Seeking BK advice

wanting2change · October 2006

I live in Miss. and I'm hoping to move to Brooklyn soon. I don't know where to start. This move will be HUGE. How should I prepare? Should I find a job once I get there? How much do I need saved? Which apt. to rent?
Those are only a few questions. I have many more to come.

Personal Info:
I'm 28, single, black, educated w/experience, debt-free, lives on a budget.
oh, and no kids

apollonia666 · October 2006

Wow. That IS huge!

A couple of questions to help us figure out what's good advice:

1) Are you coming alone, or do you have a friend/partner coming with you?
2) Do you know people here you can stay with while you're looking for a place?
3) Are you bringing furniture or just the bare essentials?

anonymous · October 2006

Subject: LOOK FOR A JOB BEFORE YOU GET HERE

as in, send your resume to places, do phone interviews etc etc.

have a LOT of money saved up.

you may have to get a roommate at first because landlords might not rent to you with no job or little time at your first job in nyc.

and that might be better anyway, so that you can have someone around in a strange city. then after a year or so you can get your own apt. if you so desire.

oh yeah, target neighborhoods: fort greene, clinton hill, bed stuy, propsect heights... just start with those then branch out from there.

wanting2change · October 2006

Subject: Reply from Miss. girl moving to BK

I'll be moving alone. No, I don't know anybody in New York. I will be moving with only the bare essentials. I was thinking that $10,000 in savings and I'll look for a job when I get there. I'm hoping to find a job in a month. I have a degree and 5+ years of experience.

I really don't want a roommate. But it would be nice to have someone show me around.

apollonia666 · October 2006

Subject: Re: Reply from Miss. girl moving to BK

wanting2change wrote: I'll be moving alone. No, I don't know anybody in New York. I will be moving with only the bare essentials. I was thinking that $10,000 in savings and I'll look for a job when I get there. I'm hoping to find a job in a month. I have a degree and 5+ years of experience.

I really don't want a roommate. But it would be nice to have someone show me around.

Good to know! It does cost a lot to move here; I think I managed to save up about $8K before I moved here in 2000. $10K sounds wise to me. Between my apartment deposit, buying furniture, and moving expenses, most of it got eaten up pretty fast. I was terrified of not being able to find a job before I ran out of money, so I started applying for jobs before I even left Kansas (my cover letters basically said "I will be in NYC on xx date and, if you're interested in speaking with me, could be available for an interview as soon as the next day.") I had two interviews lined up within my first week and had a job by the end of the second week. Which was good, because most places here pay monthly or twice a month instead of weekly, so there was a long stretch of living off my saving before I got that first paycheck!

I moved here with friends, which made things a LOT easier, but I don't think it'll be impossible for you. I think the hardest part for someone coming here from out of state is figuring out where you'll be staying right at first. One thing I'd suggest you think about is subletting a furnished place for the first month or two until you've got your work situation squared away and have a salary coming in. Also, not being tied to a longer term lease is probably a good idea until you've been here long enough to get a good sense of what neighborhoods you really like and can afford.

sweet tea · October 2006

we got a good piece of advice when we were looking for an apartment without nyc jobs, etc.: snow 'em with paperwork.

we brought stacks of everything we could think of that a landlord might conceivably think to want: credit reports, rental histories, references, etc. our tack was to tell the LL, "of course we're happy to give you the fee so you can run your own check. we'll just leave these with you in case that makes your life easier." it was fun to watch their eyes bug out at the height of the stack. i doubt they ever even looked at it, but i think it made us look like responsible, serious people. and when we called to check in, they couldn't say they hadn't had time to run the check yet.

wanting2change · October 2006

Subject: Miss girl moving to BK

Thanks for the info.

What about my car? Should I bring it or use public transportation? Are the subways safe to use and are they easy to understand?

Is it crazy to look for an apt. with a W/D while on a budget? What about the laundrymats and grocery stores? Are they everywhere?

anonymous · October 2006

Subject: have you ever been to visit NYC??? you are going to learn a

LOT!

first off, there are no apts with washer dryers in ny. like less than 1% of apts. you will be very lucky if you get washer/dryers in the BUILDING. laundrymats and grocery stores are everywhere. the quality of them can be debated however! especially grocery stores. you will end up relying more on going to the best store possible then bringing the food home with you, or ordering takeout/delivery, or eating out at restaurants. or you will make due with your local store which will most likely be bad.

do NOT bring your car. no no no. it will be too much of a hassle at first. if you end up moving to a far out place then you may want to get it later, even though it will still be a hassle and very expensive. public transportation is VERY EASY. not to mention new york traffic is horrendous, especially manhattan!

Seeking BK advice

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