<p>Hi, I’m wrapping up my freshman year at NYU. 1st semester I commuted from home and 2nd semester I moved into my boyfriend’s apartment. His parents pre-paid the year’s rent, so I only had to chip in for food/utilities. </p>
<p>He wants to rent another 1-bedroom for next year. Problem is, Greenwich Village is a very expensive area, I told him I can’t afford to split rent 50-50, my part-time job just can’t cover Manhattan rent + utilities. My parents won’t chip in, since I could live at home for free and commute (45 mins each way), so rent’s on me, which makes sense. </p>
<p>He suggested his parents just pay for all the rent/bills (they cover all his living expenses) and I mooch off of them, but that makes both me and my parents uncomfortable. I know I did it this year, but it was pre-paid and I moved in midyear for 4 months. I could also get a triple dorm which I could cover myself, but I would really prefer living off-campus, I love the experience. The “dorm experience” doesn’t matter since NYU has no campus and our apartment is just as close as some dorms. My dorm friends always hang out at our place where they can do whatever they want. Options:</p>
<li>Live at home - longer commute, sucky social life, parents annoying</li>
<li>Dorm - live in a shoebox triple, not really independent, dorms kind of suck</li>
<li>Mooch off of bf’s parents in his pad, feel terrible and they must think i’m some gold-digger :(</li>
<li>Find off-campus place in upperWest side or Brooklyn, split rent with stranger?</li>
</ol>
<p>My friends are pushing option 3, it seems so easy but I already feel guilty for mooching the last few months. What would you do?</p>
<p>Ignoring things that ^ pointed out (which are valid), does he have to live in such an expensive area? Would he negotiate location with you, and find an apartment in an area you could afford? Or maybe you could just chip in what you can?</p>
<p>When I went to NYU I got an apartment and split the rent with a roommate. Why don’t you look for a place with roommates to make it affordable? There are lots of NYU students living near campus and I’m sure many are looking for roommates to help keep their costs down.</p>
<p>tbh i say option three, but then i am a gold digger who isn’t messing with no broke, broke. </p>
<p>when you think about living with him, is it more about wanting to live with him specifically or more about wanting to live somewhere that isn’t a dorm? if it’s about wanting to live with him, try to convince him to get a place in brooklyn. (you also mentioned “upper west side” but you would probably have to go way up, like the upper limits of harlem and maybe even a little washington heights to get a reasonable price for your space. what’s your budget?) if he isn’t willing to budge and you really want to live with him, be a mooch! no reason to feel guilty if he doesn’t mind. </p>
<p>if it’s just about not living in a dorm, can you find other friends who are also looking for apartments so you don’t have to live with strangers?</p>
<p>If we do for some reason split, I always can live at home as a back up, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen. </p>
<p>The Greenwich apartment is a 10 min walk from the heart of campus, whereas Washington Heights would be a 35 min commute each way, maybe more. Greenwich is a really nice area, all the NYU buildings/dorms are right there so the social life is great since people are always dropping by our place. Naturally he’s pretty set on staying there, his parents pay for everything.</p>
<p>Brooklyn can be a 1 hr commute each way depending on where you live, and areas within 30 mins like Williamsburg, Park Slope, Prospect Heights are pricy. I can commute from my LI home in 45 mins, so no point in paying rent to commute 1 hr away in Bensonhurst or a cheaper part of Brooklyn.</p>
<p>Ego - It’s not only about wanting to live with him, I love living on my own as an adult in an apartment. But I’m not too opposed to a low-cost triple dorm. </p>
<p>Lily - Well even with him as my roommate I can’t afford it 50/50, unless we could find another person to move in with us and make it 3? But that would be so awkward…1 couple and a third wheel forever getting sexiled :o A Studio is $2k a month, the 1 bedroom is like $3K a month Maybe we could split a studio though?</p>
<p>I think I’ll go with #2, get a low cost triple dorm - it’s near campus, I’ll be living with NYU students, and I’ll probably sleep at his place all the time anyway. Either that or I’ll just chip in for as much rent as I can and he covers the rest. thanks for the good advice!</p>
<p>Forget your pride. Live in the free apartment o_O Who cares about what his parents probably -aren’t- thinking about something they’re willing to do?</p>
<p>Assuming you are female, why don’t you consider being a stripper? You’ll make around 5-6k a week depending on how long you work. That way you’d be able to live independently and have extra spending money.</p>
<p>If you’re opposed to this, why not consider moving in with your boyfriend if her parents are willing to flip the bill. The only thing that is sticky about that situation is that fact that you may or may not end up being with this guy long term. Breaking up in the middle of the year and living together is a disaster.</p>
You guys don’t get it - his parents don’t know about this. They’re not offering to pay my rent/bills, my boyfriend wants me to do this behind their back, as in not tell them his girlfriend is living there for free.
Honestly, I’ve been told i have a fairly pretty face, and I’m thin. But I’m also an A cup, so stripping is out Plus I really like my babysitting job, the hours are so flexible and it’s easy. But thanks for the suggestion!</p>
<p>I’m going to get what’s called a Low-Cost Triple, a double dorm with 3 people. Not so bad. I guess that’s what I get for college in NYC :)</p>
Maybe we could split a studio though?</p>