Could you live in NYC for $1,500/month?
 

Im looking on Craigslist and they have small studios in like Hells kitchen for $1,500/month.
Are these like 9x9 boxes with rats in them and homeless people outside the door or can you get something decent for $1,500/month?

I was looking at apartments in Boston area for $1,200/month and I have a day dream of spending a year in NYC, so thought Id look into it.

It does not matter if homeless people are outside your door.
What metters is that they don't go inside.

How could you live in NYC for 1500/month when you say the rent is 1500/month? Dont plan to eat?

you can get a decent sized pad in Inwood. Its not that fashionable its but dirt cheap & a 10 minute subway ride into midtown.

10 years ago i looked into studios in Manhattan at 1500/mo - space was like 15'x20' - advertised as 500sq.f., in other boroughs you get 2-3x more space for the same amount, depends how far from the city you go. by subway is like 15-30min ride from most places to the city

Yes, you can live, but not comfortably.

1500 not likely

Not sure why one would bother living in NY if it takes several thousand $$ just to pay rent for a shithole.

yes must you would most likely die.

For $1500 in NYC you should be able to afford at least on of these:


http://www.indymedia.org/images/2009/08/927585.jpg

Impossible. Even if you could, it would be the most miserable time of your life. Expect to eat Top Ramen and never have money to go out drinking with your friends.

I think it would defeat the entire purpose of fulfilling the dream of living in NYC.

I dont know could I ?

No way in hell!

i meant 1500 a month for rent

Ugh that's depressing... What does it take to get a decent 600 sqft 1 bdr in a decent building? $2k? $2500? $4k?

$1500? if you want to live in the ghetto. Otherwise, no chance in hell.

went to school and worked in NYC and can tell you it's easier to find a place if you have connections, not shady 'connections', but know enough people to hear about something that comes up, before it gets advertised. if you lower your square footage requirement, you might be able to get something for your price, but there will be a reason why it's that cheap. I have a friend who lived in a building where there turned out to be bedbugs, and the management company did nothing, it was the building from hell, crackheads, low water pressure, sporadic hot water, they finally bought hammocks and slept in those rather than getting chewed alive every nite. NYC is probably a 2 year dream. The first year, live in one of the outer boroughs, like (Williamsburg) Brooklyn, and then try to finesse your way into a place in Manhattan.

maybe a second floor walkup in brooklyn ...

the original rays pizza of the village is only a few dollars

Actually you can find a place for 1000$ on long island.

Just don't go to NY with that amount :)

Come to the Midwest US and live like a king for 1500/mo.

NYC you better be paaaaid.

I suppose it explains why New Yoykers are always so angry

That's how I roll...

Very true
 

Lots of good stuff comes up but you don't get from the outside

For $4,000/mo., you can get a perfectly decent 2-bedroom with room for four beds. That's $1,000/mo. per person -- and you'll be in a MUCH nicer place than you could rent for $1,500 by yourself.

Save your money...stay where you're at...and stay clickhappy:thumbsup

In Manhattan you don't stay in your apt.
 

Don't rent in a place where you have to take the subway - go ahead and get the small place in Manhattan. You get used to the size in a few days (thats what she said) and when you step outside you'll thank yourself every 5 minutes. Hell's Kitchen sounds bad, but it is actually a tony neighborhood now. You're a few blocks from the parks on the river, Central Park, Lincoln Center, etc. You can truly barhop because there are 100 good bars within a few blocks. I wouldn't do Inwood even though it is technically Manhattan. Try to stay below 110 if you are white and 135 if you are black.

You can get a studio with 500 sq ft for that

I paid $1500 for a studio almost 10 years ago now. So living completely on $1500 would probably be a little difficult.

Add in Taxis, food, subway, entertainment and you're probably looking at a number at least twice that size.

I also lived in Jersey City, where I had a fairly large one bedroom for $1000 a month and it was less than 10 minutes into the city.

Question is how people in New York survive,for example i know waiter salary is 2000$ there plus tips.

When I was 20 I lived for that type of money in London for about 6 months, I also had this "fantasy" of living in London. Yes it was a small place, very small actually, but I got to live my "fantasy", and now almost 21 years later I have no regrets. So live your dream :thumbsup

For $1500 you will get a rat infested tiny box in Hells Kitchen.

Where? In Queens or Brooklyn?

:1orglaugh

I knew a guy who was Matrie'd (sp?) at a nice upscale restaurant. He brought home close to $200k in one year...for sitting people at their seat and taking reservations.

Plus many people who work in NYC do not live in NYC :2 cents:

I rented a basic studio( not great at all ) for $950 in 1987!

I can't even imagine what that same studio cost now.

Plus, be prepared to get "jacked" for $4500 to move in.

$1500 = first months rent +
$1500 = last months rent +
$1500 = Fee(legal or illegal) = $4500

A renter with a real-estate license can legally charge a fee; but expect the
building manager(Super) to try to fleece you for the fee illegally.
And you will pay it or be fucked.

Yep. Some commute as far as 2 hours in the car or train each day. I did that too.

Yep...just moving a block away into a one bedroom cost us almost $10k just to make the move. First month, last month, security and movers.

I suggest you to find a roommate, and split the fee.

I rented various apps over the last years in NY. From $750 a week (near lafayette avenue) up to $5,000 a month in the Chelsea area. But in the end, it wasnt worth staying in any of those places. Its fun to be in New York, but at the end i felt much safer and "at ease" in Miami. Although im not living there anymore either.

You have to make sure you really are suited to live in a big city. If you didnt grow up there, its hard to adjust and acclimate to the way of living. And with a budget of $1500 i wouldnt recommend it. Why not find a nice quite place in a state where you pay $1200-1400 for a home, instead of renting a small app in a bad "hood".

Maybe check out this site: http://www.roommateclick.com/new-yor...ate/listings/h

try getting a room in a dingy hotel for a month first and see how u like it :2 cents:

Sure, you can sleep in the Subways.

Whats so funny? There are nice neighboorhoods in both of these boroughs.
And second - why does everybody asume (it may be true, but why the asumption?) that he wants to live in manhatten? Thread title and first post clearly states NYC. Means that Broklyn, Quens are as much NYC as Manhatten is. (Educate: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City)

It's no different in any other major city. Come to the Bay Area and see what you get for $1500/mo. Not much, I'll tell you that. And it'll be in Oakland or Hayward.

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

For $1500 TOTAL the only way to do it is either go to Brooklyn or Queens or the Bronx if you wanna live alone. be smarter to find a roommate, especially if you're just staying a year. Maybe $600-800, in Manhattan. You gotta look but you can find roomies at that price, even today. That leaves you $700 a month to eat, get around, etc. Can be done if you cook a lot, or can ferret out that $4.99 dinners and such.

But if you want on your OWN then you gotta look at either Washington heights, Inwood, the Bronx, way out in Brooklyn or Queens, basically 15-25 mins outside the city. But subways run ALL the time and they're fast. I live up by the GW Bridge and it takes me 20 minutes to get to midtown, another 5-8 for the Village.

Any way you slice it, tho, NYC is EXPENSIVE. Taxis, even subways if you use 'em a few times a day, eating, ANY kind of entertainment ($13 movies anyone?). Crazy. But then again, it's New York-fucking-CITY man, not wherever everybody else lives.

Exactly. It's possible. Not convenient nor comfortable though.

Upper west side. My brother lives there.