I have been convinced not to buy (at least for now). Where will I find the best deals on studios in manhattan right now.

I hope it wasn't the streeteasy bears that convinced you to not buy.
You shouldn't need convincing from anyone beside yourself if you're looking to purchase a place.

Look at your finance.
Determine how much you can afford.
Go look at places.
*Determine*

Well it was a little bit of both. I was getting a bit too excited about purchasing one of the new Brooklyn condos. It would be pushing it for me to buy now. I will be in a better position to buy personally in 6 to 12 months out. Who knows what the market will be like, but I think there will be as many if not more opportunities at that time.

If the idea is to save and buy in one year, my concern is that if the amount you save this next year by doing this (about $9000) is what will make the difference in being able to buy, you may be cutting all this way too close. You need a much more substantial financial cushion than that before you sink money into a purchase. I'd say MINIMUM if you were to lose your job, you should still have 6 months living expenses PLUS 1 year mortgage/maintenance payments in the bank after a purchase, and this does not include some money for repairs/painting/moving/basic furniture that you will have to lay out upon purchasing a place. Just some food for thought.

What kylewest said, plus I thought you said you were perfectly happy sharing your current FiDi apartment as you are now. Why bother sharing a studio? And if you mean physically splitting a studio up, I don't think you'll find one very easily that lends itself to that. Maybe privacy partitions (i.e. bookcases), but that's about all -- not rooms.

How cool is it that you rent a 1 bedroom and share with two other people? Very NY!

What happens when you bring a date home and want to have "relations"?

Alright, thanks everyone for your input. I will keep you updated on what I end up doing.

There are some cheap walls up juiceman, so I do have a private room.

I suggest that you think long & hard about what kylewest said; there's always more time & money in the mythical future. Don't get overextended. Why not stay where you are for now & continue to save & monitor the market?

pick the area you want to live in and then start looking at the management co. in that area.

JM... can you say fivesome... so nyc... enjoy!

Aside from the good advice about the upcoming purchase, in terms of finding a really cheap rental, I don't think FiDi is it. I think you need to look in areas where there is crap housing stock, because crap = cheap. Find some grimy walk-up way East on the UES, or similar "established" (i.e. not primarily new construction) nabe.