16. I'm moving to NY and. . . how tough is it to find a place to live? HOW do I find a place?

1. Hermes:
" Finding a place to live is the most difficult part of moving to New York. You will have to devote a few weeks,(perhaps a whole month) to finding a place, during which time I would recommend working only part time. I have found it a useful tactic to first choose a neighborhood in an area that sounds reasonable to live in, and then find a real estate office in that neighborhood and ask them to show you what you have. It should cost less than $2000 to move into a 2 bedroom apartment in a cheap area."

2. TONE:
"I've lived in NYC all my life and I find it hard to find places to live, at least places within my price range. Anywhere on the Island of Manhattan is expensive or progressively small. Usually you have to have room mates too. You can of course find cheaper places to live in other boroughs of New York, like Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Staten Island, or even out in New Jersey. Again, usually you will have to have room mates on a messenger paycheck. It tends to get cheaper the farther you are from Manhattan though, but of course your commute time is higher. I recommend staying at a youth hostel or finding a friend in NYC to stay with for a few weeks until you find a place. Don't tell them that you will probably end up staying a month or two while working part time. Of course you should help out by paying up some money for the bills and groceries. How do you find a place? ANYWAY YOU CAN! From word of mouth, through the newspapers, going to real estate agencies, and even flyering yourself."