Incoming NYU student - where should we live in NYC?

You’re giving yourself only two weeks to find a place? During the summer? In NYC??!?

Check with the school, they must have some sort of assistance for incoming students, at the very least a housing bulletin board for kids needing a room or a group needing that last roommate. Good luck.

I agree with @FutureMemory. If you can’t live on campus there may be some apartments nearby where you can room with another college student. Or they may have a list of appoved renters at the school. If someone isn’t on there list it may be because they have problems with you beaking a lease. Most apts near colleges will offer a 10 month lease for a slightly higher rate.
Also I believe Wagner is in Staten Island. You don’t want to deal with the commute from the city everyday. Stay nearby the college. Your first year will be hectic as it is. Good luck.

I’d say Staten island if thats where the school is. Then venture out for fun.

If you have the notion of finding a nice spacious loft in walking distance to school, you’d better have a few million in your bank account. While it will be tempting to keep looking for a nice place close to school that you can afford, it would be more expedient to consider some alternatives. Jersey City NJ is affordable, and just a fast path train ride into the city, not far from your school. It’s not the safest neighborhood, you wouldn’t want to walk alone there at night, but by day it’s fine, and it has good restaurants. If you prefer a safer more suburban life, but with a longer commute, consider Westchester county along the train lines (Fleetwood, White Plains, New Rochelle) or Queens.

NYU has a (non-dorm) housing database that you can use as a student. Once you get your email log-in, you have access to it. There’s also good old craigslist.

If Wagner is located in the main downtown campus (near Washington Square Park) you’ll want to look for places off of any of the N,R,W, Q, 4, 5 or B, D, F, V trains. I’d check out neighborhoods in Queens like Astoria, Long Island City, and Jackson Heights. Or in Brooklyn: Park Slope South, Prospect Heights (be careful of places listed in PH that are really in Crown Heights), Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Sunset Park is a good option if you find a place near an express stop (like 36th St.). In any neighborhood really, ideally you’d want a place near an express stop where you can also catch a couple of different train options. If you’re looking to live in Manhattan, places in upper Manhattan like Harlem are affordable, but the trains there don’t tend to run close to campus and often the commute can take longer than from one of the outer boroughs. There are also other neighborhoods you can look at like Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Bed-stuy, but I personally don’t tend to like them for various reasons. However, I know people who went to NYU who happily live there. And all of these suggestions are assuming that like me, you can’t afford to live in the Village near campus.

Since you’re moving so soon, you may want to sublet a place in the borough you’re interested in (Brooklyn or Queens or hey, Manhattan if you like) and use it as a crashpad while you look for something more permanent. Good luck.

I would check with NYU student housing. If I remember correctly, in addition to dorms, they assist with apartment rental. It’s a lot harder to find an apartment than you think it will be, and far more costly than in other cities.

You will probably have to find two or three roommates and get an apartment in Brooklyn. I don’t think you will find any student housing right before school starts, and the Village is among the most expensive places to live in the world.

Thanks for the feedback. My husband and I are moving at end of July/August to begin classes at the end of August. I’ll definitely check with student housing. Any other suggestions about neighborhoods in NY would be much appreciated!

Brooklyn has several great neighborhoods and is still marginally cheaper than Manhattan; Queens still even cheaper. You should be able to get a little more space in one of the outer boroughs. A friend’s son is paying $2400/month for a shoebox in the Village. If the NYU housing office doesn’t pan out, I would try Craigslist; my NYU son got several apartments post-graduation through them. Sharing is probably your best bet, depending on what you have available to spend.