Son (24) will be starting a new job in NYC Financial District, where should he live?

[Theta]

My son just got a new job and will be working in lower Manhattan, he is getting mixed messages from his friends on where to live. He has never been to the city. Should he be looking close to work or commuting from one of the boroughs? He will be making good money and he 'thinks' he wants to live by himself.

Any help is appreciated. Should he live close to work or commute and if commute from where??
TIA

 

[RamblingMad]

Where can he afford to live?

 

[Theta]

Where can he afford to live?

I guessing he can pay $2500-3000?? What will that get him?

We could help him out the first year if it is super beneficial for him to be closer to work.

 

[neverlandsky]

I think a roommate situation close to work would be the way to go. That way he can explore all options while living there to see what would fit him the best. How exciting for him. Congrats!

 

[pigletliz]

Can he get some suggestions from his new employer? They may be used to people needing relocation advice.

 

[Theta]

Can he get some suggestions from his new employer? They may be used to people needing relocation advice.

Yes! He plans to do that tomorrow. I am hoping they can help him out. They offered emails from current employees as well, he is making a list of questions to ask them when he gets the email addresses.

 

[Skippy918]

Brooklyn is the closest by subway to lower manhattan. He may want to look there. He can focus on the circled areas. Getting a roommate is going to be cheaper as rents are very $$$$. Good luck to him. He won’t really need a car as most of that area of Brooklyn is walkable. .
From the circled area, you are looking at 20-30 mins on the subway.

 

[HopperFan]

I commuted in from NJ so believe me commuting can get real old real fast - and impact your social life. Obviously if I could live in Manhattan that is where I would live. It is where we spent most our evenings and extra time until a baby arrived. I think he should exhaust his search in Manhattan and be able to enjoy every bit of it. His budget will give him lots of options there. Also look for unit with washer/dryer in it. More and more have added them. He doesn't want to do building laundry. My DH eventually gave up when even at 2 am they were busy and had to pay to have all his laundry done.

Brooklyn is a great option location wise and transportation you'd only need subways. Best talk to anyone who lives there to determine which areas are good to be in. I also know young people who commute in from Hoboken, NJ. It's not too long either.

 

[mjkacmom]

I assume he won’t have a car, if he does it will cost at least $500 a month to park, and not all apartments have parking available. Hoboken/weehawken in NJ is a nice commute to downtown and he could find a one bedroom under $3000. Beautiful views of Manhattan, and lots of bars/restaurants/nightlife.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

Look north of the City, beautiful charming towns along the Hudson and many even walkable to the train to the City but all very close to train and transportation. Much less crowded and condensed, safe and some of the most beautiful areas you will see in the USA.

 

[ArtieRyder]

Definitely a second on Hoboken. NJ. Great commute and great community for young adults. Also, there are some nice, new sections of Jersey City that would be nice.

Maybe look into the actual office location and figure out the preferred commute. Financial district is pretty south, so a bit far from major train terminals - Penn station and Grand Central. So then he is looking at the subway (which would make it convenient for Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens) or the PATH (which would be convenient for Southern Hoboken or Jersey City). There are also a number of Ferries which connect NJ and NY. Norther Hoboken and Weehawken are probably more convenient via Ferry. There are also points on the Jersey Shore that connect via the Ferry. The Ferry can be an expensive option, but the actual rent at a shore location would be better and would be a totally different way of life.

I spent a lot of time in Hoboken in my youth. My sister-in-law currently lives in Weehawken and Brother-in-law in Hoboken.

I currently live in Northern NJ, about 10 miles west of times square. My office is in midtown, so I utilize major train lines into Penn station and can walk from there.

Feel free to reach out if you have more questions.

 

[mjkacmom]

Look north of the City, beautiful charming towns along the Hudson and many even walkable to the train to the City but all very close to train and transportation. Much less crowded and condensed, safe and some of the most beautiful areas you will see in the USA.

But what is there to do for a 24 year old? It would still be an hour commute. My almost 23 year old hikes every weekend (drives there), but wants to live where there is a decent nightlife. I was dying to live in NYC when I was 24 (but ended up staying 10 miles west).

 

[mjkacmom]

Definitely a second on Hoboken. NJ. Great commute and great community for young adults. Also, there are some nice, new sections of Jersey City that would be nice.

Maybe look into the actual office location and figure out the preferred commute. Financial district is pretty south, so a bit far from major train terminals - Penn station and Grand Central. So then he is looking at the subway (which would make it convenient for Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens) or the PATH (which would be convenient for Southern Hoboken or Jersey City). There are also a number of Ferries which connect NJ and NY. Norther Hoboken and Weehawken are probably more convenient via Ferry. There are also points on the Jersey Shore that connect via the Ferry. The Ferry can be an expensive option, but the actual rent at a shore location would be better and would be a totally different way of life.

I spent a lot of time in Hoboken in my youth. My sister-in-law currently lives in Weehawken and Brother-in-law in Hoboken.

