what would you choose? living situation

[weflyhigh]

let's say you recently graduated college, got a job, moved to NYC, and needed to live somewhere for just 6 months and you have 3 options:

1. 1 br apt to yourself $1700/month, 3 blocks from work (midtown manhattan, right near everything)

2. 1 br in a 2 br with a random person you just met on Craigslist (normal seeming 29yo female) for $1300/month, in the upper east side (really nice area, near a lot of stuff, quick access to everything, 30 mins to work via 2 subways)

3. 1 br in a 5 br/2 bath with 3 girls you went to college with (good friends with one, acquaintances with the others) and a random girl they know for only $600/month. in a little bit more diverse area (150th st - washington heights), but actually a 10 minute faster commute to work (express train right outside and no transfer).




(note: most of my friends live in the upper east side, but I only see them on the weekends really)

option 1 pros: near work, semi close to friends, personal space, can cook every meal, live how I want, etc
cons: price

option 2 pros: two blocks from best friends, decent price
cons: not the best price, longest commute of options

option 3 pros: CHEAPest by far, fastest commute, fun roommates? (girls were all cool/I'd be friends with)
cons: farthest from my friends (45mins via bus/subway), have to live with 4 girls (drama?, hair in the bathroom?, etc), lot less privacy, would eat out almost every day




what would you do?

 

[deadlyapp]

For 6 months I'd tough out option 3. You'll probably be there so infrequently anyways you won't notice. I've been living in a ghetto apt with a craigslist roomie for about a year now but the money I've saved is well worth it.

Saving money in the first year or two is way more important to me.

<- (1 year out of college)

 

[SandEagle]

#3. only if the girls are a 6 and up.

 

[RossMAN]

3. 1 br in a 5 br/2 bath with 3 girls you went to college with (good friends with one, acquaintances with the others) and a random girl they know for only $600/month. in a little bit more diverse area (150th st - washington heights), but actually a 10 minute faster commute to work (express train right outside and no transfer).

option 3 pros: CHEAPest by far, fastest commute, fun roommates? (girls were all cool/I'd be friends with)
cons: farthest from my friends (45mins via bus/subway), have to live with 4 girls (drama?, hair in the bathroom?, etc), lot less privacy, would eat out almost every day

#3 but how much do you think you'll spend on eating out?

Subway $5 footlongs anyone?

 

[Corporate Thug]

#3...that's a significant amount of savings. If nothing else, pocket the saving for a year and re-evaluate your options then.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Are you also a girl? If so, #3. Otherwise, I'd take #2.

My housemate's female, I'm not. It's fine, but I don't think I could take three.

I get stuck with all the "guy" stuff, like cleaning her shower drain; and I still have to be civil to the losers she dates. (The current guy's cool, it's the flurry of also-rans in between each LTR that make me all stabby.) Multiply that shit x3 and I'd probably kill myself.

 

[weflyhigh]

#3...that's a significant amount of savings. If nothing else, pocket the saving for a year and re-evaluate your options then.

This is just for six months until Aug 1 when my friend's lease expires and our other friend moves to the city and we'll find a 3 BR together. will probably pay around $1100-$1300/mo then

 

[Corporate Thug]

This is just for six months until Aug 1 when my friend's lease expires and our other friend moves to the city and we'll find a 3 BR together. will probably pay around $1100-$1300/mo then

Cool, even less to lose. If it doesn't work out, 6 months isn't long at all.

 

[purbeast0]

definitely 1 if you can afford it.

 

[brigden]

How shitty is the midtown apartment for $1,700? Seems really cheap.

 

[Heller]

are you single? #3 cause they probably get wasted every weekend and come home with there one version of beer goggles and you might even get the lead outta your pencil....

 

[Kelvrick]

#1 sounds too cheap for a 1br unless it is a slum. Is it a loft space?

I say go #3 if you think you are compatible with them and can share a bathroom. Lots of savings for 6 months. Do you already have a lot of friends in the area? Knowing more girls is never a bad thing. They make great wingmen and can expand your circle of friends.

