of course). Her next move is all on her, though - the last two moves we went through an apartment finder who was FANTASTIC, but I’m tired of doing all that!</p>