Brooklyn vs Manhattan??

Listen, as a New Yorker (that's Manhattan), I can honestly say from reading what you wrote and based on my knowledge you want to live in Brooklyn, and I truly think you'll enjoy it.

Although, there is something to be said, you lived in the capital of Texas, then the U.S. capital, have you considered Albany? It' near C0lumbia C0unty.

But seriously, your non-NYness will be spotted quickly, and the places you want to live in Manhattan, they are great places but you'll end up overpaying and more importantly getting one of the East Village's or West Village's shitty underinvested locations which may give you the genuine NYC experiences, but at this point, NYC doesn't need more people tohave those experiences.

How do you know this?

Agree with pleasantstead - Brooklyn seems to fit your description. Several other factors to consider:
- What's your budget? Are you looking for a nice apartment? Or are you ok with living in a closet sized apartment on the 5th flr of a walk up?
- Do you already have friends in NY, and where do they hang out mostly?

Brooklyn is a lot closer to The Village of your imagination, which basically disappeared about 20? 30? years ago. The emerging artist types are mostly in Brooklyn now, and there is plenty to do here.

However, at 30, from Austin.........Have you considered the Upper East Side? Prices slightly less than Brooklyn. (Parts of Brooklyn are more expensive than many parts of Manhattan now.) Don't laugh. Central Park, a bar scene, and LOW CRIME and you'll feel perfectly safe walking home at 2 a.m., or you can take a cab.

Whatever you do, be sure to check out your desired Bushwick hood at night before you sign on the bottom line. The Village definitely feels safer to me, as a woman walking alone quite often.

It comes down your budget and what's more important to you, convenience or space?

Assuming you're the "typical" 30yo... you will probably need a rent budget of approx $1k/month

If it were me, I would rent a tiny apt or find a roommate and look for something in the city... You're young, may as well do it now as you may not have another opportunity later on in life.

HOWEVER, since you are JUST moving to NY, I would probably just look for something temporary.. ie.. a 6 month lease or an AIRBNB, and get your bearing when you get here... So, you're picking the best place that you wanna live in... In that case, brooklyn or manhattan, both will work!

I would think if you liked the Austin music scene and night life, you'd want to be in Brooklyn.
here's a nice article from Time Out New York that gives you the scoop on lots of neighborhoods in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/new-york-neighborhoods

tango, we need to know your budget before giving you any advice. Both Brooklyn and Manhattan are practically their own cities (each alone twice the population of Austin), with a universe of options.

Thanks, everyone, appreciate your two cents. I do think Brooklyn has that "edge" factor, but here's my dilemma (if I may be frank, without offending anyone). By no means do I want to blanket stereotype and judge any one individual in this group, but I don’t know that I want to live in “hipsterville.” Every time I go back to Austin, I come away a little disheartened by how much it’s changed. Don’t get me wrong, the movement has provided once run-down neighborhoods with vibrant restaurants, pretty little coffee shops and perfectly hipster clothing boutiques. But something about it doesn’t feel authentic. Any thoughts on the Lower East Side? I haven’t been there in years, but I’m wondering if it’s still gritty, young and hip.

and as for budget, i'd like to rent a place for under 2300/month

i will be traveling 50% and working from home 50%, so it is important to me to have a bright space, where i can spend a lot of time in while im working from home a week at at time. dont need a fancy gym and doorman in my building, but i would like windows, some character and a bit of space (big studio or maybe a 1br).

You're not going to find anything near a one-bedroom for only $2300/month in any neighborhood in which you'd be comfortable living without a gun. Even a studio at that price would be a stretch.

On such a limited budget I think you might want to consider Manhattan above 145th Street or the Bronx.

Or a much nicer alternative to the Bronx would be Jersey City.

NYCMatt is right, alas.

I call bs. These people don't live here, nor do they bother to look before they spout their opinions. You'd likely have some nice options for flex 2s on the bburg Bushwick border, although the rooms would be too small for you I'm using this as an example of how off "Washington Heights" Matt is. The caveat is that nobody does well starting a search in May, even less so the next three months.

"You'd likely have some nice options for flex 2s on the bburg Bushwick border"

I believe that's what I said: "You're not going to find anything near a one-bedroom for only $2300/month in any neighborhood in which you'd be comfortable living without a gun.

Thanks, NYCMatt. Do you think I'd have more flexibility in those neighborhoods at a budget of 2500-2600? I'm only asking bc when I search on StreetEasy, I see lots of decent looking apartments in the <2500 range, but maybe I'm missing something like those pictures being deceptive?

*unless I'm missing something....

The opinions here, as often is the case, are needlessly extreme. Particularly because you do not need to commute, your budget is doable. Rental real estate listing in NYC are notoriously full of crap. so don't believe what you see. Look at the listings on nybits.com (at least for Manhattan) to get an idea of prices (and no broker fees), which for the most part are listing posted by building owners.