 

[SparkyJJO]

$1700/mo? D:

Yeah, remind me to never even consider NYC or similar. That's just ridiculous.

 

[Fenixgoon]

you're in college. you will either spend a lot of money on housing, or a lot of money commuting, with not that much time to work for $$.

cheapest option is definitely the best. plus female roommates = female friends. they might even be able to hook you up.

edit: with option 3, what prevents you from cooking food yourself? it's not that hard...buy chicken and pasta. gg.

 

[Lifted]

Have you actually seen the 1 bedroom? $1,700 is way to cheap for a 1 bedroom, even a studio at that price would be bottom of the market, and rare at that. Unless it's a sublet or a 1 in a million find (i.e. somebody who was living there for 40 years just died) then I'd go with option 3. You'll appreciate having the extra money to spend in NYC at your age. If it's a legit 1 bedroom for $1,700 then grab it now and don't look back. Real 1 bedrooms are in the $2,500 (low end) and up up up range.

 

[JimmiG]

I hate living with other people, but at $1700/mo I'd be forced to choose #3.

 

[Saint Nick]

Do not. DO NOT. DO NOT.

DO NOT LIVE WITH GIRLS

 

[NoCreativity]

Do not. DO NOT. DO NOT.

DO NOT LIVE WITH GIRLS

So, you vote option 3?

 

[darkewaffle]

1 or 3. 1 works if you're making bank, 3 if you're concerned with saving. IMO 2 is out of the question but I'm picky about commute times.

 

[Gibsons]

In option 3, there are 2 bathrooms for 1 guy and 3 girls? Ouch, dealbreaker. I think I go with 1.

 

[Saint Nick]

In option 3, there are 2 bathrooms for 1 guy and 3 girls? Ouch, dealbreaker. I think I go with 1.

Even worse... 2 bathrooms for ONE guy and FOUR girls. Sweet Jesus, even thinking about living in that house makes me want to off myself.

 

[Charlie98]

Speaking from the lofty perch of Experience... I probably couldn't live with a roomy again. (and, OP, if your avatar is any indication... I've lived in a 16-man bay room, too.)

Option #1 FTW... it's only for 6 months. You have an exit strategy.

Not digging on Option #2... even for just 6 months. 6 months can be a very LONG time trying to live with someone you don't wind up liking, or winds up being a nut job.

Option #3.... I tend to agree with St Nick... They may be friends now, but they won't be in 6 months. Girls can't handle having one man around amongst themselves. Also... 3 girls and only 2 bathrooms? Mathmatically that is impossible.

 

[clamum]

Option 3. Provide many pics for your ATOT buddies and rise through the ATOT ranks to become ELITE.

 

[Baked]

You know AT is full of virgins living in a RPG world when majority of the vote went to #3. Nobody in their right mind would want to live with a girl they're not personally associated with, much less 4 others. Not even girls want to live with girls.

You always want to live by yourself. Once you do that, you'll never want to live with another roommate again.

Option 3 can only mean one thing. Enduring hours and hours of orgies all through the house, without you.

 

[Brainonska511]

$1700/mo for a midtown 1br? LOL. Yeah right. It probably doesn't have a kitchen and it probably has some sort of shared, hallway bathroom.

I'd probably try option 2, especially if it was only 6 months. How long of a commute are you looking at? You could also try shuffling option 2 around and seeing what you could get in Queens or Brooklyn. Could save a bit more money compared with what you're currently looking at in #2.

I don't think I could go with option 3. That's just too many people.

In my situation in NYC:
I pay ~$600/mo in a 3br in Astoria and commute to school (I'm a chemistry grad student). It's great - commute isn't terrible and I'm not home that long overall. I originally was the Craigslist roommate to fill a space, but then I took over the lease last year and found some more roommates who are pretty chill and not nuts. Being able to save money is quite nice.

Another plus side: even though my apartment is a little run down inside, I at least feel like I'm getting what I pay for. I saw tons of places that were just as crappy but cost $300+ more per month (even in just Astoria; plenty of places I saw in the East Village were utter shit and cost $1200+/mo per person).