Need help! Stamford, Ct and/or Manhattan housing for fall internship

Parents Forum
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<p>Hi CC parents! I'm hoping you can help me. D just accepted a fall internship in Purchase, NY. She wants to live in Stamford, CT or possibly Manhattan (if she is near Grand Central Station). We are from the midwest, and I know absolutely nothing about housing in these areas. If she lives in Stamford, we will ship her car up there. </p>

<p>Can anyone help me:
1. Recommendations for temporary housing (approx 12 weeks beginning Sept) in Stamford? I've checked Craigslist, but not being familiar with the area, I don't know what's good and what is not in terms of location, safety, etc. We are not on an extremely tight budget, but expenses are a concern.<br>
2. She would love a roommate (and will be trying to find one via facebook), but if she doesn't we will look for a one bedroom or studio.
3. Experience with living in Stamford (about a 15 minute drive from work) vs. Manhattan? I've checked the train schedule, and it's about a 40-44 minute train ride to Rye (closest stop to her job). The company provides a shuttle from the Rye train station to their building, so that is not a concern. Never having commuted, what's it like adding an hour+ commute each way. She has lots of friends in NY as she attends an east coast school, but I am not sure if the city would be overwhelming. Right now we are thinking she should live in Stamford, and she could visit NY on some weekends. But any opinions and experience would be appreciated. She will be a college junior, if that matters.
4. Has anyone stayed at the Marymount Manhattan with Educational Housing Services? They say it is walking distance to Grand Central Station. </p>

<p>Any help or feedback would be much appreciated! Thank you!</p>

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<p>Finding something for 12 weeks might be tough. Stamford has some sketchy area, so I would be very careful. Why is she considering Stanford when her job is in Westchester? </p>

<p>What sort of hours will she have? I could imagine she could find a room with a family (there are some huge houses in lower Westchester county) in exchange for child care. (when my kids were 11 & 15 we had a grad student live with us in exchange for 12-15 hours/week, primarily getting the out the door in the morning). </p>

<p>Rye would be a good option, as would any of the towns from Larchmont to Greenwich on the Metro North New Haven line. I would stay out of NYC, she can always come in on the weekends. </p>

<p>[MNR</a> Connecting Service](<a href=“http://www.mta.info/mnr/html/mnrmap.htm]MNR”>http://www.mta.info/mnr/html/mnrmap.htm)</p>

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<p>We have a friend who lived in the 97th Street YMHA in NY while doing an internship. It’s uptown from Grand Central…but really only a subway ride away. It’s on the upper west side. They said it was nice, safe and reasonably priced. You might want to check to see if they have rooms available.</p>

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<p>I live in Stamford and have a business adjacent to Purchase, so I think I can help with respect to housing in this area. You’re starting this process kind of late for a fall internship, so I’m first sending you a lot of good karma!</p>

<p>My best recommendation is to contact with the housing offices at SUNY Purchase and Manhattanville College (or put her own post on Craigslist) in hopes some students are renting a place for the school year and have one member in the group who is going abroad for the fall. That would provide a short commute and roommates her own age.</p>

<p>I think short term housing in Stamford will be hard to find unless she springs for one of the places set up for corporate relocation, which are very expensive. (Given your home location, the rents here will be daunting.) Most rentals will want a year lease. The drive from Stamford to Purchase will be longer than 15 minutes if she is traveling during rush hour, since that’s the direction all the NYC-bound commuters are headed. Allow a good half hour, depending on where in Stamford she is located, and expect some irritating traffic. I’m not sure I understand why Stamford is particularly desireable for someone in her shoes, since it could be isolating, but if you PM me some of the Stamford locations she is considering, I’d be happy to tell you what sort of neighborhoods they are.</p>

<p>If expenses are a concern, living in Manhattan and commuting on the train will be an issue–both are expensive. But I’d recommend living in Manhattan if she can swing it, especially since she has friends there. (It’s also a much easier place to find short-term housing.) Unless she is particularly thrown by new situations, I think she will adjust to Manhattan quickly, and it could be the experience of a lifetime. The commute will be a drag, but she’ll be able to use the time for reading, going online or napping.</p>

<p>Good luck with this, and congrats on the internship!</p>

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<p>I agree with MommaJ. Look for sublets in Harrison, Purchase, Rye. Many large homes have in law type apartments. White Plains will have lower rental rates but you will need to check out the area. Feel free to PM me if you find something and we can tell you about the area. DH worked in Rye/White Plains area for 30 years, brother worked in Rye and lives in Port Chester. I will ask DH if he can make a recommendation.</p>

