Help! Moving to New York City

Greetings Everyone,

My wife will be finishing her residency next June and in July she will be taking a fellowship in Columbia U. With that said we are moving there and I am not sure where to start with my questions.

My big concern is finding a place to live. We have two cats, two cars and my wife is willing to drive into NYC and park at Columbia U. I would like to get some suggestions as to where I should look for places to live. I am hoping to be no more then 30-40 minutes commute wise from her hospital and would love to spend under 2k a month for rent.

Any suggestions as to where I should look, what I should look for, anything else?

I would love to pick your brain if you are currently residing in the NYC area or better yet your spouse is at Columbia.

Thanks!
Filip

HI and welcome.

A friend of mine lived in NYC and he said cars were a hassle. Parking is expensive, traffic is horrible, and insurance is high. They have the subway, and if you need to take a trip you can always rent a car. Shopping must be done more frequently, but you have less storage space anyway.

My BIL grew up on Staten Island and his mom commutes to Manhattan for work. SI is a nice place to grow up, at least it was 20 years ago.

But, since you don't have kids you will be able to get a smaller place, even an efficiency if it comes to that.

Thats all I can offer.

[DCJenn]

Hi-

I don't know anyone within 20 miles of the city that actually owns a car. (The NJ/Conn people take the train or ferry to get into town)

My aunt and uncle have lived in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn and haven't had a car in 25 years. They brought my newborn cousin home via subway and my uncle walked home with his plants after a hospital stay to get his appendex out.

I would seriously rethink the bringing the cars thing. The insurance alone will kill you.

Julie should be popping on today, she'll be the best to ask for where to live, etc. I'd also suggest talking to Columbia's housing office.

Jenn

Hello,

I'm from NYC originally and I'm thinking maybe Edgewater, NJ, might be a good place for you guys. Two cars will be near impossible to deal with - in fact one is even tough since parking can cost $400 per month per car. Will Columbia give you guys free parking? There are some more affordable places to live in the Columbia area if you want to stay in the city. Staten Island is too far to commute. Maybe Julie (another member who lives in the city) has some ideas?

Good luck and welcome - I hope it works out!

[DCJenn]

I was thinking the same thing, Jill! My dad just sold his place in Edgewater. To get into the city you just walk to the ferry. At least that's what we did. 15 minutes later, there you were!

Jenn

[Auspicious]

Well, we live in NYC, but I'm afraid I know pretty much nothing about life at Columbia, as it's in a corner of the city I've only been to a few times. The hospital is right near the George Washington Bridge, I think, so I'm guessing you'll want to consider living in New Jersey, especially if you're looking to keep one or both of your cars and you're used to having a bit of living space.

Wish I were more help, hopefully someone else is more familiar with Columbia and its environs.

[Auspicious]

Ha! I cross-posted with the last several posts.

[Cumberland]

We had a car when we lived in Brooklyn, and it was a huge nightmare. Insurance ( we had a clean driving record) was $3600 a year for one car,and we had to drive around for 30 minutes to an hour each time we moved the car to find parking. Our bumper was covered with dings when we left bc it was considered completely acceptable to bump the car in front of you as you are parking. The Washington Heights area, near Columbia, is supposedly somewhat affordable. What about Married Housing? If she is going to work difficult hours, you might not want to fight the inevitable traffic.

[Vishenka69]

filipmgaliza, as a resident NY'er, here are my suggestions.

Since you don't have any children and would like to keep your cars, I would suggest not staying in Manhattan. While the Columbia med housing would be a semi-affordable option, the neighborhood is not that great and they'll kick you out the day the fellowship ends. Edgewater and most of the Bergen County in NJ is mad expensive and $2K will get you a one bedroom at most. Plus the daily tolls will add up. Because of the campus location, I would also rule out Brooklyn and Staten Island. The commute from either place will be at least an hour on good days. Queens might be a possibility, but only Astoria (the closest neighborhood to Manhattan). This leaves you with Bronx and Westchester. We currently live in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. It's very affordable and the commute to Columbia is a breeze (10-15 minutes either by car or subway). If you want a more suburban environment, then Westchester is another good option but it will add another 20-30 minutes to your commute.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have about NYC.