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hello, im going to be moving to new york city/manhattan, how do i figure out the ins/outs/driving in nyc?

hello, im going to be moving up to new york city/manhattan for business etc. i have to find an apartment and figure out how to navigate ie. transportation and the ins/outs of the city. ive never been to new york! i dont know the decent hood from the bad hoods, how do i know where to go and not too go? does everyone take the subway? i would rather drive and be in traffic as my business activity will be in the evening to the late night/am hours, not during normal 9 to 5hrs etc. ive looked at apartments in manhattan and queens that range from 7,000.00 a month to 800.00 month, how do i know where to live and not too live? the city is so huge and diverse, the borroughs as they call them are different, i dont want to go up there lost and behind.. does anyone have any advice? whats the best way to locate an apartment up there? i was looking on craigslist and they arent called apartments, theyre called coops? how do i stay know whats ghetto whats not up there? i need a gym, and i want to drive myself, is this possible to drive my own wheels up thier in all that traffic? any advice is appreciated! thanks!

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1. All depends on your means...Park slope in Brooklyn and the village in Manhatten are trendy but pricey, areas in queens (Whitestone, bayridge, Long Island City) are nice as well but also expensive. If you want to drive anyways and going in and out of Manhatten isn't a problem for you, you should stick with either the Bronx, Queens, or Brooklyn as they are slightly cheaper. NY is a pretty safe city, much safer than places I have been to in Chicago or LA. I moved out of NY and currently commute from Long Island...this is an option if you don't mind a drive. NY traffic is bad but not undriveable. The parkways make trips around town not too hectic. The only place that I personally wouldn't live is Staten Island as there is no real good way in or out, the BQE and Belt parkways are always jammed and driving up through Jersey can be a real pain. Co-Ops are apartments that you purchase a "stock" in, then pay maintenance fees monthly as well as taxes. They range in price from the not so expensive ($30-$50K in Co-Op City) to the outrageous (check out Chelsea or other places in Manhatten or even some areas of Queens or Brooklyn). All in, there is no real answer that will give you the perfect place, just gotta go and see whats out there.
2. Living ANYWHERE in the City can be very expensive unless you get into one of those rent controlled buildings... which tend to be a TAD on the not so pleasant side. There are good and bad neighborhoods in every burrough of the City... Manhattan proper will be the most expensive place to live..... Staten Island and PARTS of Queens and Brooklyn have excellent communities with small houses and little yards ... In Manhattan, you will be lucky to even SEE grass except in the Parks... (same with SOME parts of the other burroughs as well)... Places to stay away from would be THE BRONX, and Harlem in particular... Oh and as far as DRIVING in and out of the City? Good luck especially since you've never driven there before.... First off, PARKING is near IMPOSSIBLE and unless you pay for a garage (Which can be EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE and are usually UNDER the apartment buildings except for those extremely expensive commercial parking lots throughout the City)... you can pay as much to park the car as you pay for your RENT.... and parking on the streets can be a total NIGHTMARE anywhere in the burroughs... I once drove around for 2 hours to find a spot in Queens that was 1/2 mile from where I was going.... Also you must be EXTREMELY CAREFUL if you come up to a group of what I like to call KILLER CABS... these are yellow cabs driven by NOT SO AMERICAN cab drivers who, for some reason do NOT seem to care about traffic laws, speed limits OR courtesy of any kind....If you get in their way, they are going to let you know about it.... If you've never experienced traffic jams and long commutes, and DESIRE that, then you will LOVE driving in NYC...oh and each and every bridge costs money BOTH ways to cross into and out of the City... $4.50 each way at most bridges now. Subways are MUCH cheaper, always running and there are subway stops at almost every corner...there is also a very good bus transit system in the Burroughs......
3. Avoid the Bronx all together. You do not want to go there. Avoid Morningside Heights, and anything in the high 100 streets. Certain areas of Brooklyn are very nice, such as Williamsburg and Park Slope. Gramercy Park is very nice in Manhattan, but extremely pricey. If you rent a studio or one bedroom in Manhattan, you should be able to find a decent one from $1200 a month. Transportation: Take the subway from 6AM to 4-4:30 PM. After that, it's probably not going to be the safest. I would NEVER take the subway at night. Unsafe. After the suggested hours, you should take a cab. You'll be able to afford cabs b/c you won't be paying car insurance, car bills, and gas. Since your hours are different than most, I would recommend taking a cab. If you can afford your own car, by all means do it. Driving in Manhattan is far from fun however. Your best way to locate apartments in Manhattan is to call up a realtor. There are many websiters availible also, but finding an apartment in the city without living there is extremely difficult, so with a realator you're finding apartments you won't see online. NYC is a wonderful place, and I'm sure you'll love living there.
4. Do NOT THINK ABOUT DRIVING in this city. Live in Manhattan if your salary will allow it. I have several already answered, well answered if I do say so myself, posts on this question. Please see my answers.