Moving to NYC at the end of June.

I'm trying to figure out affordable housing options. (ha ha) We have about $2000/mo. to spend on rent and utilities. I also have a large dog, so would like a place with some kind of yard or large enclosed patio. We need a minimum of 2 bedrooms. I'd like to be able to get into the heart of Manhatten within 45 minutes. Anyone have any suggestions?

My cousins live in a crumbling 3-family in Edgewater which was recently valued at $1.5 million! I just figure there's no chance we'll be able to afford anything near any coast! So do you have any suggestions where I should check in Jersey? I'm in Colorado, it's really hard to gage how far out the surrounding towns are from this distance. :crazy:

you're raised here, you get a sense of proportion ... but your large dog, for example, will probably always feel caged.

2 bedrooms is a townhouse ... even in the outer boroughs, you can find a subway station surrounded by vacancies that aren't advertised. I don't mind paying an agent a month's rent ... but if you find out about a spot and get to a superintendant ... hand him a tip.

A yard? You'll find lots of postage stamps in the city proper ... you can see photos on Google but again, try to see it from a canine perspective ... just outside the city limits, maybe an hour or so from midtown, people go where they want puppies and kids to run free.

So, from a child of the city, let me welcome and caution you. It's great if you're accustomed to it, but density is an issue to newcomers.

spent most weekends from 1979-1981 in NYC taking acting classes, and have family across the Hudson in Jersey, so I'm familiar with the yard size restrictions. I've been checking out all the dog parks in the tri-state region, and figure Bear will have plenty of opportunities to run free and play with other dogs. Really I just want a place where I can let him out the back door to pee in a blizzard. ;)

How does one find the vacancies that aren't advertised? Are there "For Rent" signs in windows? Notices tacked up on coffee shop bulletin boards?

I never expected to be back on the East Coast, but I'm really looking forward to it. I'm a human rights worker and community organizer, so where better to find that kind of job than in the Big Apple? I can always retire back out here. And in the meantime, I'll be closer to 90% of my family, including my son and his soon-to-be bride. So it's all good. It's just that the rental market is a bit daunting!

Thanks for the welcome! :hi:

matter of picking the nicest where you want to be. For example, I knew I wanted eastern Queens and when I saw several near Union Turnpike, I just walked into each, filled out applications and was settled in a week. Later, to get something in the same neighborhood I walked into an office that was advertising something nearby, not expecting to get that, but knowing that they'd have listings that didn't make it to the paper. Sure enough ... another fee, another rent-stabilized building that suited me fine.

Craigslist worked for me once as well ... dealt directly w/the landlord of a lovely townhouse and you may want to go that route. Walking down the street you'll see signs, but they're usually agents and most of the time, I feel more comfortable that way.

Notices are usually for student shares ... don't ever remember seeing one for anything upscale.

Jersey still sounds like a reasonable alternative ... your family and the city will be nearby and rentals are popping up along the new commuter line.

And there are a lot of listings, some on Manhattan, some sounding pretty swanky, if small. There are quite a few on Long Island (in the $16-1700 range, usually including ht/h/w so affordable), but even looking at maps I can't really tell what a commutable distance is--how far out is Islip, for instance? I also wouldn't mind the Bronx or Queens, but don't know if there are sketchy neighborhoods I should avoid.

Think I'll also call my Edgewater cousins and see if they know any place in Jersey. The thing there, though, is that they all live within a block of each other. Ya know, I love my cousins, but I really don't want to live that close to them. There's a reason why I moved to Colorado! LOL

to get from downtown to Jersey City in less than an hour ... but it was reverse commute for me (don't ask).

Anyhoo, shout 'em out and we'll let you know whatever. 1st, do you wanna drive? If so, Islip is commutable but just outside your 45 mins limit on most days. It's not the mileage ... it's the expressways that don't.

I'm not insane! :rofl: Or rich enough to pay rent and downtown parking. No, I'd strictly be doing the LIRR or some other commuter train option if I lived outside the city.

OK, here are some of the places I've seen listed most frequently:

Brooklyn: Morningside, Williamsburg, East Williamsburg, Bushwick, Red Hook (is that in Jersey?), Midwood, Ditmas Park, Greenwood Heights, Bedford Stuyvesant

Queens: Whitestone, Astoria, Far Rockaway, Flushing, North flushing , Rockaway Beach, Bayside, New Howard Beach

I reckon that's enough to start with. I'd prefer to not live right next to an airport, if possible, though I understand I'll be in a flight path pretty much anywhere in Brooklyn or Queens.

Williamsburg is "up and coming" and attracting all sorts of eateries. Public transport is still ancient though.

Bushwick, Red Hook, Bed Stuy ... bedroom neighborhoods all, different ethnicities but none free-fire zones. Most likely a bus/subway commute.

Queens? Astoria's close to the city, on the Broadway line ... Far Rockaway, on the other hand, is ... well, far. Howard Beach is also out there by the Nassau County border. Whitestone's almost in Westchester - damn, Queens is huge! In the middle you'll find Flushing, Bayside ... Woodside is in there somewhere, the working class homes of Hollis.

You'll find ThomCat in Briarwood, close to the E & F (8th & 6th Ave lines) ... maybe my favorite neighborhood of all, but yeah, you hear 'em coming to JFK if you're on an upper floor. Didn't bother me @ ground level though ... just my 5th floor apt.

So you've got options. Lots of 'em!

I checked out a few sites, but I couldnt find anything with the specifications you were asking. I hope you find it, it can be very hard to do though, believe me, I've been through it!

Vote Fallon!
http://www.equalitygiving.org/

:hi:

Nortwest Bronx on the river. Hilly, scenic, lots of parks, Urban/suburban mix. Hi rise, medium rise and private 1 and two family houses.

Interesting area.

Close to Manhattan. Google Riverdale Press or check craig's list.

Good luck.

Especially the Riverdale Press lead. That's exactly the kind of neighborhood newspaper that posts the good rental deals. :hi:

PATH train runs all night and is 1.75. and there's a light rail that connects to that.
the Jersey Journal is the paper, and also the Hudson or Hoboken Reporter(s) have ads for JC. Chavez Speaks the truth can tell you more.

A couple times a week they list affordable apartments with a short critique. Be sure to check the site's forum too.

http://www.bushwickbk.com

I moved here almost a year ago, and it's just great. Subway gets you into Manhattan in about 35 minutes. Housing is pre-War and spacious. There are apartments and houses, lots of shopping, lots of greenery, and everything you could need or want. My rent, for a one bedroom apartment, is $1450.