New Yorkers, where do I live?

[MikeN]

I wouldn't recommend living in the LES - it's just a madhouse there every night - the apartments are old, small and cramped.

I live in the East Village and love it - been here 11 years now.

Also, regarding this comment... I've lived in several apartments in both the EV and LES and I could tell no difference between the actual apartments and buildings themselves. I think the lower east side and the east village were basically both mostly tenement buildings. If you blindfolded me and brought me to an apartment (and covered up the windows), I couldn't tell you if it was in the LES or EV.

[laughed]

Thanks everyone for the input. To make it a little more clear.
I live in Los Angeles. When I first moved to L.A. I didn't really have the chance to get to know the city. I do believe that unless you live somewhere you never will. I am planning on moving into a sublet for a month before I do move somewhere in NY but I would like feedback before I go so I will be a little more prepared on where to look...my purpose of moving into a sublet is to spend more time really finding a good spot. Well the first lease that I signed in Los Angeles was pretty much ruined, an entire year, because I lived downtown. At first it seemed pretty cool but certain things wore on me. I moved to Hollywood and have enjoyed it much more than downtown. Because I am going to live alone and because I don't have a grip of money, my budget is around 1300 a month. I live in a small studio now, so size really isn't important. What is more important is the area. I guess the turn-offs to Hollywood is I live right smack down in the middle of the tourist spots, and that does get a little hard to look at- all the tourists. When I lived downtown, all the suits and business type were hard to look at all the time. I guess what I am getting at as far as the mix of people would be just that- a mix. I have a feeling that perhaps Manhattan is more the business type while Brooklyn is more the young crowd. I don't know because I haven't had a lot of time to spend there. I know this may sound like a funny question but I do like the city vibe and the energy of the city, if you will....and say, in places in los angeles, like oh, East LA, to me, the energy there is much different than parts of Hollywood. The atmosphere. I seem to have this idea that Brooklyn is more toned-down and more of a relaxed area, while Manhattan may be a little more upbeat. Although they say it is the city that never sleeps, when I was there Manhattan did seem to shut down a little early...not like I'm a night owl that goes out, but it is nice to be able to go get a bite to eat late night etc. I guess it is really hard to explain exactly what I am looking for....I guess my main worry is that A) Manhattan is too touristy and too many wall-street types. and B) Brooklyn is too spread out and too many young kid hipsters. (I won't have a car and while I don't have a car now and ride the Metro here, it is much more convenient to live in a place where i can easily walk to get the things I need, be it a book, food, a drink, etc. These are things I am thinking about the city. Thanks again for everyone's input

[MikeN]

$1,300 may be a bit hard to swing in Manhattan. I pay a tad more than that for my East Village studio that I got 3 years ago (and even then it was very cheap for the market). Don't forget that in NYC you're almost definitely going to need to pay a broker's fee, which is anywhere from a months rent, up to 15% of yearly rent. And then on top of that you need first months rent, and security. So if you found a place for $1,300 a month, this is how much you would need to move in:

$1,300 - First months rent
$1,300 - One months deposit
$1,300 - Broker's fee (on the low side!)
_________________________
$3,900, and that's just to move in on the first day. It's just something else to consider because I know broker's fees are not common outside of NYC.

[MikeN]

Just enter all the parameters into craigslist and look through and see if you can find anything you like. Though if you want to do Manhattan I'd suggest you bump that figure up to at least $1450 or $1500, beacuse that's when stuff really starts to open up. And yes, I think craigslist still is basically the only way to find a place these days, unless you know someone who is vacating an apartment who will put you in touch with their landlord.

[justine]

Though if you want to do Manhattan I'd suggest you bump that figure up by at least $1450 or $1500

fixed

[coup de grace]

streeteasy.com trumps cl in some aspects, they aggregate landlord listings and there's a legitimacy to everything that cl lacks.

[MikeN]

streeteasy is for buying, not renting.

[hamletpowpowpow]

Man, they're gonna love you at art school. Heh.

Also - yr way, way off.

