Informal Poll: Should I Move?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Okay, so I'm taking an informal poll of basically everyone I know on this dilemma: I moved to NYC in October, into a 3 BR apartment in Astoria, Queens. I found the place because my friend Blake from Louisville's two roommates were moving out. It's really cheap, $650 a month ($50 less than I was paying for a 1 BR in Chicago). However, Blake chose the other roommate, who's this dude named Keith, whom I have never really gotten along with at all.

The place is really really small, although my room isn't so bad (it's the biggest bedroom in the apartment). The living room and dining room are basically connected. Keith and Blake are really dirty, and hardly ever clean up after themselves (except for washing the dishes). Pretty much the whole time I've been the only one responsible enough to buy toilet paper (with one or two exceptions). Blake's girlfriend is over all the time, and while she's really nice, it makes the place seem even smaller. Also, with two other people, it always feels like there are weird alliances at work

Furthermore, while it's a short commute from Queens to my work, I've only got like two friends who live in the neighborhood. Everybody else lives in Brooklyn, so it's difficult to meet up. I went to a bbq yesterday afternoon, and it took me an hour to get to my friend's house. If I'm out drinking late at night, and want to take a cab home instead of the subway, I pretty much always have to go by myself and pay major ducats.

Saturday I looked at an apartment. This guy I know (who also posts to ILM sometimes) needs a roommate, as one of his roommates is moving to D.C. This place is in Brooklyn, Clinton Hill near Fort Greene and BAM and all that. Kinda halfway between Park Slope and Williamsburg (which is prolly the two hoods where most of my friends live). It's a two story duplex, and is way bigger than the place in Queens. It's got a washer and dryer in the unit (no more laundry service!) and a dishwasher. The guys seem clean, but not anal. The friend who told me about the place is a cool rocker guy, seems very easy to get along with. The room I'd take is gigantic, with a huge walk-in closet. The only real drawback is my rent would go up to $920, but I could afford that. Oh and the commute to work would be longer, but I could ride my bike to my friends' houses on the weekend, which would be awesome come summertime (and more bbqs). And if I'm out drinking with friends in Manhattan, we could split cabs back. So between that and the laundry, I prolly would end up paying the same amount anyway.

So, should I move? I really hate moving, but is my sanity worth it? I'm at the point where I hate leaving my room when I'm at home, 'cause I don't want to deal with my roommates. Most of my friends have offered to help me move. The only cons are the increase in rent, and that I'd have to find someone to take my room in Queens. What do y'all think?

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 16:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh and this place in Brooklyn has cable internet and two bathrooms!

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Sounds like you've already talked yourself in to it! An extra $270 to swap dirty Keith and dirty Blake for clean but not anal guy sounds cheap at half the price. (Yes, go for it.)

― Alfie (Alfie), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:03 (twenty-three years ago)

as long as you find a someone to take the room then move. you can afford the increase as you said. pros outweigh cons.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:03 (twenty-three years ago)

clean but not anal guys, it should be. I mean, I'm just swapping two roommates and a tiny place for two roommates and a big place, if I do this.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeeeeouch, $650 to $920 is a big jump. I've always felt that its better to spend money on nice dinner/clothes/records/stuff than on rent. But, $920 seems like a lot to pay for a place near BAM. My friends have an apartment in Fort Greene, and its very nice, for $700/month per person.

Anyways, I say move, but wait till you find a better deal!

― phil-two (phil-two), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:04 (twenty-three years ago)

I lived once on Long Island City/Astoria border and had a really cheap one BR apt. by myself with a view of manhattan. I could walk to mid-town Manh. in 45-50 if I had to or take the N train 2-3 stops. Convenient, cheap, and no one will come to see you.

Brooklyn is better I think, but moving is a drag. Really just comes down to money, I'd say. If you can afford it, more to Brooklyn. Then if you you can afford it move to Manhattan. Of course if you can afford to move to Manhattan, then you should consider moving to Paris instead.

― Skottie, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:05 (twenty-three years ago)

and no one will come to see you.

Uh...that's meant as a bad thing...

― Skottie, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:06 (twenty-three years ago)

see that's the thing, other opportunities could arise. A friend of mine's roommate will be moving out sometime this summer to go to law school (she lives in Cobble Hill). Another friend in Williamsburg doesn't get along with his roommate. Something might come along that might be better, but then again maybe not.

Living in Chicago only increased my belief that New Yorkers pay way too much for rent. The most I ever paid for a place there was $700 for a gigantic 1 BR, only 5 subway stops away from where I worked.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:07 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't think I'd live in Manhattan even if I could afford it (no offense, Manhattanites).

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Jesus christ, my mortgage is $571. For the whole thing.

― Chris V. (Chris V), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:12 (twenty-three years ago)

where do you live again?

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Living in Chicago only increased my belief that New Yorkers pay way too much for rent.

Agreed, and yet, it's always been the case that NYC rents are double or more everywhere else. Has anyone ever said, finally NYC rents have normalized at a reasonable rate.

