Or U could also live in Brooklyn or Yonkers or something, rent is considerably less, take the train in and still keep the Mini. Not quite the same, but it's weird being car-less. Don't get me wrong I LOVE big-cities, but after a while you find it's nice to hop in the car and take a drive. Or spontaneously visit another city :smile:

But agreed, NYC rent is horrendously high. Flipside is, tho, you have just about anything you want to do within nearby...

A couple of my friends live in Jersey, take the ferry in. All in all it's not bad, you get a little green, can still afford a car, yet are close enough to enjoy all of the cool stuff in the city :smile: Tho... Riding back on the ferry @ 7AM after a blowout night (prenting to be sober), is not fun

 

L......
I know for a fact kool has a huge garage or two....

 

Staten Island.......

May be cheaper, a dive yes, but may be cheaper.

Or Hoboken/Union City/

Flipside, westchester, Port Chester/Rye area.

Just thoughts

 

>>If you plan on working in Manhattan, you have to live there, period.
>>Don't let anyone tell you anything different.

No, let me tell you different! I just don't think this is true at all. If you work on the lower end of Manhattan, plenty of Brooklyn is just as convenient as upper Manhattan. And if you work midtown or uptown, Queens is just as easy, if not easier to get to and from via the subway at 59th Street. I have a good friend that works at Mt. Sinai Hospital, lives in Astoria (Queens), and her commute is only 20 minutes door to door. With the rents in Manhattan being so ludicrous, it really pays to be creative with your location and your commute. Not that you're going to totally outsmart the other five million people that rent in the city, but there are definitely advantages to be had if you broaden your perspective a bit.

 

If you are single, I know it sounds very un-fashionable to say you live on Staten Island. I know, because every friend of mine makes face when I tell them so. But I must say its not so bad...at least in living space and rent wise.
I live in beautiful one bedroom apt (700-800sq feet) with 3 huge closets and a balcony. It has dishwasher (my favorite) and at downstairs, laundry facility. Also this condo gives you an access to tennis court, basket ball court and a pool in the summer. But best of all, this place comes with secure underground garage for all tenants so that I don't have to leave soon to be mine MINI outside!!!! (no extra charge)
And the commute is not as bad as you think. NYC provides very nice, big express buses (they are more like tourists' buses) to/from the city and bus stop is right in front of my bldg. I used to commute to WTC for 5 years and that was a breeze!
Yes, I must admit that the traffic can be bad sometimes and if you are out late, it is kind of a bore to hop on to the bus after a few drinks. But its safe so I can fall asleep and never have any problem.

However, its not for everybody. Especially if you are young and single, this place can be booooring. (Yes, sometimes I want to scream, "Is there any single people out here??????&quot And yes, I do sometimes fantasize about moving to the city but I don't know if I can cope with shoe box apartment with noise and high rent after this. With the rent being so high, I won't have any money left to go out and enjoy.

Anyway, if your main concerns are rent and garage space (and the safety) you might want to check it out. (althought I got the feeling you already made up your mind...we all don't want to lose you as a fellow MINI owner!)

Good luck with your search.

P.S. S.I. has lots of beautiful parks too! Very peaceful. I can't wait to take my MINI to the park! Hopefully soon...

 

I have to add to the Brooklyn idea. A couple of friends of mine live in Park Slope and pay around $1300 for a spacious 2 BR apt, and I've always been able to find street parking on their block. If you already have a place to stay in Manhattan that's a different story, but it's something to consider.

 

>>
>>So, what might not sound appealing to you, sounds GREAT to me. To me, New York is the most exciting city in the world and I want to live there while I am still at an age where I feel I can really enjoy it.
>>
>>

L. I would say you are 100% correct, having a car in the city is expensive and you won't use it much, alternate parking rules suck and mosgt people park by feel, when I had my apartment in the city, I kept my car in Maryland at my Mom's house and took the subway or buses everywhere. If I was too whacked after the club, I would just take a cab.

Now that I'm an old man (37 next month) there is no way I could bring myself to move back there, but in my twenties, you could not convince me to live anywhere else. GO FOR IT!

X2

P.S. Long time no IM

 

L, I lease my MINI as well. I seem to recall that there was a book about leasing in one of the packages I received from MINI within the first few months of having the car. There might be some information in that booklet, if you have it.
I don't think they will let you out of the lease without paying some "small" fee, so your best bet would probably be to try and find someone to take over the lease.

 

"350 sq feet $750/month "

This is a dream unless you live in a crap neighborhood. I live in northern manhattan and pay over $900 for an apt this size. You will pay out the nose to live in Manhattan. Unless you can find a spectacular deal, it's worth it to live in a borough or suburb.

Jenny <--back to lurking

 

Thanks so much for all the input you guys! I knew this was a great place to start with my questions.

Megz...I know what you are talking about I think. I will have to go back through all my stuff and see if I can find it. Honestly, I would have considered keeping my car in Maryland at my parents', but they are moving as well. To Charleston, SC. So that is WAY too far.

 

Huh? Funny the millions (literally) of commuters from the across the NY/NJ/CT Tri-State area would beg to differ.

My dad worked at Park Ave and 16th Street for 10 years while we lived on Long Island. Used to take the train in (LIRR) 99% of the time. He was less stressed from that commute than when he used to have to drive into Miami...

Even when he had a 90 minute drive from Central NJ to SoHo it was no problem.

