NYC Mags I need your help!

[CUBUCK]

I just got a great job offer in midtown. The pay is good the hours suck etc. Problem is leaving colorado and doing the big city thing. So i need the lodown on where to live, where to ski, and everything else that goes with new york living. Any advice you guys can offer is very appreciated.

[crashnburn'd]

Don't know anything other than where to ski... Depending on where you are, how you drive here are time guesses (I'm about 1.5 hrs north of the city):

Plattekill - 3 hrs
Jay Peak - 7.5 hrs
Stowe - 6 hrs
Smugglers Notch - 6 hrs
Mad River Glen - 5 hrs
Killington - 4 hrs
Mt Washington - 7.5 hrs

[non grata]

you wanna switch places with me?

how much can you spend on a pad? if it's midtown i would look outside manhattan to brooklyn and queens since all trains lead to midtown eventually. you'll still be able to find places in cobble hill and park slope in brooklyn that are still relatively affordable and really close to the city. in queens, i'd go for the astoria and long island city route, more of a row house type of atmosphere vs. the brownstones in brooklyn.

as far as skiing, i've been feeling sol ever since i found this place. but as crash said, the only good resorts are 4.5 hours away. i dunno if you're gonna have a car here but it'll make your life in the winter a lot easier. there are a few places like paragon sports and scandinavian ski shop that do trips to hunter and windham every weekend for around $63 if you're hard up. i've been renting the insanely expensive rental cars here and carpooling up to vt.

pm me if you need any help with setting things up here, i'll try to help as much as i can.

[Dexter Rutecki]

I can offer some help. Gave ACE the lowdown before his move, and since he's recently been through it all, he might be the guy to talk to (but he's working 16-18 hours a day, so...).
Anyhoo, the driving times listed are about right, but Kmart is 4:45, Stowe is closer to 7, and MRG is too. If you have traffic out of the city it can easily add an hour or more. The closest place with any vert is Mt. Snow (Mt. Slow), which is 3:45, maybe 3:30 if you're lucky. I think Plattekill can be done in just under 3, but they're very natural snow dependent which can be a drag some years (like this past one).
You're in luck in one way, which is that it's a renter's market (by NYC standards, anyway) right now, as ACE found out. If you can avoid living outside Manhattan, particularly if your commute would then involve switching trains, I'd try to do that, since it can be a pain. But a lot of people love Brooklyn and Queens.
Start looking at NYT and Village Voice listings just to get some idea of what's out there, and remember that a Manhattan 2BR could easily be half the size of a standard 2BR anywhere else in the country.
PM me with questions, mang. Looking forward to having you here, if you do it--you can 'enjoy' the rides up to VT with me.

[snorkeldeep]

welcome to the big apple! dex pretty much covered it all.. you might try craigslist as well, and depending on price range i have a good friend who is a broker and usually has access to some very cool spaces.

[CUBUCK]

Thanks for the help guys. I'm looking to get a studio or one bedroom ideally for around $800 a month. Simple and cheap is the way I want to go. All i need is a kitchen, bathroom and room for a bed. I have a car now and would really like to hold on to it. How car friendly are places outside of manhatten? queens, brooklyn, jersey city etc? And most importantly where does everyone on the board get their pass for the winter??

[snorkeldeep]

at 800 a month unless you're willing to find a roommate you're going to have some trouble.. and even then it can be tough. Cars in the city are difficult.. itll depend on the neighborhood and your schedule. We have alternate side parking.. so if you're lucky you can find a place and leave it for a few days, but then you have to find something on the other side of the street. Invest in a club, and take your stereo out.

as for passes, i generally dont get one, though i should have last year at jay.. skiied enough days up there to break even easily. if you can travel, its a tough call - close by and worth pass money.. not too much. really depends on what you're looking for terrain wise though.

[CUBUCK]

Yea I know $800 is on the low side. This is my first real job so I'm not real sure what I'm going to have to spend on rent after taxes and stuff. $800 is on the safe side. I really don't need much and wouldn't be against having a roommate. As far as terrain goes I have been skiing the west hard for the last 4 years. Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, basically looking for reliable snow and as much of it as I can get my hands on. I have heard good things about sugarbush, mad river, stowe and jay. Thanks for all the help guys. I'll probably come up one day this coming week to look for housing.

[non grata]

queens is definitely the most car-friendly neighborhood with places that don't have alternate side of the street restrictions. there are also lots of private lot options which is a much safer, if costlier, option than keeping the car on the street. even if you don't live in the apt or house that is connected with the lot, you can still reserve a space there.

as snorkel said, $800 is a stretch for a solo apt/studio and beware of anything you find in that range. also stay away from roommate matching services at the start. use roommate finder websites to get an idea of rates and see photos and as dex said the voice and times are great resources... i've relocated many, many times using those rags. i have no idea what your standards regarding roommates but if you insist on living in the city, try looking through college classified ads for shares with students who commute. it's more of a short term commitment but more reliable than a lot of the flakey crackheads you can sometimes encounter on the voice.

i would still suggest looking outside of manhattan if $800 is your range... there are lots of good deals to be had close to the east river with no train transfers. i work in the upper east side and live in astoria (queens). it takes me 20 minutes to get to work, 30 to midtown which in ny subway terms is fairly quick.

jay is definitely my fav but with that drive sometimes it's just as easy flying out west. to vt's credit, the drive up is easy.