Brooklyn is just as yuppie as Manhattan. You don't want yuppies? Move to the Bronx or something. And I wouldn't describe the LES or Village as being "touristy"...although a lot of assholes get drunk here on the weekends. But is that better than hipsters getting drunk in Williamsburg? Yr call.

Manhattan doesn't shut down, really. Most conventional restaurants will close around 11...but some of my favorite places are the ones you go to at 3am. Bars stay open until 4am most nights, 2am on a slow night. You won't have a problem getting food late at night in the city. It'll be a little bit more of a challenge in BK, depending on where you are. I think Wbrg is pretty decent for late night eating now...a few years ago, not so much.

Thanks everyone for the input. To make it a little more clear.
I live in Los Angeles. When I first moved to L.A. I didn't really have the chance to get to know the city. I do believe that unless you live somewhere you never will. I am planning on moving into a sublet for a month before I do move somewhere in NY but I would like feedback before I go so I will be a little more prepared on where to look...my purpose of moving into a sublet is to spend more time really finding a good spot. Well the first lease that I signed in Los Angeles was pretty much ruined, an entire year, because I lived downtown. At first it seemed pretty cool but certain things wore on me. I moved to Hollywood and have enjoyed it much more than downtown. Because I am going to live alone and because I don't have a grip of money, my budget is around 1300 a month. I live in a small studio now, so size really isn't important. What is more important is the area. I guess the turn-offs to Hollywood is I live right smack down in the middle of the tourist spots, and that does get a little hard to look at- all the tourists. When I lived downtown, all the suits and business type were hard to look at all the time. I guess what I am getting at as far as the mix of people would be just that- a mix. I have a feeling that perhaps Manhattan is more the business type while Brooklyn is more the young crowd. I don't know because I haven't had a lot of time to spend there. I know this may sound like a funny question but I do like the city vibe and the energy of the city, if you will....and say, in places in los angeles, like oh, East LA, to me, the energy there is much different than parts of Hollywood. The atmosphere. I seem to have this idea that Brooklyn is more toned-down and more of a relaxed area, while Manhattan may be a little more upbeat. Although they say it is the city that never sleeps, when I was there Manhattan did seem to shut down a little early...not like I'm a night owl that goes out, but it is nice to be able to go get a bite to eat late night etc. I guess it is really hard to explain exactly what I am looking for....I guess my main worry is that A) Manhattan is too touristy and too many wall-street types. and B) Brooklyn is too spread out and too many young kid hipsters. (I won't have a car and while I don't have a car now and ride the Metro here, it is much more convenient to live in a place where i can easily walk to get the things I need, be it a book, food, a drink, etc. These are things I am thinking about the city. Thanks again for everyone's input

[coup de grace]

streeteasy is for buying, not renting.

it is both.

[laughed]

In regards to Brooklyn, when looking for apartments, what are some areas I should just flat-out stay away from?

[MikeN]

Yeah, stay away from the part in green...

[laughed]

ha! yeah, well i did mean what parts of brooklyn...but, point taken.

[MikeN]

But seriously... I guess East New York, Brownsville... Brooklyn is really really big so I'm just basing what I know off of Biggie Smalls lyrics.

[homi]

im moving to NY soon as well, going to parsons. My friend seems to really want to stay in manhattan but if i can move into a 2BR and split that may open up some options if we can find a sweet spacious spot.

I was thinking of the east village or union sq area in Manhattan. Outside of Manhattan I basically only know Williamsberg. I dont want the commute to be too killer as im terrible at waking up in the mornings and i know ill be late alot. That said though I'll take a good mix of cool accesibile neighbourhood with young people with a reasonable commute and a price that doesnt kill me

[laughed]

Yeah, I think I would like LES, east village more, but obviously brooklyn is a little cheaper. Every time I check out places on google street view seems like it's all industrial areas, meaning bare and desolate? i don't know. also talked with a friend who just got back and he said he liked Dumbo a lot. I guess I will see when I get up there. I am a little worried about jobs now that it is getting closer. I mean, I would shine shoes, but I just don't know how easy it will be to grab ANY job. Also, I don't want to get caught up in "the ol' days" but been catching these user lists on Google maps, fav places in ny....Is Mars Bar a cool place? just getting a little excited to get there.