I currently live in Northern NJ, about 10 miles west of times square. My office is in midtown, so I utilize major train lines into Penn station and can walk from there.

Feel free to reach out if you have more questions.

Jersey city is a good option, I think it’s only one path stop.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

But what is there to do for a 24 year old? It would still be an hour commute. My almost 23 year old hikes every weekend (drives there), but wants to live where there is a decent nightlife. I was dying to live in NYC when I was 24 (but ended up staying 10 miles west).

Do you actually think we have nothing to do here lol. There are a lot of things people do here aside from hiking, there are bars and all kinds of places people gather. Maybe not as big of clubs but people here commute to the City for big club outs or White Plains etc or we have our smaller places here. But to think that younger folk have nothing to do here is not true. I would rather hop a train and travel into NYC for a night out than drive. My husband by the way works in NYC every day, drives. We have the best of both worlds here and rent is half of 3K that someone else mentioned or less for a 1 bedroom. And my husband gets home faster driving than some of his other fellow workers that live closer bc traffic isn't as bad. He could easily take the train also if he wanted but his job has their own parking lot so he likes to drive. There are express trains also from here. I bet it is a faster commute bc of traffic than the towns you mention in NJ.

 

[HopperFan]

Just wanted to add that if he looks "off" the subway, path lines and moves to a more "suburban" area .... the train tickets to the city are expensive and you have to add that to the rent price. The only way that would be a consideration for me is if he wants to bring a car and spend minimal time in the city. But adding car insurance there, takes his costs even higher so factor that. I think it's a great option for family but as a young person, I would not want to be that removed from work and city. I get many people do this, we did but wow hated spending hours a day commuting. (Note: Our friends in the city, when they had no car and they wanted to go off for the weekend they would just rent a car.)

Really consider the cost of commuting time & money wise. I was not far out of the city (I could see Twin Towers from house) and my train fare would be $200 per month for train plus $110 per month for PATH to get under river as not all trains go all the way in to the city). And depending on where you work in the city it could be another $127 for the subway. That means my monthly cost would be $427 per month just to live slightly outside the city. And train times are limited outside of working hours and many do not run late at night. Staying in Manhattan or Brooklyn means $127 per month. Hoboken would likely be PATH and subway, Jersey City just the PATH (but do your homework on neighborhoods there). You have to factor transportation costs when looking at rents.


For info:
Trains - NJ Transit, NY (MTA) - North Metro and Long Island Railroads
No train goes to financial district so he'll need two to three tickets to get to work.

Subway - Also part of MTA but different tickets
Depending on where he lives he might only need this ticket.

PATH - Subway under Hudson River NJ-NYC from train stations, Hoboken & Jersey City. These don't go far into the city so he might have to transfer to a subway so two tickets if coming from Hoboken.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Congratulations on your son landing a good job in NYC!
The closer he is to the thick of things the easier it will be for him to mingle and participate, keep late nights and be on premises at a moments notice & this matters. We're getting a place in the middle of Boston so DH can walk and so my two kids will be plugged in as they start their careers. A commute sounds reasonable but there are unseen costs to a career because you find yourself needing to say no to things whereas if you live right there it's always an easy yes.

If your son is doing well and on the young side I'd go where the college students are because they keep things vibrant at all hours. It's pricey but around NYU and Washington Square Park is amazing and typically this age group keeps certain kinds of crime on the low side. In a city you DO NOT want to be in a quiet area, if he can afford a place with someone at the door 24/7 that's the best setup. If my kids weren't going to start with us this would be how I'd counsel them, especially so they don't need to drop into public transportation for the time being. Oh, and try to find and in apartment washer and dryer.

** came back to say that you might be able to score a sublet for a few months so your son can figure out what he likes before committing for a year. With so many schools remote a lot of families got stuck paying a years rent for a place they don't use, this is how we scored my son's place up at his school. My daughter is now paying minimum with friends through the end of this semester for the same reason.

 

[Imzadi]

Brooklyn is the closest by subway to lower manhattan. He may want to look there. He can focus on the circled areas. Getting a roommate is going to be cheaper as rents are very $$$$. Good luck to him. He won’t really need a car as most of that area of Brooklyn is walkable. View attachment 567985.
From the circled area, you are looking at 20-30 mins on the subway.

THIS. ⬆

I could have written this myself. There is no such thing as living right in the financial district. It all closes down after 6-7pm and becomes a ghost town. I find it eerie even during the days on weekends when I've had to go down there. People work in the financial district, not live there.

While there are some areas in lower Manhattan, I think he'd have a better time in Brooklyn. He'd be in normal neighborhoods, (considering NYC.) And he'd have normal local eateries, supermarkets, laundromats, dry cleaners, bars (once they fully reopen,) and movie theatres and entertainment with more post grad people his age. Not a lot of 24 year olds can really afford Manhattan to live. If he needs to take a taxi/Uber to or from work or staying out late, every once in a while, they aren't nearly as expensive as taking one to NJ, which automatically is DOUBLE the fare PLUS tolls.

