List Only

Skeptical Graduate Student Relocation to NEW YORK CITY?

I am a recent graduate with a master's in architecture from Arizona State University. I have always dreamt of living and working in NYC, Manhattan (not Brooklyn) but after talking to some locals and looking at apartments on Craigslist, I am skeptical about making the move. A typical architect's entry salary is $60,000 in Manhattan and this can be seen as high????? Is this enough to get a tiny studio or do you have to get a roommate? What is the typical percentage that goes to rent? I am trying to be realistic? Should I do it?

Public Comments

1. I was born and raised in manhattan. Manhattan is not the same manhattan that i knew when i was growing up (late 80s, early 90s) manhattan went downhill, tons of the cool, independent stores/restaurants/bars etc..that made manhattan trendy back in the 80s and 90s have been replaced by corporate chains. it may be your thing but personally for me its the #1 reason I moved out of NYC (and the entire state of NY) but i do go back monthly to visit the 'rents and i always see yet another neighborhood store go away to be replaced by a Starbucks or a Gap. Anyway, $60,000 may get you a studio in the non-trendy locations (UWS) but it'll probably be a closet size apartment and be around $2000 a month minus utilities. If you want to live in a trendier, hipper location where younger people are at (east village, LES, basically anything below 14th street) you can be looking into $2500+ for the same size apartment as the UWS. Brooklyn is awesome but unfortunely since all the trendy, young professionals all moved out of manhattan because its just trendy enough for them anymore the rent went up. I often find brooklyn (the good parts) to be by far more expensive than manhattan. of course you can live in the not so cool parts for like $1200 for a 1 bedroom but why would you do that to yourself? most people who make around $60,000 have roommates. I have friends who make over $100,000 and still can not afford to live in Brooklyn (or in your case, Manahattan) without a roommate. Remember those studio apartments the size of a closet? now many peopl straight out of grad school or college are knowns to share a studio apartment. cause remember. when you are in NYC you would not go to work and then go straight home. you would want to go out and when a cocktail that cost $18 is considered "affordable" you would see how fast your money goes or $300 for dinner for you and your date sounds like a good deal then yeah you'll realize $60,000 won't take you very far. Don't expect to become or stay rich when living in brooklyn or manhattan.