DH and I are thinking about moving back to NY --- I have a job offer at a law firm in midtown. I grew up on LI and never lived in the city, and DH has never lived in NY period.
Please tell me what it's like to live in the city (what areas would you recommend? what would an apt there cost? where do you go grocery shopping? do you have a car?)
also, if you work in NYC and live outside of the city where do you live? how long is your commute? How long would the commute be from Queens? Are there nice areas in Queens? how does the rent compare to NYC? how long would our commute be? are the apts bigger?
we're used to living in a pretty spacious 2br and own 2 cars. we also have 2 cats and a lot of crap.
any info you can give me here or via FM would be very useful
EsquireBride
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
Posted by Espo22
Now this one is VERy expensive but not sure what it is to rent. Check out NOVO 64. These are condos and the building is amazing. They have a private movie theater, spa, maid service and so many services, they also offer free shuttle service for tenants to the train station.
I live in Forest Hills and Novo64 looking partially decent but is still in the midst of construction. I also don't think they are doing rentals, every ad I have seen is for sales. Plus, I know they offer a shuttle and everything, but I take long walks with FH and I hate to say it but it is really far out there -- if you wanted to grab dinner on Austin street, be prepared for a nice hike.
FutureMrsCarrieri
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
FH owns a co-op in Kew gardens. I love it there -- it's quiet, the people are nice , and his building is on a pretty street.
Espo22
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
Posted by Kristina2009
Posted by Espo22
Posted by Kristina2009
I actually grew up in Astoria. My family moved away my senior year of HS and I moved back here after grad school first chance i got! I LOVE it!
What part of astoria? thats so funny but yeah i feel the same way. I moved from astoria a few short years ago but i think about moving back or maybe LIC. Even though I moved, i see myself as living in forest hills/kew gardens area but im an astoria girl and always will be so i completely understand what youre saying. Plus youre croatian right? theres a very large croatian community in astoria
Yes! So many Croatians here and I always loved that. Even when I lived a 30 minutes drive away I felt like I came here every weekend! I live on 30th ave now . Around the block from avenue cafe. As I kid I lived off of Broadway and went to MPB.
yeah growing up knew alot of croatian kids and by 30th ave i know theres a couple of croatian bars and places to hang out.
Espo22
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
Posted by EsquireBride
Posted by Espo22
Now this one is VERy expensive but not sure what it is to rent. Check out NOVO 64. These are condos and the building is amazing. They have a private movie theater, spa, maid service and so many services, they also offer free shuttle service for tenants to the train station.
I live in Forest Hills and Novo64 looking partially decent but is still in the midst of construction. I also don't think they are doing rentals, every ad I have seen is for sales. Plus, I know they offer a shuttle and everything, but I take long walks with FH and I hate to say it but it is really far out there -- if you wanted to grab dinner on Austin street, be prepared for a nice hike.
well NOVO 64 is pretty expensive or gonna be pretty expensive so if they were tp rent it would probably be high. And yeah its by 64th ave, walking wouldnt be the greatest to austin but if you drive its not bad at all, just a few mins.
Same with arris lofts in LIC. They are really expensive and in LIC you can rent in many of those buildings but the prices are alot even to rent. And althoug this is a gorgeous building too, its only good if you live on one side of the building. The back of the building you have the LIRR tracks right there, when i take the LIRR i can see right into the apartments.
To the OP: to be honest with you, i prefer pre-war buildings rather than many of the high rises. Pre-war apartments have high ceilings, many have bigger space and just love the architecture to it. Not sure if you'd be more interested in pre-war buildings but theres a few on metropolitan ave, hamptom court is nice, windsor court is real nice too and across the street from forest park. Also on talbot street theres a few and its just 2-3 blocks from the LIRR
111508Bride
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
Go for avalon riverview in lic... you get a much better view than living in manhattan! the apartments are crazy there!
Munchkn16
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
'The City' is big. Huge, actually. So the areas that I'd recommend depend on where you work. I've worked in Queens and Brooklyn and know the areas pretty well.
Queens: Astoria, LIC, Sunnyside, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Glen Oaks, Middle Village
Brooklyn: Brooklyn Heights, Midwood, Mill Basin
Good luck!
bluegreen08
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
thanks everyone for your comments, i have a lot to look at
DeeluvsVinny
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
You do have a lot to think about. I live in LIC now and I grew up here..so if you have Qs, feel free to ask me! You guys should take a few weekend trips to NY and stay in the city and in Queens to decide what works better for you. There are soo many options.