Sure, he can find a place in Manhattan, but then he'd be spending ALL his money on rent, especially if he wants to live alone. If he's working in finance, he should be financially smart enough to not want to do that. There are PLENTY of other living expenses here in NYC to HAVE to spend and splurge money on. We have one of the highest costs of living in the U.S. Many expenses in the first couple years will be unforeseen necessary ones. Some spending will be stupid ones, like eating out/take out for EVERY meal and taking cabs everywhere. Having nearly all of his laundry dry cleaned since he needs starched shirts anyway for work. Then wondering where all the money went. Things that one only learns by living here for a while and learning in hindsight.

And he may want to really think about getting a roommate his age. There are roommate services here. Living here can be quite lonely at first, negotiating the city, and that was even before COVID. While he can ask his co-workers for tips and advice and to go out for drinks with after work, that gets old after a while, especially if they aren't his age, or he really doesn't gel well with them other than on a work level. It would be nice to have someone at home to hang with, or at least, are going through the same things his age. Many people I've known say it takes about a year getting through the culture shock of living here.

 

[mjkacmom]

Do you actually think we have nothing to do here lol. There are a lot of things people do here aside from hiking, there are bars and all kinds of places people gather. Maybe not as big of clubs but people here commute to the City for big club outs or White Plains etc or we have our smaller places here. But to think that younger folk have nothing to do here is not true. I would rather hop a train and travel into NYC for a night out than drive. My husband by the way works in NYC every day, drives. We have the best of both worlds here and rent is half of 3K that someone else mentioned or less for a 1 bedroom. And my husband gets home faster driving than some of his other fellow workers that live closer bc traffic isn't as bad. He could easily take the train also if he wanted but his job has their own parking lot so he likes to drive. There are express trains also from here. I bet it is a faster commute bc of traffic than the towns you mention in NJ.

It’s a 20 minute commute from Jersey city to the financial district, walk to the path, 1 stop. There is no way to get downtown that fast from even the Bronx. No need to get defensive, I live in NJ, 10 miles west of NYC, my husband commuted there for 20 years, so did my dad. Folks take either the bus, train or ferry. The OP’s son is working downtown, where is you husband’s office? We have bars and restaurants here too, but given the option, most young adults under 30 would prefer to be closer to the action.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

Just wanted to add that if he looks "off" the subway, path lines and moves to a more "suburban" area .... the train tickets to the city are expensive and you have to add that to the rent price. The only way that would be a consideration for me is if he wants to bring a car and spend minimal time in the city. But adding car insurance there, takes his costs even higher so factor that. I think it's a great option for family but as a young person, I would not want to be that removed from work and city. I get many people do this, we did but wow hated spending hours a day commuting. (Note: Our friends in the city, when they had no car and they wanted to go off for the weekend they would just rent a car.)

Really consider the cost of commuting time & money wise. I was not far out of the city (I could see Twin Towers from house) and my train fare would be $200 per month for train plus $110 per month for PATH to get under river as not all trains go all the way in to the city). And depending on where you work in the city it could be another $127 for the subway. That means my monthly cost would be $427 per month just to live slightly outside the city. And train times are limited outside of working hours and many do not run late at night. Staying in Manhattan or Brooklyn means $127 per month. Hoboken would likely be PATH and subway, Jersey City just the PATH (but do your homework on neighborhoods there). You have to factor transportation costs when looking at rents.


For info:
Trains - NJ Transit, NY (MTA) - North Metro and Long Island Railroads
No train goes to financial district so he'll need two to three tickets to get to work.

Subway - Also part of MTA but different tickets
Depending on where he lives he might only need this ticket.

PATH - Subway under Hudson River NJ-NYC from train stations, Hoboken & Jersey City. These don't go far into the city so he might have to transfer to a subway so two tickets if coming from Hoboken.

That is true about paying for the train BUT some here are talking about 3K or 2K or 2500K a month rent. Up here by me you can even snag a place around 1K if you get lucky but 1 bedrooms average 1200 to 1500 and you could even maybe luck out something less. Obviously you are not going to pay that much difference in travel and would still save. Just saying something to think about especially if you like both worlds of hiking and outdoor life AND nightlife.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

It’s a 20 minute commute from Jersey city to the financial district, walk to the path, 1 stop. There is no way to get downtown that fast from even the Bronx. No need to get defensive, I live in NJ, 10 miles west of NYC, my husband commuted there for 20 years, so did my dad. Folks take either the bus, train or ferry. The OP’s son is working downtown, where is you husband’s office? We have bars and restaurants here too, but given the option, most young adults under 30 would prefer to be closer to the action.

How would you know where all younger people want to live, I lived here when I was that age and had no wish at all to move closer to the City, neither did most I know, simply bc we had easy access to the City and places to hang out here, and other things to do here including bars, etc., and also hiking, biking, kayaking and all manners of outdoor activities. I was just mentioning it for the OP. Maybe he is a City kid that doesn't like the idea of travel, I just put it out there as an option. Or maybe he would love it, love to save money on rent bc it is about half or less than other places mentioned here.