My daughter and I are flying to New York City to tour the campus of NYU and check out the neighborhoods. She will be starting grad school in the fall and will be living off campus. I have a feeling that we are going to be walking around like chickens with our heads cut off. So, I am screaming HELP from my fellow bloggers.
I have been looking at maps of the area around NYU and that’s all I have been doing..looking at maps. I see places such as SOHO and Chelsea and Union Square. I see Grenwich Village west, but wait, there is also Grenwich Village East. She thinks that with a roommate, her rent should only be around $1,000.00. I told her she is living in a dream world.
I do know that she doesn’t want a long commute. I have read about areas such as Bay Ridge, Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, and Cobble Hill? Where the hell are they? I found Brooklyn, but it looks all the way over there. How will we know what is too far a way from NYU?
So, dear bloggers, we are heading there in a few days. What areas have safe apartments with a walking distance to restaurants and NYU.? She won’t have a car, and doesn’t ever want a car. I guess that means she always wants to be a city girl. We are stopping by the NYU student housing to look at off campus areas, but I need advice, input, pros and cons to certain areas. Places to stay away from. We are staying in Chelsea, so we will be walking around that area after we get in.
Any suggestions and advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you. 
Posted by Jumping in Mud Puddles on May 19, 2012 at 6:51 pm
Follow up…My daughter found an apartment on the upper East Side..Yorkville. 2 bedroom for $1,600.00 a month…her share is $800. It was absolute hell looking for an apartment. She found this one from a friend of a friend who was moving out.
Posted by Jackie Cangro on May 17, 2011 at 10:32 pm
Hi Vickie,
Wendy sent me your SOS call. So I’m here to try and help. It’s all very confusing indeed! I live in Brooklyn and work in the Village, so maybe I can offer some assistance.
The NYU campus is mostly located in Greenwich Village, although some of the buildings are spread out among lower Manhattan. Does she know yet where most of her classes will be? That can help narrow down the choices. She’s probably going to be in for a bit of a shock at A. how expensive everything is and B how small everything is considering how expensive everything is. Be prepared for sticker shock
Most apartments will have a broker fee, even ones you find in a New York Times listing. The strange part about it is that the renter pays the broker fee. The usual fee is 10% of the yearly rental amount. You pay this up front and there is no refund. It’s not like a security deposit which you do get back when your lease is up. You can find no fee apartments, but they take some legwork and luck. I wonder if NYU has some sort of agreement with certain real estate agencies to waive this fee. Maybe you could ask about that.
Here’s a breakdown for you:
West Village – walkable to class and activities, VERY expensive, decent apartments. A one bedroom will run close to $2000 a month. A two bedroom can run $2700 to $3200 on average.
East Village – walkable to class and activities. Also very expensive. This neighborhood is grittier than the West Village and still has the bohemian vibe. It’s also a ways from the subway lines. Same prices more or less as above.
Now of course I’m partial to Brooklyn.
The rent is much lower which is why many people live out here. It is one of the 5 boroughs of NYC which a lot of people don’t realize. Brooklyn is easily accessible to the Village by subway. I commute to work every day and it takes about 25 minutes. You’ll want to also factor the cost of the subway. For a monthly pass the cost is $100.
Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill are both a wonderful areas. Very neighborhood feel. Good access to trains. I live in Park Slope. I love it, but I think it might have a very family vibe for a young grad student. The costs should range from about $1500 for a one bedroom to $2000 for a two bedroom without amenities (no doorman or laundry in the building, etc)
She may be interested in looking at Williamsburg. It’s young, hip, fun, edgy with lots of warehouses that have been converted into lofts. Great nightlife and restaurants. She could easily take the L train to Union Square and then either walk on a nice day or hop on the R train one stop. I think plenty of NYU students live there. That would be about 15 minutes. The cost should be the same as Carroll Gardens, maybe a tad more because it’s closer to the city.
She has the right idea about not getting a car. I promise she won’t need it. She’ll end up paying to park it somewhere and/ or collecting lots of parking tickets when she has to move for alternate side street cleaning. None of my friends own cars.
I hope that helps! If you have any questions, please let me know. Good luck on your trip. Get your walking shoes out and have fun!
-Jackie
Posted by Jumping in Mud Puddles on May 18, 2011 at 10:35 am
Jackie,
Thank you soo very much for answering my call. I really appreciate it. It’s funny, but right before I read your post, I was looking at a map of the neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Thank you for giving details on the area. I have no idea what to expect. She seems to think she can find an apartment for $1,000 a month. I laughed at her. We are going to the NYU off campus housing office to see what they have available. She thinks Brooklyn with a 20-30 minute commute would be nice. She is used to a commute, as she lived in Kobe, Japan for a year and had about a 45 minute commute daily down into the city.
I think you covered everything. Thank you. Is there an area, however, that is quite sketchy and an area she should stay away from?
Thanks again, Jackie. And Wendy is so wonderful.
Posted by writerwoman61 on May 18, 2011 at 11:11 am
Aw shucks, Vickie…I know you’d do the same for me!
Wendy
Posted by jacquelincangro on May 18, 2011 at 11:55 am
Glad I could be of service! It sounds like your daughter is quite the adventurous traveler. She’s going to fit right in. Brooklyn is fantastic, and I think she would love it here. But I’m biased.
$1000 per month does seem a bit low, especially for the Village neighborhoods in the city (Manhattan). She might get lucky in Brooklyn. A friend of mine just rented a two bedroom garden apartment on the border of Cobble Hill and Park Slope. There is a small backyard which is rather unusual. He is paying $2500 a month, not including utilities.
I think that all of these areas you’re considering are good, safe neighborhoods. The East Village is a bit rough around the edges, and I think a fair amount of NYU students live in the neighborhood. Some people love that about it, but it can be quite a shock for those used to clean suburban living. It’s probably the most sketchy neighborhood of the ones you are considering.
Good luck!
Posted by writerwoman61 on May 18, 2011 at 11:10 am
Thanks again, Jackie! Glad you had the info for Vickie!
Wendy
Posted by writerwoman61 on May 17, 2011 at 12:52 pm
I’ve never been to New York, Vickie, so I can’t help you…however, I have a blogging buddy who lives there…will send your post to her. Her name is Jacquelin…
Good luck!
Wendy
Posted by Jumping in Mud Puddles on May 17, 2011 at 1:07 pm
Thanks, Wendy!!