Good Luck & let me know if you have any questions!
sassygirl9
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
I am not a new york native, but I lived in the city for about 6 years. I lived on the upper west side and loved it. It's a pricey area, but has great shops, great schools and there is a lot to do. You mentioned space in your post. If you want 'space' in the city, be prepared to pay a pretty penny for it. Queens is defintiely a good option. So good places: Kew Gardens Forest Hills Astoria Long Island City Bayside
kmcs317
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
Posted by Mici n KC
If you want an area you don't have to worry about parking in Queens, I would go with Bayside. The LIRR is not even a half hour from Penn Station. There are a lot of good bars and restaurants on Bell Blvd. too. The neighborhood is very safe and there is shopping all over. For a 2 bedroom you would be looking at around $1800 a month (at least). Jess (MikeandJess) lives there now, so FM her for more info about the area. I know Bayside, but not as well as someone that lives there now.
We're in Bayside and I love it. Quick LIRR trip to NYC (where we both work) and it still has a LI type feel to the area (as we basically border Nassau). Lots of rentals available too. Buying-now that's another story. Houses are insanely $$ in this area. We have a coop that we bought 3 years ago. FI has lived here his whole life and really wants to try another neighborhood, but I don't! lol. Bell Blvd. has loads of bars, restaurants etc. As for food shopping there's Waldbaums in Bay Terrace, although we go to Stop & Shop in Little Neck. Plus-Bayside is in the number one school district in all of Queens...in case that's important to you. Good luck!
Espo22
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
I was looking up listings bc i have to move by november. Thought i'd share something with you, to give you an idea. I thought that since LIC is expensive to buy that even the rent would be really expensive but some of the prices for renting are not bad.
Here is an example of 1 new building, it has great stuff such as fitness center, billiard lounge, party deck with bbq
also are you looking for more of a city type environment or more residential where its very suburban like? if so that will narrow down your choices in queens. SOme places suggested in queens are more residential and a bit different. Are you going to have a car? also, do you want to take the LIRR or would you prefer taking the NYC trains? this can make a difference, bc in whitestone and bayside you dont have nyc trains but the LIRR. It can help eliminate places for you
Snowflake08
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
I live in forest hills though rents are high; it is def. cheaper than manhattan
it is 11 minutes by train to penn station
Butterfly123
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
I recommend Astoria/LIC. Its the next best thing to living in the city but much cheaper.
DWKSwed
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
Hey (crashing from the '10 board)... just wanted to let you know, I live in Bayside, we have a 2 bedroom right off Bell Blvd that allows pets, it's $1600/month... these things are out there. We moved out of a place that was cheaper and had one bedroom but it had some other problems. We worked with a broker to find the place... rentals are definitely out there. Also I commute to the DA's office in downtown Manhattan and it's totally do-able. I'm always home within an hour if I take the train. The drive is 20 minutes also, FH picks me up if I work nights so I get off at midnight and I'm home by 12:20. FM me if you want more details on the area, or if you want a referral to a broker/realty company, I've spoken to a few.
JessesGirl
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
I live in Whitestone, Queens but am from Jersey and b4 I met FH, I thought Queens was the scariest place on earth. All I knew about Queens was what I saw on the news, shootings and bodegas....lol. FH grew up in Bayside/Whitestone ( they are right next to each other) and it is the safest place and so clean/ close to the city yet suburban feeling. I take the LIRR and its a 25 minute express ride into Penn Station ( midtown) from the Bayside station. I love it here, there are healthy grocery stores ( key for me since i eat mostly organic, healthy foods) and there is a path along the Cross Island where I run on the water thats is beautiful!!! With your salary range, you can live like kings in queens or live a more modest life in manhattan. I work on the Upper West side and it takes me just under an hour door to door. And I have a car and park easily on the street every night. My apt is huge compared to my friends in Manhattan and I have a backyard with a Bonsai garden and fountain where I can hang out anytime. To me, Queens is better quality of life. I dont have to deal with the garbage/ rats in Manhattan everywhere that are all over the subways. To me, thats important. FM me if you want more info and good luck!!!
sassygirl9
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
Just to add...I've seen Novo 64, it just depends if you're a walker or not. Being in the city this entire time, distances doesn't bother me. I wouldn't say it's a hike. It's definitely not across the street of the subway, but it's also not on the other side of town. I know when you drive a car, walking more than a blk. might seem like a lot. Just depends what you want and if a few blks. from the subway is a big deal to you I did see their floor plans and although it's real nice and modern, seems small and overpriced to me.
