Saving $$ by moving to Brooklyn

Depends on where you go... I moved from the FiDi a few years ago to Cobble Hill, and it's pretty expensive in this area. You aren't getting any free rent around here.

igdebbie, I kind of agree with broadwayron here. It really depends where you go in Brooklyn (which is much larger than Manhattan). In general, the closer you are to Manhattan, the more expensive. This includes Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Williamsburg, but also a few other areas like Park Slope and Fort Greene. There are fewer full-service buildings in these neighborhoods, so it's tough to directly compare if that's what you're looking for, but I know I've been helping someone look in Williamsburg for a 1BR walkup and somewhat surprisingly, there seem to be more and cheaper options in much of the East Village.

I would be surprised if you couldn't do 10-20% better and stay in FiDi.