While, you do in fact save some money by not having a car in Manhattan... there are other factors to keep in mind. Your car isn't just for hauling you around... It's for hauling your stuff (when it's your only car) Bloomingdales and Macy's won't deliver if you buy more than you can carry.

Honestly, I'd recommend keeping the car, and don't move to Manhattan. Move to Brooklyn, Queens or even Nassau County. If in fact you do need to commute to Maanhattan... DON'T DRIVE!! Take mass transit, even better if your company will offer some type of mass transit benefit (many of them now do since they get a tax break for it). Heck, any time you want to head into Manhattan take mass transit, don't subject the MINI to NYC.. But don't dump the car if you can avoid it. I wouldn't be surprised if the money you and your new beau saved by moving out of Manhattan covered your car payment and maybe even your insurance payment as well.

Oh, and New Jersey is the Armpitt of America, living there for 8 years gives me the right to say it!!!
_________________

 

I lived in NYC for almost 12 years: 2.5 in Manhattan (Chelsea) and 9 in Brooklyn (Cobble Hill and Park Slope). Once I moved to Brooklyn I swore I'd never live in Manhattan again! Unless I was a millionaire and could afford a spacious, quiet, and beautiful place that only the wealthy can afford...

When I first moved to NYC I owned a car that I kept parked at my parent's house in CT. I drove the car maybe once in two years and then sold it. You DON'T need a car in NYC, and probably don't want one either. The headache and expense are simply much more than it's worth... Once I also had my parent's Explorer for six months while they were away, and let me tell you that parking on the street in Brooklyn is a big, fat pain in the a**! I once spent an hour and a half circling my neighborhood to find a parking spot!! Even when you find a great spot, you have to move it once a week for street cleaning, along with everybody else in the neighborhood.

If you really want to keep your MINI for sentimental reasons or even possibly long-term collector's value, park it at your parent's place and drop the insurance down to nothing. Otherwise sell it and move on. You can always get another one when you decide you've had enough of NYC.

 

I would love to keep it...but I just don't see the point in paying that much for something that I never use. My parents will be about 600 miles away.

 

>>>>
>>I would love to keep it...but I just don't see the point in paying that much for something that I never use. My parents will be about 600 miles away.
>>

i could lend you driveway space
i'm only about 21 miles from Midtown & a train ride away

 

Are you serious?

 

^^^ yea sure, why not
but i won't detail it (everybody who leaves a vehicle always asks me to detail it)

 

I will keep that in mind. Thank you! :smile:

 

koolmini,
Great offer!

L.mini,
I know how nice your MINI is.
I say sell it and enjoy living in Manhattan.
Then when the right time comes pick up another new MINI!!!

 

 

<< "350 sq feet $750/month "

This is a dream unless you live in a crap neighborhood. I live in northern manhattan and pay over $900 for an apt this size. You will pay out the nose to live in Manhattan. Unless you can find a spectacular deal, it's worth it to live in a borough or suburb. >>

WHAT?!?! Are you freaking kidding me?!

I am absolutely in shock. Call me a clueless Texan (which, in many ways, I am), but I had NO IDEA that it cost so much to live in NY. HOLY FREAKING CRAP. I have not ever SEEN a 350 sq foot apartment, nor do I wish to. When recently doing some apartment shopping, I saw some 600 sq feet places and immediately became clausterphobic upon crossing the tiny threshold. My one bedroom place is 850 sq feet (and I definitely pay less than $750/mo!), but at times I think that I could stand for it to be bigger.

I've never been to NY, and maybe that's why I can't understand the appeal of living under such tortuous conditions. But it must be something special (or else this "boy" is) for L. to be dumping her MINI and running off to that cold, grim, crowded little city. But we all know quite well that L. will bring fun along with her wherever she goes, toting it in one of her cute little handbags.

 

I grew up about 10 miles outside the city in jersey. Manhattan is stupid expensive. Hoboken is a short train ride away and about half as expensive (still expensive, just not stupid expensive) with similar character.

My girlfriend is in a similar situation, graduating with her graphic design degree in May and wanting to work in NYC. Thats gonna be hard for her to do when you typically need to pay a 2month's rent security depposit and first month's rent and having she has little/no savings I can't imagine plunking down a security deposit that could be more than a downpayment elsewhere. Maybe you'll both be needing a roommate :smile:

You only live once.

--
Cheese

 

"YeaBaby", did you only join this forum so that you could belittle people? Or are you already registered here, but too much of a wuss to post your drivel under your "real" name? THIS is the thread that caused you to register, that finally made you feel as if your voice just HAD to be heard?
_________________
"Meine dispatcher says there is something wrong with deine cable"

 

Why do I get the feeling that this is someone that signed up to this site specifically so they could post in this thread.
Whoever this is....please....get a life. You don't know the reasons that I am going. I'm not even moving in with the guy I'm with. I have a roommate lined up already for when I go. Maybe I just want to move and get away from a city that I currently live in, but don't really like? I'm afraid you know nothing.

Let me ask you...do you even drive a MINI? Or did you just sign up here to try and **** me off?

 

>>
>>WHAT?!?! Are you freaking kidding me?!

 

The plot thickens...but it looks like L and I may be *crosses fingers*...roommates!!!

I'm kind of feeling the same way about the car situation, but I am not leasing mine.

NYC, here we come!!!!! :evil: