# Choosing somewhere to stay in NYC



## miss direct (Jul 17, 2008)

I'm going to New York for five weeks in the autumn to do a course, and have to decide on which accommodation I will stay in. 

Getting confused. I have a few choices. I have a lack of money so want to go for one of the reasonable options, but I also don't want to be in a horrible area where I feel unsafe. I'm also wary about sharing a room as I need my sleep and can't cope with smokers/loads of noise. I'd also appreciate not having a 2 hour commute into the university..

I have been to NYC before but I don't know it very well so it's hard to make a decision, maybe someone who knows it better can offer some advice?

These are my choices. 

YMCAs in Brooklyn: There are 2 YMCAs in Brooklyn where I can get a single room (with shared bathrooms). For 28 days I will pay either $1010 (deluxe,  at Greenpoint) or $750 (this is at the furthest away YMCA, in Cypress Hills).

There are also rooms at a hostel in Harlem, 146th street.  It's $800 for a twin room. I don't know who I would be sharing with, they say they try to put you with another person from the course but that's not always possible. It could work out ok, but then I could end up sharing with a horrible person. I also don't want to share with a man. I could also pay $1425 for a single room, but that's out of my budget. 

My final choice is an apartment owned by the university (in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn). It's $1,100 for the single room, or $650 for a shared room (with 4 beds). The advantage is that I would be sharing with other people on the course. 

Oh, I'll be studying at St John's University in Tribeca, Manhattan, so I'll have to commute there daily. 


The final option is to sort some accommodation out myself but I wouldn't know where to start..

If anyone can offer any advice, I'd be very grateful!


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## skyscraper101 (Jul 17, 2008)

Have you tried Craigslist New York?

That would always be my first point of call if you're looking for a short let. You may find someone has a nice room in a nice apartment which they want to make some money from while they're out of town. Rooms section here:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/roo/


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## D (Jul 18, 2008)

Wow - I had no idea there was a university in Tribeca.

Okay, NO to Cypress Hills.  It's a totally residential area and it's WAY the fuck out in Brooklyn on the Queens border.  Not especially convenient.  

Greenpoint - you'll have fun.  Your commute will be slightly wonky, but it's a very lively neighborhood and would be worth it to live there.

The advantage to the Clinton Hill apartment is not just that you'll be with other folks from the course, but that you'll have a real apartment (not a room in a hostel) and Clinton Hill is an interesting neighborhood at an interesting juncture of gentrification AND it's close to some really fantastic neighborhoods (Fort Greene in particular, one of my favorites).

I'd go with that, to be sure - and you'll be close to the A/C lines, which will take you to Tribeca.

A shared ROOM with four beds? That's pretty crazy, though.  You're sure it's not a shared apartment? $650 is CRIMINAL for a bedroom shared four ways.

I am happy to provide any advice.

And, yes, craigslist can be useful, but not necessarily economical and there's a LOT of bullshit floating around the murky real estate waters of NYC.

What's your price range?


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## D (Jul 18, 2008)

*Greenpoint*

how close the L train?

If close, then you're in good shape to transfer to the Tribeca-bound trains.  If the G train, it may be a bit more circuitous depending on where you are.


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## Concrete Meadow (Jul 18, 2008)

The G train is o.k. -- but you'd have to wait a lifetime for it to arrive.

Like D said, Greenpoint is much closer to Tribeca so your daily commute would be much easier. Do give craigslist a try too. If you have any questions regarding their listings, just give a shout here. Good luck with your search


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## MightyAphrodite (Jul 18, 2008)

you could always couch surf!

http://www.couchsurfing.com/


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## D (Jul 18, 2008)

for five weeks?


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## miss direct (Jul 18, 2008)

Thanks a lot for the replies. I've sent back a housing request form, and I've asked for a room in the apartment in Clinton Hill..it definitely is a 4-bed room though...

Oh, the uni is in lower Manhattan, near the former world trade centre, maybe not in Tribeca, although someone said it was (?) I'm not really up on new york neighbourhoods


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## D (Jul 18, 2008)

double post


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## D (Jul 18, 2008)

Are you sure it's not a four bedroom apartment?

Seriously, $650 is just impossibly high and I've never heard of adults - like full grown adults on a special university course - having to split ONE bedroom four ways.

I'm willing to bet a drink (to be had when you're over here) that it's a four bedroom apartment. 

$650 per bed X 4 is rent in Clinton Hill for a 4BR.

Plus, unless they're housing a BAZILLION people in one apartment or they've gutted a warehouse or something - you'd be hard pressed to find a room big enough in most NYC apartments to contain four separate beds.


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## miss direct (Jul 18, 2008)

It says the apartment has two rooms: (one single, one large 4-bed share), a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and plenty of natural sunlight. 

Looks like you may owe me a drink 

Hmmm, maybe I can just sleep in the living room


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## D (Jul 18, 2008)

Do you have a kitchen in the apartment or have they just gutted the whole thing and it's just beds?

The four beds in one room thing is just suspect!


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## D (Jul 18, 2008)

Hmmm.

That sucks.  You could get your own bedroom for $650 in Clinton Hill in a flat-share.

They're scamming you.


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## miss direct (Jul 18, 2008)

Do you think? I have no idea about the price of accommodation in NYC. I thought $650 (£325 ish) didn't sound too bad, compared to rent/bills over here (UK).


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## D (Jul 18, 2008)

Okay, $650 for your own room may be a little low, truth be told, but have a look at craigslist before you agree to their terms.  stick "Clinton Hill" in your search

I think they're just charging that much for the convenience of it - it's easier than dealing with the hassle of finding a place

but, really, you could FOR SURE get your own room in a place in Clinton Hill for $800 p/m ... the thing is, though, that you will have to find a sublet, obv...not a big commitment situation

It's just a question of what they're offering v what they're asking.


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## D (Jul 18, 2008)

and youv'e got 5 weeks, not 4 - so...I just think it's crazy that they've got a four way split


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## miss direct (Jul 18, 2008)

I like the idea of living with other people on my course. I don't want to be ripped off though. 

The $650 is for 28 nights. I'm staying an extra week but may not stay in NYC, haven't decided yet. May go up to Boston and a few other places if I'm not totally broke.


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## D (Jul 18, 2008)

well, a quick look on craigslist turns up, of course, a range...but a fair number of 2 bedroom apartments for between $1250 and $1400 per month.  Now that's for people wanting to sign a year lease, of course, and it's unfurnished

So that's only slightly more than you'd be paying to share a bedroom with three other people.

Now, another glance at CL turns up this

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/sub/759196331.html

for a Clinton Hill/Ft Greene park area sublet.

$700 p/m for your own bedroom, use of the woman's bike, three roommates (each in their own bedroom), great location

I see plenty of others in the $700 range, some less even, some more

and the same can be said for various other sublets in other neighborhoods in Brooklyn


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## D (Jul 22, 2008)

what did you decide in the end?


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## miss direct (Jul 22, 2008)

I had a look on craigs list, there were lots of places for the summer, but not for the dates I want (mid September to mid October). I've asked for a room in the shared apartment but I'm not tied into staying there.


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## D (Jul 22, 2008)

Cool.  I hope it all works out!


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