<p>We will be looking for an apartment for our D (preferably in the Murray Hill area) who will be a student in NYC this coming September.</p>
<p>Does anyone know how to go about finding housing for a student who wants to find a roommate(s) and share an apartment? Are there websites that cater to this?</p>
<p>If you know the Murray Hill area, are there other neighborhoods that adjoin it but may be a bit less expensive?</p>
<p>Any other less expensive alternatives of safe neighborhoods that are highly populated with 20 something year olds?</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>when my son went to college in nyc he found his apt through craigs list. it was a sublet (a dive, but all we could afford as he insisted on being in the city) he got smarter the next year and moved out to greenpoint, much much nicer apt for the same money and the subway trip isnt that bad back into the city.</p>
<p>Is greenpoint an area where there are a lot of young adults (22-29ish)?</p>
<p>its a polish neighborhood, great bakeries and family groceries etc. i didnt notice alot of 20’s there but son did most of his fun things in the city. williamsburg is the first stop on the sub way and it is quite trendy but you pay for that. greenpoint is one stop further.</p>
<p>what school is d going to? no housing available? sometimes i think son would have been better in housing for one year, get to know the city and find a roommate and go “off campus” after that.</p>
<p>another option would be something like the Y for the 1st month (92nd st one i think does monthly) and that would give her a chance to check out neighborhoods, maybe find a classmate looking for a roomie</p>
<p>If she’s going to NYU, look for apts in The Village. If she’s going to Columbia, look for places in the Upper West side. If she’s going to Pratt, look for places in Brooklyn. You should also look at a subway map to see how accessible the apt is to school. It’ll make a big difference if there’s a direct line.</p>
<p>For listings, check out Craig’sList. That’s a good start. And ^^ that thread. DonnaL (who visits here) is a good source of info too.</p>
<p>Greenpoint is in Brooklyn - not Manhattan. It is known as one of the safer, less expensive places to live. Lots of small apartment buildings and 2-3 family homes. Not great public transport…I think there’s just one subway line.</p>
<p>A fair number of “artsy” young people live there…but make sure your D can easily get to her school with public transport. There is limited subway access.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great ideas. So much to consider. Do your kids love living in NY? Do they feel safe?</p>
<p>New York Magazine’s “best places to live in NYC” issue, published this past week, gives a lot of information about some 50 neighborhoods. I know the guy who did the study.</p>
<p>Here’s a link to the lead article: [The</a> Neighborhoods Issue 2010 – New York Magazine](<a href=“http://nymag.com/realestate/neighborhoods/2010/]The”>http://nymag.com/realestate/neighborhoods/2010/)</p>
<p>And here’s a link to a “Livability Calculator” which allows you to play with the criteria: [The</a> Best Places to Live in NYC - The Livability Calculator – New York Magazine](<a href=“http://nymag.com/realestate/neighborhoods/2010/65355/]The”>The Best Places to Live in NYC - The Livability Calculator -- New York Magazine - Nymag)</p>
<p>The issue doesn’t focus on student living but does inform about shopping, crime, environment, etc.</p>
<p>Many schools have their own internal list serves (I know that NYU definitely has one for their counseling students) where many students will post that they are looking for roommates, looking to sublet, etc.</p>
<p>Don’t know what school your daughter will be attending, but she should live near by if she isn’t familiar with living in a large city, and may not be comfortable getting around. New York is a very safe city to live in. Of course I’ve lived here my whole life, and work here, so I’ve got a skewed perspective.</p>
<p>However, it is very expensive to rent an apartment. Many families with means do buy an apartment for their children, but that too has issues, as many co-ops or condos aren’t interested in students living in the buildings. Murray Hill is a great area, and one of the more affordable neighborhoods in Manhattan, especially if you’re comparing it to the Village, or the Upper West Side.</p>
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<p>D LOVES it and feels very safe. Just have to follow common sense, like anywhere else. </p>
<p>If the school has student housing available, I would recommend checking that out before searching on your own.</p>
<p>My gut feeling is that my D should have at least one roommate (maybe more). It worries me to think that she’d be coming home to an empty apartment every night. I think it could feel really lonely.</p>
<p>Do your kids live alone or with others?</p>