For some reason, the demand has never slumped enough, and the supply can't get much higher.

That's not meant as an argument to you, hste., rather in response to the (as yet unwritten in this thread but) oft heard comment that NYC rents are "inflated" or "overpriced." They are what they are because someone will always pay them.

― Skottie, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:14 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, the mecca of all things cool. Worcester, Massachusetts. Haha. Thats why its so cheap. Although the rent here has gone up considerably over the years, its equivalent to Boston prices now.

― Chris V. (Chris V), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Boston's pretty expensive, too. As long as I live in NYC, I'll never be able to afford to buy a place (see jealousy thread).

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:17 (twenty-three years ago)

NYC rents are expensive, hstencil, but $920 for what sounds like Fort Green or Prospect Heights is hella high. You've seen the place? There better be some amazing amenities for that much. I was looking at places in that area back in November and I was seeing nice places for as low as $400 (although it was with a cat lady)! It sounds like you should move, but it also sounds like this isn't the right place.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Thats why my wife and I moved out of Boston. Why rent for ridiculous prices (granted you give up living in Boston/nightlife/and all that) when we could own something and build equity for half of what we paid for a one bedroom dump in Boston. Just makes sense to me...but if you don't want out of the city then its not for you. $920 a month is damn expensive though. Cripes.

― Chris V. (Chris V), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:20 (twenty-three years ago)

You've seen the place? There better be some amazing amenities for that much.

Yeah, it's the top two stories of a three story house. 3 BRs, two half baths on the top floor; living room, dining room, bath, laundry on the second floor. Landlord lives in the building. Relatively quiet block. Washer/dryer, dishwasher, cool dudes that prolly wouldn't mind me getting high, cable modem, cable TV, etc.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:22 (twenty-three years ago)

What train line?

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:22 (twenty-three years ago)

C or G.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, so you would be near Pratt I gather?

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:28 (twenty-three years ago)

yikes. the G train. though it is pretty useful for getting between Williamsburg and Fort Greene. Where exactly is this apartment? Like near Juniors? Or like near Fort Greene Park? or Fulton St. Mall?

― phil-two (phil-two), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, Clinton-Washington stop.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Landlord lives in the building.

*shudders*

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:30 (twenty-three years ago)

no, apparently he's chill! Plus he may move to Italy for a year or something.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Why doesn't everyone live in Inwood? I have some friends up there paying $1500 for three bedrooms and they're lovely. Granted they spend an hour on the 1/9 train every morning but it's a small price to pay (also you can get your sleep on).

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:32 (twenty-three years ago)

oh wow. $920 is a lot to pay for a place near the clinton-washington stop. but you can dine at that yummy cambodian restaurant. anyways, i think there are much better deals to be found. I had a $600 great loft-share off the bedford stop, and a $550 decent bedroom in south park slope. just keep looking.

― phil-two (phil-two), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:34 (twenty-three years ago)

I know my opinion means little, but if I was in your shoes I would wait. This isn't exactly the deal of the century, and you do have a place to live now, so there's no rush. Just wait a bit longer and something will fall in your lap. That seems to be how the NYC housing world works...

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Apparently Inwood is the Daaaaaaaalston of New York.

― felicity (felicity), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:35 (twenty-three years ago)

that's generally what I thought too Yanc3y, until I saw this place. I'm worried that I'd be passing up what might be the best NYC apartment I've seen. The friends I talked to this weekend seemed to think it wasn't too expensive, and they all have relatively crummy apartments compared with this place.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:36 (twenty-three years ago)

You have richer friends than me, I guess. For that much money you could be living in the lower east side, or at least swank Williamsburg (not that you'd want to), not a ridiculously long commute away from work (which the C & G trains will be). But if the place is nice and you enjoy being at home and you're digging on Brooklyn, then go for it.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:40 (twenty-three years ago)

For that much money you could be living in the lower east side, or at least swank Williamsburg (not that you'd want to)...

You think? I got the impression that rents were higher in those areas...

Brooklyn, from the standpoint of what I do when I'm not at work, is a much better solution than Queens.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:41 (twenty-three years ago)

cool dudes that prolly wouldn't mind me getting high.

Yeah, but after spending an extra $300 on rent, will you be able to afford precious weed?

― Mandee, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Maybe. I don't really buy weed now anyway, just smoke with friends when they're holding.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Rents can be had in those areas for less. I live in a pretty swank place at Ludlow & Grand and pay considerably less than that, although I landed in a ridiculously good situation where my roommates (who are friends) pay much more than me, but it's comparable to what you would be paying to live in Fort Green. Of course the short answer that finding a place to live in NYC is the biggest of all crapshoots...

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:48 (twenty-three years ago)

wait, so you pay as much as I would now? Or your roommates do? What's the appeal of living in Manhattan anyways?

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Landlords who live in the building rock! Mine give me dinner and drive me to IKEA.