[CUBUCK]

Thanks again,

refocusing my search in queens, brooklyn, harlem, and jersey city hoboken area. Thanks for all the great help.

[non grata]

wait...

don't go the jc route. there is absolutely no neighborhood identity, it can get extremely sketchy in spots and the housing options are less than spectacular. yes, the path takes you directly into midtown but you're paying double duty (path fare + subway fare.) to its credit, parking is a non-issue as you can park anywhere. i've lived in jc and although the house i lived in was pretty nice, i would never go back... i don't care how cheap it is. at the risk of offending anyone, joisey after all is joisey... enough said.

i've heard mixed reviews about hoboken from friends but i would still stick with the city.

[snorkeldeep]

id suggest you go for a sketchier area in brooklyn instead of jersey city. easier transportation, and better vibes, even in the not so nice areas. jersey city can be a wasteland.. no offense. try ft green, greenpoint, parts of williamsburg, maybe even certain parts of redhook. Once you find a place you like, post here w/ general address if you're comfortable doing that .. lots of us know our way around and can steer you better in areas where a block or two is the difference between a great deal and a lot of fun, and getting jumped.

[KrisSkis]

Have you thought about coming out a little bit more to Long Island? You can take the LIRR into the city...geta monthly pass and its not too bad a trip. We live about 50 minutes from Manhattan via the train...that it the south shore of nassau county....and if you get tired...be like my husband and sleep the whole damn way in and back from the city . As for apartments...you could definately get something in you price range...usually in a private house, whether it be a basement, main level or upstairs apartment....and parking is a breeze...no worrying about alternate side parking and all that shit. The only thing is tacking another 20 t0 30 minutes driving time to go skiing. We can make it to killington in just under 5 hours....plattekill in about 2 1/2 , belleayre in about 2 1/2 and hunter in about 3...just a few more options for you to ponder

[Plakespear]

Originally posted by KrisSkis
We can make it to killington in just under 5 hours....plattekill in about 2 1/2 , belleayre in about 2 1/2 and hunter in about 3

How the hell is that possible- seeing as how Plattekill is about 1/2 hour further from LI?

[KrisSkis]

Oops...sorry...make that 3 1/2 hours...thats what happens when you post in the middle of the night

[half-fast]

ditch the car

[sea2ski]

I would agree about losing the car if you plan on living in Manhattan. You'll find if you are on a limited budget you don't really give up that much not having one. Also a far as skiing is concerned you'll find many people in NY have ski shares in VT so you can frequently bum a ride rather than rent a car if you can get in a ski house. Definitely pay attention to what subways you would take you to where you work in Midtown and get an apartment that works for your commute. Also when budgeting figure whatever costs a $1 in Colorado is going to cost $1.50 to $2 in NYC, so if your making $30,000 in Colorado you'd better make at least $45,000 in NYC or you are not going to be a happy camper.

[CUBUCK]

Thanks for the info. I'll probably end up getting rid of the car like everyone has suggested. Going into the city tomorrow to look at a few areas around manhatten mostly in brooklyn. I appreciate all the help and will be sure to post up my TR from tomorrow.

Thanks

[non grata]

what's the verdict?

[CUBUCK]

have appointments to check out 5 places tomorrow then straight off to CO to collect my things and drive back. Here is what I'm looking at tomorrow.

a 1 bedroom on 83rd between 1st and 2nd ave
a 1 bedroom in bed-stuy
a 1 bedroom on 37th and 8thish
2 bedroom place in the murrey hill area
last a 2 bedroom in chelsea

all are between 900 and 1250 a month. I'm going to go into them all with an open mind and check out the neighborhood while around teh apartment. Anything I should know going into this would help.

Last I am correct that you can take the subway out to JFK right??

Thanks

[Plakespear]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by CUBUCK
a 1 bedroom on 83rd between 1st and 2nd ave
If you live there, you'll be really close to Dexter Rutecki's place
a 1 bedroom in bed-stuy
Worst neighborhood of the bunch
a 1 bedroom on 37th and 8thish
close to lots of porno shops
2 bedroom place in the murrey hill area
Nice neighborhood- although subway access can suck there
last a 2 bedroom in chelsea
Move here and I'll send you a rainbow flag so you'll fit in.


Last I am correct that you can take the subway out to JFK right??
Yeah, but you'd probably be happier taking a cab. And if you gotta fly out of Newark or LaGuardia, you're gonna have to cab it anyway.

[CUBUCK]

Thanks for the heads up. Hopefully the 1st one is the one and I can stop there.

[half-fast]

pretty good prices

[non grata]

i'd love to live up by 83rd between 1st and 2nd ave outa all those locations.

it's marginally easier getting to jfk now via the airtrain. although the airtrain is pretty speedy and cycles regularly, you're still subject to the unpredictably spazzy mta subways... i was stuck on the fucking E for 15-20 minutes one stop away from the airtrain connection. i hate cabbing it to jfk but if you are going that route, plan on running into traffic. if you use a car service make sure to always settle on the price before you get in.

all i can say is i'm pretty happy about jetblue expanding to lga.

[snorkeldeep]

best way to get to kennedy w/ skis is hands down airtrain now. its really easy. i generally go from Penn though via the LIRR to jamaica.

cubuck - id go for either murray hill or chelsea if i was you - centrally located. youll probably spend a lot of time downtown at bars etc.