Where to live in New York? Male, single, 20s
I’m accepting a role in NYC that has total comp 250k. Not a whole lot compared to some of the insane numbers you guys are sharing here, but I’m happy with it since I’m still pretty young. I’ve always lived in Cali and haven’t visited the big Apple before. I wanna be able to save a good amount of money, while still not living in a dump..just somewhere safe and not terribly far from work (Manhattan). I need some advice on the best areas for people my age (20s) as well as some advice on what a decent price range looks like for 1 person housing in different parts of the city. Any thoughts from you New Yorkers? Thanks!
East Village. Also, how the heck are you making 250k in your 20s at Amazon? I just got promoted to SDE II a few years out of college and am just at 180k...
If he’s 28 ish and level 6, it’s very doable no?
Isn’t amazon in Chelsea? Seems like a rough commute.
Live in Staten Island or Queens. Stay away from the city for living, sinkhole for cash. In SI you have the freedom of living cheaper and bigger space and you get actual property. And you can go to NJ for other events and access and own a vehicle. With regards to NJ, it just ups the amount of things you could ever possibly do. Seriously. You’ll never run out of ideas. I’ve lived in NYC my whole live and have 0 complaints other than cops being assholes for traffic stops potentially. Manhattan blows for living...like I said, it’s just a way to waste money.
Do you get standard 2 parking spots in SI/QUeens like South Bay? I might also potentially move. I LOVE my car and don’t wanna sell it. I heard that you will need a car if you live in NJ etc. (anywhere outside NYC)
2 parking spots? Take as many as you want lol. If you’re talking about apartment complexes nobody gives a fuck, there’s mad street parking though so you’ll be good either way. And I suggest SI because it’s a good break from the city. And again, the stuff to do in NJ (the parts are so varying like in CA) are so beyond different than the typical city shit like in NYC. Keep the car man. You can go to Philly as well, and even to C.T. for wine and Long Island for other shit. Hit City Island in the summer for mad good seafood, etc. mix and match. The public transit here in NYC is the best in the nation so leave the car at home and take it when you’re not working.
Jersey City would be your best option. Queens would be second.
Any specific recommendations in Jersey City? I'm moving to NYC as well.
Probably some place near a PATH station. I just visited to get a feel of how it would be if I moved there, and I thought the commute wasn't bad at all. Jersey City also feels a little cleaner than Queens or Brooklyn with cheaper/about the same housing prices and same commute time
Brooklyn!!
I live in Dumbo in a beautiful 650sqft apt. that I pay $2800 per month for. I live in one of the tallest buildings near the water on the 40th floor. Dumbo is great because you have great transportation connection to manhattan, it's just across the water, but you don't have to deal with all the stress and noise.
I coulda bought a place in Dumbo before it was Dumbo for like 2 million. That same building today is worth 25 million. Guess how I'm feeling? Dumbo.
Just a few streets down towards downtown they go for 1.3, the penthouses... The value will probably go up.
I’m in a similar situation. I picked up a duplex penthouse in Murray hill with a roommate. We are 40 stories up with a private terrace, bbq, door man, etc and my half of the rent is cheaper than a studio would have been alone. Look for a roommate.
Avoid anywhere in the city for the insane 4% city tax. Find somewhere in NJ or long island that has great train access
Well Amazon NYC is in Chelsea right? What no one is warning you about is the commute. You’ll want something without too many transfers on the subway. Trust me. A transfer is a terrible way to start your morning. So the good neighborhoods with a good commute would be: 1) Chelsea - great neighborhood and affordable on your salary. 2) Greenwich Village - beautiful, hip, access to lots of places. Probably the most expensive option. 3) Upper west side is pretty boring and I’d hate to live there in my 20s, but hey the commute won’t be bad. Start at Columbus circle and keep looking uptown until you find something that meets your spending needs. 4) Queens, someone on the 7 would also be viable, but no one really likes queens. It’s still gentrifying like Brooklyn but it has none of the charm or hipness. But good ethnic food and lots of cabs. Check out Long Island City (we call it LIC for short). It’s not a bad option. This is a longer commute than the previous 3. 5) Crown Heights/ Bed Stuy - if you follow the AC all the way out to Brooklyn you’ll see these two neighborhoods around the Franklin / Nostrand stops. They’re not dangerous neighborhoods right now (but they were). The rent is cheap and everyone is young and fun. HOWEVER the commute will be about 40 minutes, but here is where you want to be, if you wanna save money but also be a young person with friends and cool stuff. If a 40 minute commute is too much, then you can choose to incrementally pay more for less of a commute. Each stop closer on the AC will cost more money, but decrease your commute by 2 to 5 minutes. Please don’t listen to people who say “Murray Hill” - I’m sure his internship at Goldman is fun, but it’s not where you want to live and it forces you to go crosstown. DUMBO is crazy expensive and for people who don’t know the city landscape. Jersey City sucks and isn’t in New York. Get used to the conversation where you explain how it’s basically the City still. If you live in Staten Island you will die from boredom, trashiness or the commute.
This guy is a real pro! 👍
Ha wow, this thread is giving me encouragement to move from DC to NYC. Wonder if there are many SDE II spots in the Chelsea office...
Someone told me once, a lot of people that make a lot of money wouldn’t be on this app, this app is mostly trolls, it seems like all eveyone talks about is money here, seems familiar, hmm dot com bubble maybe?
That someone lied and you are gullible.