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Chapter 3: What Decisions
Do You Have To Make?
- Your Budget
- Safety
- Location
- New York
City and Beyond
- Roommates
As you begin to look for housing,
there are a number of things you should think about and decisions
you need to make. The more advance planning you can do, the
more effective and successful your search will be..
Your Budget
Before you can make a decision about where to live, you need
to think very carefully about your budget and how much you can
afford. Put together a monthly worksheet for yourself before
you begin to look for housing so that you have a good idea of
how much you can afford to spend. Click
here for a suggested budget worksheet that will help you
estimate your income and expenses. As a general rule, it is
recommended that you try to spend no more than 1/4 to 1/3 of
your total monthly income on rent, though this can be difficult
to achieve and you may have to compensate in other areas.
It's a good idea to open a checking account at a local bank
as soon as you can. It helps if you have a credit history-you
may want to start building one right away. Otherwise you will
need to carry cash or travelers' checks in U.S. dollars so
that you are ready to make required payments for a security
deposit, the first month's rent, etc.
Safety
Make safety a high priority when looking for a place to live.
The best way to judge an area is to visit it yourself and see
if you feel safe and comfortable there. Keep in mind that neighborhoods
in New York City can change significantly from block to block,
so rather than judging an area by its name (Chelsea, East Village,
etc.), it's better to walk around and evaluate the surroundings
yourself. Talk to shopkeepers on the block. If a shopkeeper
tells you that he or she has been robbed in the last month,
chances are that an apartment in this neighborhood may not be
very safe either. A well-lit, busy street is usually safer than
a dark, private street. Be sure that the front door of the building
is locked and the entry hall well lighted. If you can't afford
an apartment building with a doorman, look for other safety
features nearby: a doorman next door, a 24-hour shop or restaurant
nearby, or a police station.
Location
How far away from your school or work are you willing to live?
Your rent could be substantially lower if you're willing to
travel a little farther, particularly if your school or office
is located in Manhattan. Take a look at subway or bus maps to
see what transportation options are available in each area you
are considering.
New York City is divided into five districts,
called boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island
and the Bronx. Manhattan is the commercial and cultural center
of the New York metropolitan area; rents here are correspondingly
higher than in the outer boroughs or in nearby New Jersey.
Convenience is a big factor in housing cost, so the areas
that are closest to Manhattan are usually more expensive than
those farther from the city center.
It can be very helpful to take a friend
along for advice when you are looking for an apartment in
an unfamiliar neighborhood. Joining a local walking tour led
by a tour guide is another good way to find out about an unfamiliar
area. Check out our MetroWalks
schedules or have a look at The New York Times Weekend
supplement or the Around Town section of Time Out magazine.
New York City and Beyond
Manhattan
The island of Manhattan is the smallest borough, but certainly
the best known, since it is the heart of the cultural and commercial
activity of New York City. Only 13.4 miles long and 2.3 miles
across at the widest point, Manhattan is the most expensive
and densely populated (1.5 million residents) of the five boroughs.
It offers a wide range of neighborhoods and accommodation options
that differ considerably in price, size, convenience, and safety.
There are few bargains; most rents range from moderately to
prohibitively expensive, forcing many people to seek housing
in the outer boroughs. In general, the further uptown you go,
the cheaper the rent prices. Neighborhoods such as Washington
Heights, Harlem, and Inwood, which are the most distant from
downtown Manhattan, tend to be much less expensive than those
further downtown. Some pockets of lower Manhattan (specifically
near the site of the World Trade Center) offer rental incentives
such as reduced rent or no broker's fee in order to attract
tenants and revitalize the neighborhood. All subway lines except
the G line run through Manhattan, and most neighborhoods are
easily accessed by public transportation.
Brooklyn
With nearly 2.5 million residents, Brooklyn has the largest
population of the five boroughs. One third of its residents
are foreign born, and it is home to a variety of ethnic groups,
including African Americans, Italians, Jews, Russians, Middle
Easterners and Caribbean Islanders. Because of the high cost
of housing in Manhattan, a growing number of students, artists
and young professionals are moving to Brooklyn, particularly
to the neighborhoods of Williamsburg, DUMBO and Greenpoint.
While Brooklyn offers a wide variety of housing options, there
are some areas-such as Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights-where
rent prices can be as expensive as Manhattan. Some neighborhoods
to explore in Brooklyn are Clinton Hill, Forte Greene, Carroll
Gardens, Cobble Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Windsor
Terrace and Sunset Park, among others. Linked by numerous
subway lines, many neighborhoods in Brooklyn are only a short
ride away from downtown Manhattan.
Queens
Queens is the largest borough, covering 108 square miles,
and is also the most international, with 40% of its two million
residents born outside the United States. Safe, comfortable,
and convenient for shopping, Queens is composed of largely
residential, ethnically diverse, family-oriented communities.
In general, Queens is one of the most affordable boroughs
in New York City, with average rents significantly lower than
in Manhattan and even some parts of Brooklyn, although some
neighborhoods, such as Astoria are becoming more expensive.
Some popular neighborhoods in Queens are Astoria, Flushing,
Jackson Heights, Rego Park, Elmhurst, Long Island City and
Woodside. Served by several major subway lines, Queens is
generally accessible to Manhattan as well as Brooklyn.
