Renting a Room in NYC Close to Central Park: Expectations & Safety

[rootX]

I will be working in NYC for four months at the bottom of Central park .

I am soon starting to find a room that is close to my work/easy to commute from but wanted to know:
- For the rental, how low I should aim for? (I couldn't find anything below 1200/month for one room, which I find bit expensive but *expected)
- If the island is expensive could it be easily commutable from outside.
- How safe it is to use public transportation during late hours like 12 AM

Thanks!

 

[Evo]

I will be working in NYC for four months at the bottom of Central park .

I am soon starting to find a room that is close to my work/easy to commute from but wanted to know:
- For the rental, how low I should aim for? (I couldn't find anything below 1200/month for one room, which I find bit expensive but unexpected)
- If the island is expensive could it be easily commutable from outside.
- How safe it is to use public transportation during late hours like 12 AM

Thanks!

Are you on a temporary assignment for an employer? If so, do they not have assistance for housing? Or is this just a short term job you've taken with no housing or reimbursement?

 

[Lacy33]

ring me up.

 

[turbo]

I will be working in NYC for four months at the bottom of Central park .

I am soon starting to find a room that is close to my work/easy to commute from but wanted to know:
- For the rental, how low I should aim for? (I couldn't find anything below 1200/month for one room, which I find bit expensive but unexpected)
- If the island is expensive could it be easily commutable from outside.
- How safe it is to use public transportation during late hours like 12 AM

Thanks!

That's an expensive neighborhood to live in. Can you find a place outside the city with a rail-depot close by so you can commute on a pass?

BTW, I'm surprised that you could even find a one-room for $1200 anywhere near there.

 

[rootX]

Are you on a temporary assignment for an employer? If so, do they not have assistance for housing? Or is this just a short term job you've taken with no housing or reimbursement?

They pay 1000$/mon for housing but I have to find house on my own.

 

[turbo]

They pay 1000$/mon for housing but I have to find house on my own.

That will ease the pain, but bear in mind that if you have to settle for a one-room, your ability to prepare food, make lunches, etc will be restricted, and food is really $$$ in that area.

 

[Lacy33]

Ring me up.
I am leaving for a day trip. Will be gone into a very dangerous area until about 9p. We are going to the old stomping grounds.. my old home... The hasidic community :!) to see the last night of Chanukah.
But contact me PM. Let me know the details. Like what gender, age, are you a junkie, a wild woman, smoke, pets ... the basics. And how long you need housing.
Talk later.

 

[rootX]

ring me up.

Ring me up.
I am leaving for a day trip. Will be gone into a very dangerous area until about 9p. We are going to the old stomping grounds.. my old home... The hasidic community :!) to see the last night of Chanukah.
But contact me PM. Let me know the details. Like what gender, age, are you a junkie, a wild woman, smoke, pets ... the basics. And how long you need housing.
Talk later.

Thanks lacy! Currently, I am just doing research and I have like 20 days in my hand. I will sure PM you.

That's an expensive neighborhood to live in. Can you find a place outside the city with a rail-depot close by so you can commute on a pass?

BTW, I'm surprised that you could even find a one-room for $1200 anywhere near there.

1200$ is the minimum I saw on craiglist.

That will ease the pain, but bear in mind that if you have to settle for a one-room, your ability to prepare food, make lunches, etc will be restricted, and food is really $$$ in that area.

I will likely eat out like I have been doing for last 2 years. Pay is good and I don't have many worries at this moment.

Cali companies give you food (lunch), and some even place; but, I am not sure about my company.

 

[Evo]

I will likely eat out like I have been doing for last 2 years. Pay is good and I don't have many worries at this moment.

Cali companies give you food (lunch), and some even place; but, I am not sure about my company.

You should have a per diem expense, unless they consider you on your own. Can't hurt to ask.

 

[rootX]

You should have a per diem expense, unless they consider you on your own. Can't hurt to ask.

I didn't know what's per diem but one other NYC company had something similar (fixed amount/day). It's an internship; so I don't really have much say I believe. My company provides fixed housing refurbishment, traveling, and not sure about the lunch.

 

[Mathnomalous]

I will be working in NYC for four months at the bottom of Central park .

I am soon starting to find a room that is close to my work/easy to commute from but wanted to know:

The Central Park South area is where the Owners of the World reside. Those are the Upper East Side, Lower East Side, and Midtown neighborhoods. Here is an income distribution map for NYC; should give you an idea of whom your neighbors are going to be.

http://envisioningdevelopment.net/map

- For the rental, how low I should aim for? (I couldn't find anything below 1200/month for one room, which I find bit expensive but *expected)

Anything below $1000 is going to place you at least 20 mins outside Manhattan (subway). The $1000 - $2000 range might get you something decent to comfortable in Washington Heights, Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Astoria, and Woodside.