If you need to work from home, a studio seems like a bad arrangement, but certainly is doable in any neighborhood in your price range. A one bedroom also is doable in lots of areas of Manhattan, particularly places not entirely convenient to subways like the far east side, far upper west side, etc., as well as the more established Brooklyn areas, where prices vary even more due to proximity to the subway . Really, you ought to put most of your stuff in storage and sublet here for a month or two and find where you would prefer to be.

Tango, I think your budget is extremely reasonable. Prices are higher the closer you get to the L train, but in Bushwick particularly that will get you a decent apartment. Some pictures are deceptive, but not all listings are. Subletting isn't a bad idea, and you might get to live in more than one area, which may or may not be a plus.
There are different types of "hipster" areas in Brooklyn. They are definitely not all the same. A number of the more recently developing areas are both safe and fun. They are not the Lower East Side, however, which again may or may not be a plus.

Tango ... I don't think you realize just how ghetto Bushwick really is.

Thanks for the input, guys. My timeframe would likely be sometime in February/March, but I'm pretty flexible. The storage and sublet option isn't a bad idea either, would at least let me spend time in Bushwick, EV and LES before I figure out what's really me. Any recommendations on websites for subletting in NYC?

I'm sure this question has been asked 1,000 times, but does anyone feel that it's not doable without a broker? I know I could probably find a place faster, but I wonder whether the places brokers have access to are actually higher quality spaces or if its all just a sham. I'm hoping to try and save a buck, hit the pavement and do it on my own.

If you have the time, why not try to rent without a broker and if that fails, then go ahead and get a broker? Brokers can speed up the process quite a bit for you, but the price is staggering.

The one thing about listings that nobody mentions: Most of them, >50%, are already rented or an app is pending. It is impossible for anybody to keep all their rental listings completely up to date--nor is it good business to do so. If they have an application under review, you should pass because probably 98% of applications go through--landlords or their agents won't accept an app that isn't strong enough.
And as already suggested, pretty pictures don't tell the whole story. You absolutely need to check out the neighborhood, at night. And look up the crime stats on line, just Google it, that will tell you a lot.

Both of your questions have been answered early and often here and elsewhere. There are lots of places to look for no fee apartments, search this board and there will be many discussions on the topic. Also, where to look for sublets has been covered, including here http://streeteasy.com/talk/discussion/34960-help-furnished-short-term-rental-may If you are looking for Brooklyn-centric info, search in brownstoner.com Don't know if you have friends around here, but sublets often happen more by word of mouth or acquaintance (we have a real estate section in our office intranet site that often lists available sublets (there are two Manhattan studio sublets listed right now for under $2,000)). Also, I can't remember the name and maybe someone else here will remember, but there is an email newsletter a local artist group sends out that includes short term rental opportunities.

"ghetto"? from someone who lives in Washington Heights?

For what possible reason was bjw's comment removed?

What is everyone saying, there are apts in Streeteasy in this price in downtown Manhattan. Here is one. I'm sure you know this already but as a general rule, the landlords will expect you to earn 50x the rent, for ex, rent of $2,300 means salary of $115k. You probably know this but if you don't it's good to be prepared before you look.

http://streeteasy.com/building/177-orchard-street-manhattan/5b

>"ghetto"? from someone who lives in Washington Heights?

a comment on Washington Heights from someone who lived in the projects and then moved to a secondary borough in a neighborhood overflowing with projects, and couldn't even afford on of the new developments in that neighborhood?

By the way, aboutready, isn't Washington Heights the home of Columbia, where you earned half of your law degree?

Do you work for Rolling Stone? Because you also need a fact checker.

Where have you bought, lived, invested?

You don't have half of a law degree?

thanks again, all! will keep you posted on where/when/how i end up

Columbia. There is no law degree from Columbia. And we still have many, many years left on our tax abatement, so yes I bought in a new development, but a resale. "Secondary borough in a neighborhood overflowing with projects." Chelsea?
Tango, good luck.

>There is no law degree from Columbia.

So your whole persona has been a sham?

>And we still have many, many years left on our tax abatement,

Which is funny, since you were previously advocating for the elimination of these tax subsidies.

>so yes I bought in a new development, but a resale.

I remember, the distressed sale and the mortgage you were turned down for from your first choice bank because of your asset situation.

>Secondary borough in a neighborhood overflowing with projects." Chelsea?

Chelsea is in Manhattan, not a secondary borough.

No, I never said Columbia. That was a MA. No, I thought the system should be revised, not eliminated. No, it wasn't because of our asset situation, it was because I refused to put 30% down. It is arguable whether or not all of manhattan is primary to all of Brooklyn. Thanks for playing.

I think Tacoma is calling your name. Caught 3x in a row in outright fabrications. I thought you were better than that, 2 fabrications at most for a person of your ilk.

Brooklyn is only secondary when a comment posted on se states "I know it's not for me ", and then that comment poster buys an apartment there.

Hi truth!

Pleasantstead, you haven't caught me in anything, liar. You still haven't answered the question. What fuels your narcissistic belief of superiority? Whar do you do, where do you live, how do you invest? It's simple, literally, to criticize others. You are a nasty little toad.

You have a new story you wish to share?

I don't want to share anything with YOU. You are foul, a bitter nasty individual.