The Bronx
The Bronx has the distinction of being the only borough of
New York that is not on an island. A largely residential area
with 1.2 million inhabitants, the Bronx is home to diverse
communities, including large numbers of Central and Eastern
Europeans, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans. Because of
its distance from central Manhattan, rent in the Bronx tends
to be very affordable. The Northwest Bronx is a good area
in which to look for housing, and the Fordham University area,
Riverdale, Pelham Parkway and Italian Belmont areas are also
popular with young people and students. The borough is linked
to Manhattan by 12 bridges and 8 major subway lines, and has
its own network of public and private bus lines. If you're
attending school in one of the other boroughs, be prepared
for a long subway commute. However, you might find that spending
the extra time on the subway or bus is worth the reasonable
rent that the Bronx can offer.
Staten Island
The city's "greenest" borough with the smallest
population (fewer than 500,000), Staten Island seems a world
away from the bustle and tumult usually associated with New
York City. Winding streets, neat lawns, and a view of New
York Harbor enhance the quiet, suburban atmosphere of Staten
Island. Only the Manhattan skyline visible in the distance
is a reminder that the island is New York City's fifth borough.
While a rather long commute to Manhattan makes this borough
a less desired place to live, the lower rent is a definite
attraction. Lower Manhattan is 30 minutes away via the Staten
Island Ferry (free) and several express buses, and the Verrazano-Narrows
Bridge connects the island with Brooklyn. To get around on
the island, there are both bus and limited subway systems.
Nearby New Jersey
Across the Hudson River a short distance from Manhattan lies
another opportunity for affordable housing. Several cities
in nearby New Jersey have attracted numerous students, young
professionals, and artists. Hoboken and Jersey City, for example,
are easily accessible to Manhattan via PATH trains. You might
also consider Union City and West New York, both with large
Latin American populations. If you are lucky, you might just
find an apartment with spectacular river views of Manhattan!
Before you decide to live on the other side of the Hudson,
however, you may want to consider the double-and sometimes
triple-transportation fares you will have to pay to commute
to New York City, plus the high cost of long distance phone
calls across the state line. Think also about whether or not
you will feel too "cut off" from the mainstream
of city life in New York.
Roommates
Sharing an apartment is a common solution to the problem of
high rents in New York. You may not have considered this before,
but many students and young professionals find people like themselves
to share the high costs of living in the city. Entering into
a roommate situation does require cooperation and sharing, so
be sure to choose a roommate very carefully. Here are some things
to think about before making such a commitment:
Space: With the high cost of living
in New York, space can be a luxury, but before agreeing to
share housing with one or more roommates, evaluate your possessions
and your lifestyle, and think about your personal priorities.
A studio might be fine for one person, but two people living
in a single room might find the situation intolerable. In
a shared situation, the kitchen and bathroom facilities should
be available to everyone. Usually the living room is also
shared space, where roommates receive guests and socialize,
but in some cases this may need to be sacrificed to make room
for a roommate to sleep. Think in advance about your personal
need for privacy and whether you will have a quiet area for
studying.
Expenses: Rent and utilities are normally divided
by the number of roommates, although rent may be prorated
depending on the size of the room. You could ask what your
share is relative to the overall rate, in order to be sure
the agreement is fair. You may be asked to pay an additional
one month's rent as a security deposit (see p. 29 for more
information). If there is a shared telephone, bills are divided
equally for basic monthly service, but each roommate is expected
to pay for their own calls. Remember that if one roommate
moves out without paying their share of the rent, the landlord
has a right to collect the rent from the tenants who remain
in the apartment.
Make a Contract: Before moving in
together, it's a good idea for you and your roommate(s) to
draw up a written contract, establishing how your joint home
will be run. At the expiration of the contract, you can renew
your agreement if all roommates are still happy with the situation.
However, if one roommate wants to move out before the contract
expires, written notice should be given one month in advance.
It is also common courtesy for the roommate who is leaving
to help in the search for a replacement roommate to share
the rent.
When writing up a roommate contract, think about covering these items:
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Rent & Utilities: What is everyone's share? If the landlord
requires a single check, which roommate will be responsible
for writing it? Who will pay the security deposit? How
and when will the security deposit be returned? Remember
that if you are the primary person on the lease, you will
be held responsible. |
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Space: Who will occupy which room? How will you divide up
closet or drawer space? What are the rules for use of
the common areas (i.e., kitchen, living room, bathroom)? |
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Household chores: Who will take responsibility for cleaning
which space, and on what schedule? |
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Meals: Will you share food, shopping and cooking responsibilities?
If so, how will you split the costs and the work? |
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Noise: What hours can the TV be on? How late can music be
played? |
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Overnight guests: Is it permissible for boyfriends or girlfriends
to stay over? How about other guests? |
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Other considerations: What will be your policy on smoking?
Keeping pets? |
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Moving out: If one of you decides
to move, how much notice must be given? Must the departing
tenant find an acceptable substitute? |
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It is best to put your understandings in
writing. Oral agreements are too easily forgotten or misinterpreted
after the fact.
There are several ways to find people looking
for roommates. Professional roommate agencies can introduce
you to potential roommates, but they often charge a hefty
fee, with o guarantee of success. Generally, for students
the best advice is to check your campus housing office, look
on local bulletin boards, or simply ask around on campus.
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