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I am thinking of moving to NYC. I only get $830 a month from s.s.i. Is it possible I could survive there?

I am from CA. I would like to try to find a roommate in New York City. I don't know if it's unrealistic to do that with my income. I saw a lot of listings on craigslist, but the inexpensive rooms are usually around harlem or bronx. I need a little general advice about the city and what it would cost to live there.

Public Comments

1. Welcome to Queens, That bum is not dangerous as long as you tell him a joke whenever you pass by :)
2. the CITY? is 3,4,5 times more expensive than ur 830 a month. if u move into the city u better have money. don't expect moving into manhatten with low income. the city is like over $2000 any place in the city.
3. not at all...well maybe if you bunked with the homeless guy under the brooklyn bridge. but he might even charge you rent
4. You 'd better stay home. You won't be able to survive in NY on your SSI.
5. its as simple as this, if you move there you will loose alot of things , if you have a car you will have to sell it and it would probably last you 3 months on public transport, your 830 is probably enough to feed you and i doubt you will live in a studio apartment, if even that, take my advice, stay away from the city, live in the suburbs like the rest of em. and nyc could also be another terrorist target again, ithats why i moved farther away from chicago
6. Is it possible to survive in New York on $830/month? Yes, if you apply for welfare as soon as you get here. Harlem is a much better place to live than is the Bronx. Harlem is no longer the rat infested ghetto it used to be, and the rents are cheaper than almost any other area of Manhattan. Because of its proximity to most job opportunities, and an unbelievable night life, Manhattan is the place to live. A five minute to ten minute subway ride takes you to where ever you want to go. If you live in the Bronx you'll probably need a car. Two great areas that are getting a lot of rental attention are sections of Brooklyn and Jersey City New Jersey. Both areas are no more than a few minutes away (by train) from Manhattan.
7. if your looking for a roommate, try cityleases.com and sublet.com.
8. Why would you move to NYC on that income? You can't afford a decent place anywhere in the vicinity of NYC. Even the Jersey suburbs cost about double to triple that much. Find a nice little suburb somewhere down south, maybe Florida.
9. No. It's not a good idea. New York is very expensive. It can be a harsh place if you have no money. You could very likely wind up on the street. It's not a place you want to be vulnerable. If your only income is from SSI you would likely only wind up able to share an unsafe building run by some total slumlord. You would not probably be able to find roommates who are nice or trustworthy people. You would be alone, a long way from home, vulnerable, at risk, freezing cold and miserable. Don't do this, it's not a good idea.
10. that will barely pay the rent with a room mate! Rents in NYC unless rent controlled are $1500 and up. Then add up all the other essentials such as food, utilities, transportation, etc. and $830 isn't going to come close.
11. No chance.... $830 a week you may slide by. and you will still be way on the out-skirts of the city.
12. It would be possible to make your rent and perhaps feed yourself, you would have a shared apartment with several other people (possibly a shared bedroom) outside of Manhattan. However, you'd have no more than that, and being poor in this city is no fun.