Espo22
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
Posted by sassygirl9
Just to add...I've seen Novo 64, it just depends if you're a walker or not. Being in the city this entire time, distances doesn't bother me. I wouldn't say it's a hike. It's definitely not across the street of the subway, but it's also not on the other side of town. I know when you drive a car, walking more than a blk. might seem like a lot. Just depends what you want and if a few blks. from the subway is a big deal to you I did see their floor plans and although it's real nice and modern, seems small and overpriced to me.
i agree, it is WAY overpriced, but all these new buildings going up in queens are so over priced now its ridiculous. I love the pics ive seen of floor plans and all of novo 64 but i definitely think you can get ALOT more for your money elsewhere, ive seen them selling 2 br's for over 1 million, why wouldnt you buy a home for that money rather than a 2br apt. Even other high rise buildings in Forest hills that have been around longer would be a better choice, bigger space and better prices. Or like i mentioned before, going for a pre-war building.
betani
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
i live in brooklyn now (prospect heights) and really love it here. if you're looking for something cheaper, i'd suggest one of the outer boroughs, not manhattan.
the bronx - probably the cheaper of the boroughs, but also has some rough areas. not to say that other places don't have the same, and there are some nice areas, but you just have to be aware (as always). i don't know much about the bronx as i live and work in brooklyn and it's too much of a commute for me to go up there too often. look
staten island - don't know too much about here either. the prices seem comparable to the rest of the city depending on which area you live in. it's also more suburban and more conducive to owning a car or two.
manhattan - the most expensive borough but probably the most convenient if you're working in midtown. things are small and pricey and i would not recommend owning a car here. if you have a lot of stuff, you might have to downsize a bit.
brooklyn - where i live now. i LOVE brooklyn and have lived in a few areas around here, but mostly in the center. park slope and brooklyn heights are beauticul areas, but also kinda pricey. prospect heights (where i live now) is great and a little less expensive as it's not too trendy yeat. williamsburg, clinton hill, and fort green are great too and getting more and more trendy (and therefore more and more pricey). other areas i like are carroll gardens, boreum hill, and kensington (a very quiet area). the areas more by the water (with the exception of brooklyn heights) are easier to own a car in, but i still wouldn't recommend it. basically, the farther away from the nearest subway you are the easier it will be to own a car. also be aware that unless your place includes parking (which will be an extra expense on top of your rent most likely) you will have to move your car everyday for alternate side of the street parking (or get a ticket) or pay for a parking garage. doable in most cases, but a pain. your commute to the city will be anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour/hour 1/2 (the furthest reaches of brooklyn) depending on what subways you're by and getting to the other boroughs can be annoying at times.
queens - kinda along the same lines as brooklyn in terms of pricing (though the farther away from manhattan you are the cheaper it will be) and parking. there are a few areas (more towards nassau county) that have more of a suburban feel and will be a better environment for owning cars. depending on where you live in queens, your commute into the city might be shorter than brooklyn or a whole lot longer. it's generally a pain to get to any of the other boroughs.
long island - cheaper in general than living in the city and you can definitely own cars no problem, but watch out for the commute. i commuted for a while when i first got my job to save money and after a while it just wasn't worth it anymore. the hours i was working and my commute time made for no free time for me and being exhausted all the time. i was also living in bay shore though, so it wasn't exactly the shortest commute (but doable). if you're looking for a place here, look into nassau to keep you commute down as much as possible and be aware not only of the time on the train, but the time getting from your house to the train station and penn to work. my time on the train from bay shore was only 1hr 15min - 1 1/2hrs but when all was said and done it took me 2 hours each way.
my biggest recommendation to you other than finding someplace within budget and that will accommodate your needs (ie take your cats) is to look at commute times. see which subways are closest to your work then look at places by those subways in the borough of your choice or with easy connections. also decide whether or not you want to keep your cars (because driving around for 1/2 hr for each car looking for a spot before you leave in the morning or rushing home from work so you can park in the afternoon can be a real pain). if you have relatives or friends on long island maybe you can leave your cars with them in the beginning to see how you like it there and decide whether or not you need them. DH and left our car with my parents after a while and it's definitely much nicer.
sorry for the length, but i hope that helped you a bit. you can fm me if you want.