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<p>I can’t help you with the real estate thing, except to say that Manhattan is expensive and the monthly train ticket is also expensive. As far as commuting, it is annoying. I did it last summer for an internship that was 45 minutes away driving (which is bad enough), but I also had to take the train which made the trip a combined (with transfer time) 1 1/2 hour from the closest station to my home station. It was extremely tiring, and since I did it at the end of the day, it was more exhausting. If you can avoid that sort of commute, I would.</p>

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<p>Thanks to everyone for their help. MommaJ, I will call them today. And I appreciate both you and ECmother’s offer to help if I PM some places. I will definitely do that once I find some. I realize we are late, but she just accepted the offer today. She went through corporate recruiting at her college, and offers are just starting to come in. In terms of why Stamford, her interviewer recommended it. He thought is would offer a balance of nightlife and a younger community, while Purchase would be too quiet. Again, we have never visited these areas, so we are just going on his recommendation. She will be working full time, so being a nanny would not be possible. </p>

<p>Also, I guess I should talk a bit about our budget. We are hoping to find something furnished for under $2000/month. Not sure if this will be possible. She does prefer Stamford over Manhattan. She could be working long days, and the idea of tacking on 3 hours roundtrip for a commute is not appealing to her. If we can’t find something in Stamford, then she might have to consider this. A 30 minute drive (or more with traffic) is something she is more comfortable with (having grown up in the suburbs). While living in NY would be a unique experience, CT is more desirable to her. Thanks…keep the ideas coming!</p>

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<p>And MommaJ, thanks for the good karma. Looks like I’ll need it.</p>

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<p>My son is doing a series of 6 week rotations. One of my friends here on cc sent me this link:</p>

<p>[Medical</a> School Away Rotation Sublets | RotatingRoom.com](<a href=“http://www.rotatingroom.com%5DMedical”>http://www.rotatingroom.com)</p>

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<p>My S2 has friends who work and live in Stamford in condos/apartments over by the river near the old warehouses etc. The city is supposed to have a young adult nightlife scene, so it might not be as isolating as it might have been in the past. We live in lower Westchester and there is also a lively scene in White Plains on the weekends, so she might consider WP as well. The law school for Pace is right on North Broadway in WP and perhaps there’s someone with room in their apartment for a semester. It’s very convenient to Purchase. I’d suggest contacting the Pace Law School housing people.</p>

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<p>Toledo, very cool link. Do you happen to know if any med schools are in/near Stamford? Good idea runnersmom. I love CC. I was lost this morning, and now I have some ideas on where to start searching. Thanks all!</p>

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<p>My link would be better if she stays in NYC, as it looks like the CT schools are further north. You can find places if you search under SUNY downstate.</p>

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<p>The Manhattan YMHA with housing is called the 92nd Street Y, it’s on the East side, not the West, it is extremely safe and well maintained but you need to call them TODAY. You can find most of what you need on their website but if there is a waiting list right now forget it… you probably won’t clear it in time to be helpful. It costs more than comparable short term housing but in my opinion it’s worth it if you can swing it- security guard at the door, bustling neighborhood which is both lively and safe at night, quick subway ride to Grand Central or any other place she’ll want to go.</p>

<p>U Conn has a branch in Stamford- they probably maintain a housing board for short term housing for students. There are very few neighborhoods in Stamford where your D wouldn’t feel safe at night. But if you post some of the addresses she’s considering we can all help you. </p>

<p>Can she ask if there’s a person in HR at her company who has ties to realtors in the area? Although they usually deal in relocating folks who are buying houses, they may have “preferred” relationships with a few realtors who do them favors (like helping interns find temporary housing). My sister in law is a realtor and is always doing favors for her corporate clients- finding dog-sitters, home repair vendors, etc. Especially in a tough market, realtors do lots of favors for good clients.</p>

<p>Good luck- so exciting!</p>

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<p>dumbo11,
My son is working in Purchase this summer and I agree that the area would be very quiet for someone your daughter’s age. However, I agree with what has been said about the driving commute from Stamford to Purchase. It will be quite a bit longer than 15 minutes. Stamford is off of Interstate 95 which carries commuters towards White Plains and NYC, and there will be a ton of traffic in rush hour. We had reason to be in Stamford a couple of months ago during a few evenings and the outdoor scene was “hopping” with young people. :)</p>

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<p>dumbo, we live quite nearby and, in fact, can guess which company she may be interning for in Purchase. At least, I’m pretty certain it’s one of a few possibilities right off 287.</p>