― rosemary (rosemary), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, I pay pretty close to what you pay now. My roommates pay pretty close to what you would be paying if you were to take this place. The appeal of living in Manhattan = convenience, convenience, convenience. Drunken cab rides home = $10 at most. I can walk home from St. Marks after spending too much $$$ on records. I can walk to most shows. Take-out is plentiful. 24-hour delis abound. 15 minutes to get to work, etc. None of this is a huge deal to me, really (I lived in Coney Island for two years and loved it), but it does make life easier.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:52 (twenty-three years ago)

clean but not anal guys

*chokes and dies trying to hold in 8th grade laughter*

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmm. See this place would only be like a $7 car service ride from Williamsburg, if I even needed to take one (when it's April I'll prolly ride my bike more). And I'd be in the biggest room in the place. I dunno, I'm really conflicted here.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 17:57 (twenty-three years ago)

I can understand why, stencil. I wish I could give you a definite answer. Perhaps ask people who live in the area that you know what they pay to get an idea? I dunno. It's a tough call. When do you have to decide?

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 17 March 2003 17:59 (twenty-three years ago)

No deadline as of yet. I'd prolly move in sometime in early April.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 18:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd go for it. Sanity does have a price tag and if you're feeling miserable in your current living situation, it's worth it. (washing machine in yr place,in NYC! excellent!!)

My last place in Greenpoint was $550. My room was absolutely huge. My current tiny one bedroom in Dallas is $685. This price includes water/gas/electricity which is good but I have no washer/dryer and the crime in my neighborhood is high.

― That Girl (thatgirl), Monday, 17 March 2003 18:11 (twenty-three years ago)

so it's like 5 for, 4 against, 1 abstention (jess). Not a very definitive poll.

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 18:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Apparently Inwood is the Daaaaaaaalston of New York.

hahahaha, someone has a big mouth!

can someone break down prices of various nyc (and just over into nj) places for me, and what i could expect, or something?

oh, hstencil? i'd move, i mean, i blame keith

― gareth (gareth), Monday, 17 March 2003 19:03 (twenty-three years ago)

gareth, you're moving to NYC?

― hstencil, Monday, 17 March 2003 19:06 (twenty-three years ago)

if i were you id be packing my stuff tonight. trapped in your bedroom in nyc is backwards man.

― kephm, Monday, 17 March 2003 22:39 (twenty-three years ago)

If you can afford it, then it's definitely worth moving to maintain some semblance of sanity. A day's worth of huffin' & puffin' (w/ the move, you see) is a small price to pay for piece of mind.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 02:56 (twenty-three years ago)

(This is making me feel pretty stupid for living in a smallish one-bedroom in Philadelphia, where my rent is about to go up to $840. Granted, I live in one of the most appealing sections of center city.)

― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 18 March 2003 03:04 (twenty-three years ago)

(Also, I don't have room-mates.)

― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 18 March 2003 03:04 (twenty-three years ago)

I would move. Sounds like a nice APT, and as you say you can afford it, and I know yous can cause yous has a real JOB. Then, it's still just word of mouth, so you can feel free to skip out again if any of the other opportunities come up. Meanwhile, you're in Brooklyn where it sounds like you want to be, so you can get used to the area and be in a position to find out stuff there if you need to. Get packing already! (E-mail on it's way ie Louiiiiiisville. )

― Mary (Mary), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 04:36 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm resisting the temptation to talk about how much rent I pay.

― slutsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 04:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Update: the roommate I get along with, Blake, sez he'll be moving out by June 1 and that the roommate I don't get along with, Keith, may move back to Oregon for the summer!

― hstencil, Tuesday, 18 March 2003 05:19 (twenty-three years ago)

so now the question is: should gygax! move?

:O
!!!!! OH NO !!!!!

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 05:45 (twenty-three years ago)

come to NYC!

― hstencil, Tuesday, 18 March 2003 06:00 (twenty-three years ago)

can you cook?

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 06:01 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm particulary good at faux-Asian noodle stirfry.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 18 March 2003 06:01 (twenty-three years ago)

hmmmmmm...

it would only be for a year or two...

hmmmmmm...

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 06:03 (twenty-three years ago)

d00D!

― hstencil, Tuesday, 18 March 2003 06:03 (twenty-three years ago)

hmmmmmmmm....

this is the thing. my best friend is out there doing his residency for 2.5 more years and he's MISERABLE. i make it out there as often as i can but more often than not he's coming out here... it's a total bummer. i love nyc (oh yeah!) but i don't think i could last more than a winter or two.

hmmmmmmmm....

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 06:09 (twenty-three years ago)

(rockist, what part of center city do you live in?)

― H (Heruy), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 06:30 (twenty-three years ago)

(i'm going to guess either rittenhouse or washington square)

― maura (maura), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 06:42 (twenty-three years ago)

I wish all of you would move to London. Failing that, a move to Brooklyn sounds good. It sounds as if you could find somewhere cheaper, but if the location and facilities and size and all that seem worth the money, that's your call.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 12:34 (twenty-three years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.