Espo22
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
Posted by betani
queens - kinda along the same lines as brooklyn in terms of pricing (though the farther away from manhattan you are the cheaper it will be) and parking. there are a few areas (more towards nassau county) that have more of a suburban feel and will be a better environment for owning cars. depending on where you live in queens, your commute into the city might be shorter than brooklyn or a whole lot longer. it's generally a pain to get to any of the other boroughs.
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i actually think from queens its easier to get to any other boroughs compared to other places. Most other places in NY you have to go through another borough to get to certain areas but with queens i feel kinda like in the middle. If i want to go to bklyn, i hop on the bqe and im there in a few mins. My friend lives in williamsburg and its about a 10 minute drive from me. To get to LI, i get on the grand central and im only 10 exits away from LI or less actually. To go to the city i just get on the bride and again just a few mins. Bronx isn't that bad to get to either, although theres usually traffic the way to go there, only bad part. But i knew someone in the bronx and didnt take us long. The only borough that is further from us and you have to go through another borough first to get to it is SI, i have to go through bklyn to get there. One of my closest friends lives in SI and although its not THAT far if there is no traffic, its rare there is no traffic so can take longer bc of this.
For me its very convenient to go out to many other places. I frequent LI very often and used to go every weekend. I go out to bklyn to eat, since its just a few mins away, and i go to the city alot since again its very quick to get to. The only places i dont frequent are the bronx and SI, except when i go see helen. Before she moved there i had never gone to SI.
Another convenience of astoria that i miss, is that you had just about every highway there. Forest hills isnt bad and can still get to other highways pretty quick but in astoria you had the bqe, grand central which also you can get onto the LIE from here, just a few mins after you get on. Has the triborough bridge, 59th street bridge.
Betani-im curious since you live in BK, have they built up red hook yet. I was having a discussion about this recently. I know they really want to make red hook like the rest of the bklyn, and i mentioned going there recently but others said its not as developed as other areas of bklyn yet
betani
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Re: NWR: Qs for people who live/work in NYC
Posted by Espo22
Posted by betani
queens - kinda along the same lines as brooklyn in terms of pricing (though the farther away from manhattan you are the cheaper it will be) and parking. there are a few areas (more towards nassau county) that have more of a suburban feel and will be a better environment for owning cars. depending on where you live in queens, your commute into the city might be shorter than brooklyn or a whole lot longer. it's generally a pain to get to any of the other boroughs.
QUOTE]
i actually think from queens its easier to get to any other boroughs compared to other places. Most other places in NY you have to go through another borough to get to certain areas but with queens i feel kinda like in the middle. If i want to go to bklyn, i hop on the bqe and im there in a few mins. My friend lives in williamsburg and its about a 10 minute drive from me. To get to LI, i get on the grand central and im only 10 exits away from LI or less actually. To go to the city i just get on the bride and again just a few mins. Bronx isn't that bad to get to either, although theres usually traffic the way to go there, only bad part. But i knew someone in the bronx and didnt take us long. The only borough that is further from us and you have to go through another borough first to get to it is SI, i have to go through bklyn to get there. One of my closest friends lives in SI and although its not THAT far if there is no traffic, its rare there is no traffic so can take longer bc of this.
For me its very convenient to go out to many other places. I frequent LI very often and used to go every weekend. I go out to bklyn to eat, since its just a few mins away, and i go to the city alot since again its very quick to get to. The only places i dont frequent are the bronx and SI, except when i go see helen. Before she moved there i had never gone to SI.
Another convenience of astoria that i miss, is that you had just about every highway there. Forest hills isnt bad and can still get to other highways pretty quick but in astoria you had the bqe, grand central which also you can get onto the LIE from here, just a few mins after you get on. Has the triborough bridge, 59th street bridge.
Betani-im curious since you live in BK, have they built up red hook yet. I was having a discussion about this recently. I know they really want to make red hook like the rest of the bklyn, and i mentioned going there recently but others said its not as developed as other areas of bklyn yet
queens is actually fairly easy to drive around and get to other boroughs from. i was speaking more of using the subways to get to places. it's no more a pain than any of the other outer boroughs. at least for me and my friends, i know we're about 1hr away from each other on subway where by car we're only 15 minutes away. the subways were set up to funnel people into manhattan which can make it a pain when you want to travel elsewhere.
as for red hook, i'm not sure. i never really go there so i can't say from personal experience, but i had a student that lived there last year and i know his family wasn't too fond of it.