<p>This is suburbia, no getting around that. That said, she’d need a car. Think of it this way, either MetroNorth, New Haven train line which includes many Westchester towns or Fairfield County CT or MetroNorth Hudson line which puts her in Northern Westchester. </p>

<p>The New Haven options include towns like Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Larchmont, Rye, and Post Chester, as well as CT ones like Greenwich – Stamford. My vote would be to look in PC which has kinda “hip” hang-outs and new condos. Rye is too much like Greenwich: fine for married-with-children and single family housing. </p>

<p>CT is probably not great, unless she find something in Byram or Glenville areas (part of Greenwich), but many short term options may not be available. There are many condos, in all price ranges in Stamford. Agree with others that traffic on 95 isn’t good, so avoid that if possible.</p>

<p>In the other direction to consider is Northern Westchester towns, associated with the Hudson line. These are White Plains, Ardsley, Scarsdale, etc. Purchase is technically in Westchester. You may also investigate at small LACs, like Manhattanville, which is just down the street, or SUNY, Purchase is a very “hip/alternative” school. BTW, UConn in Stamford is a commuter school, so there’s no housing. There’re also other schools as well in White Plains/New Rochelle: IONA, Pace and a few others. </p>

<p>PM if you need more info.</p>

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<p>Thanks all. Regarding HR, she doesn’t think they can help her find housing, but I told her to ask. She will have a car. So is the general consensus that she should also look at White Plains or Post Chester? Would the commute be much shorter? If Stamford has more nightlife, she said she doesn’t care about a 30-45 minute commute (although that could get old fast…we are from an area with very little traffic). I have calls into the YMCA. Luckily our budget is flexible. Since we don’t have to pay for school for the term, and her internship is paid, we have some flexibility there. But in this economy, we like cheaper options too. I really appreciate all of the feedback and ideas. Sending the kids off to school was easy. It’s very hard to find housing in an area that we are not one bit familiar with. I made a ton of calls today and sent lots of emails, so hopefully something will be available somewhere. Thanks for the help CC parents!</p>

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<p>I seriously doubt she’d be looking for much nightlife after a full day. Maybe Thursday night. More likely something with her peers or at least work-related, so don’t fret too much about that. Try, try, try the schools I mentioned, or The College of New Rochelle. There are a few others too. School’s where she might find nightlife and peers where she’d feel comfortable. You might have luck if the school encourages lots of study abroad.</p>

<p>Skip YMCA. Those don’t rent out rooms that I know of. Or where you’d would want to stay, if that was me. If you’re looking in WP or Port Chester (not post chester), then use a real estate agent. They may charge more than going alone, but they’re more reliable.</p>

<p>In terms of commute from Stamford, it’s not dreadful. Besides, she’d have a reverse commute, since most cars are driving from Westchester INTO Stamford or northern CT into Stamford. It’s just that 95 can be a hassle, especially Friday afternoons headed North. My niece lives there and works in Wilton. She loves it. Still dating a “young corporate guy” she met in a neighborhood bar, 5 months later. Favorite excursions: hiking, biking, and sailing on Long Island Sound.</p>

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<p>Lima- the Y I referred to is the 92nd street Y in NYC which has a dorm for interns and young adults just starting out. It is clean, safe, and I know dozens of people who started their careers living at the Y. The monthly rent includes use of their health club.</p>

<p>U Conn Stamford is indeed a commuter school but the streets behind it, up Washington St, etc are filled with houses which students rent. There are also some “group houses” in the Glenbrook and Springdale sections of town.</p>

<p>All my kids did internships, and all of them had active social lives in the evenings both with co-workers and young people they met in organized softball or ultimate leagues, other activities. I can’t imagine the OP’s D wants to spend her evenings watching TV even if she’s tired after a full day of work!</p>

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<p>Thanks blossom…I didn’t think I had the location right for the YMHA! Glad you fixed that!</p>

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<p>LimaBeans, will definitely call the schools you listed. I spoke to SUNY Purchase housing today, but they will not rent to anyone who isn’t a SUNY student (liability they said). I’ll try the others tomorrow. We are now focusing on CT only. After speaking with D, she really doesn’t want to commute from Manhattan, so the YMCA is out. I have looked at a few long term stay rates at hotels in the area, but they look so depressing. In terms of nightlife, I know she will be tired after long days at work, but she’s a pretty social kid. I think she will want to go out some nights, and all the people she has spoken to have recommended Stamford. I like the idea of housing near UConn Stamford (although I have no idea how far it is from downtown). But we will keep an open mind on all of these. She might just have to deal with what I am able to find. I really appreciate all of your suggestions. I’m usually on top of everything, and this is very tough when I really have idea on areas, so thank you CC parents!</p>