Washington Heights is in the lower range. It is mostly a Dominican neighborhood undergoing gentrification by young white college students fleeing the higher rents a bit further south; it generally a safe area but it is very dirty (lots of garbage). Astoria and Woodside are mostly in the middle of the range, and those two are a mix of young college students, immigrants, working people, etc. Very good restaurants in this area. Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights are in the higher range, and these neighborhoods are mostly composed of young professionals who may or may not have families; good number of college students, too.

Neighborhoods to avoid: Harlem, Chinatown, anything east of Crown Heights, anything near Yankee Stadium. All those neighborhoods except Chinatown are still somewhat dangerous at night; Chinatown is packed with people, and a tourist trap.

- If the island is expensive could it be easily commutable from outside.

Yes. The D, N, Q, R, and 7 subway lines are your best friends. Avoid the 4, 5, and 6 lines at all costs, else you will hate your fellow human beings (trains always crowded).

- How safe it is to use public transportation during late hours like 12 AM

It is generally safe throughout NYC, especially in Manhattan. If you need to take the train at night, ride in subway cars that already have people in them, especially women.

 

[story645]

Neighborhoods to avoid: Harlem, Chinatown, anything east of Crown Heights, anything near Yankee Stadium.

I have a studio in Harlem/Hamilton Heights, pay under a $1000, and haven't run into much trouble, and there's a good amount of semi-gentrification going on. Spanish Harlem is getting a new CUNY campus and residence hall and Harlem has CCNY; generally if you stay near the schools the rents aren't terrible and the neighborhoods are pretty safe. In my part of town a room runs about 600-800. I've been hearing about the same kinds of rents for Washington Heights, but that may be further north then rootx wants to be.

If the island is expensive could it be easily commutable from outside.

So I'll second Mathnomalous that you're working in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city, but since you're working in the park take a look at the subway map. If you pick a place that's near one of the trains (map) then the commutes not that bad. Besides subways, there's also PATH from Jersey, Metro North from CT and upstate, LIRR from Long Island/remote Queens, the ferry from Staten Island, and lots of buses. It's probably the most commutable out of the boroughs.

I will likely eat out like I have been doing for last 2 years. Pay is good and I don't have many worries at this moment.

Fair warning that just about everything 'cept McDonalds is about $10 min.

For the rental, how low I should aim for?

Depends on where you want to live. Also, you may have to look at roomshares since you're doing a short-term lease and apartments go superfast. I found that most of the real estate agencies that advertise on Craigslist were totally shady, so be careful with 'em.

 

[hypatia]

Something else to think of...
Tiny blood-sucking bedbugs have become an epidemic in New York City. The little pests have invaded even the cleanest and most expensive apartments in neighborhoods around New York. In fact, a councilwoman from the Upper West Side has called for a citywide bedbug task force to address the problem

http://manhattan.about.com/od/citylife1/a/bedbugsbites.htm

 

[Mathnomalous]

Hot water and chlorine them out of existence.

 

[Lacy33]

Something else to think of...
Tiny blood-sucking bedbugs have become an epidemic in New York City. The little pests have invaded even the cleanest and most expensive apartments in neighborhoods around New York. In fact, a councilwoman from the Upper West Side has called for a citywide bedbug task force to address the problem

http://manhattan.about.com/od/citylife1/a/bedbugsbites.htm

It's very true. Bed bugs are a huge problem in this area. Most bed bugs are small. However a few have been found the size of their cousin the alligator.

 

[rootX]

Thank you the info; that was helpful. I had bit different believes: NYC is very unsafe and second food is cheap. However, the food might still be cheaper than mine place.

Currently, I have so many other worries/things that I can hardly think about this.

 

[hypatia]

However a few have been found the size of their cousin the alligator.

They live in the sewers there, rumor has it people brought them back from vacations. A few of the bedbugs were accidentally flushed..and their you have it.

 

[turbo]

They live in the sewers there, rumor has it people brought them back from vacations. A few of the bedbugs were accidentally flushed..and their you have it.

Ooh! You are bad! Want to scare the little kids around here??

 

[rootX]

Ooh! You are bad! Want to scare the little kids around here??

I didn't even notice what they were talking about

Snow kills everything; I have rarely seen anything moving in Winters other than people or their dogs. That's what I love about Winters!

 

[Lacy33]

They live in the sewers there, rumor has it people brought them back from vacations. A few of the bedbugs were accidentally flushed..and their you have it.

Well and there's the problem. These cousins are crawling up through the pipes in the powder rooms of the Plaza and Waldorf Hotels and everything instantly becomes "High Ended." The wealthy guests visiting our fine city go flying into the streets swatting at their behinds sending the darn critters into cabs, buses, passers by.
Even poor Sponge Bob got hit with flying bed bugs in the parade.
Hard as they tried to get the bed bugs out of Sponge Bob, they finally had to take him down.
It's bad here.
One is much better off shopping at the .99 stores than Lord n Taylors.