<p>I am looking for ideas about safe neighborhoods where a single woman (22 years old) should live during grad school and not pay a ridiculously high rent.I need to use LIRR in Penn Station to commute so would need to be relatively close.</p>
<p>Any ideas greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>My daughter’s grad school friends live in NJ and commute.</p>
<p>Hoboken</p>
<p>Jersey city</p>
<p>I don’t understand fully. If you will commute using the LIRR (Long Island Railroad), to the east of Manhattan, then you sure don’t want to start out from New Jersey (west of Manhattan). </p>
<p>Since you said Penn Station LIRR, it sounds like you’re eager to live in Manhattan.</p>
<p>If we knew your destination point on the LIRR, perhaps we could also suggest some cost-effective locations in boroughs of Queens or Brooklyn that are still in NYC, but on your way out towards the LIRR stops. What’s your end-point on the LIRR?</p>
<p>Unless something has changed (or more than one person is using the account) Questbest is the mother, and the 22 year old is one of her daughters.</p>
<p>Questbest, is this the daughter looking at speech pathology programs? You mentioned Tuoro College…that’s in Brooklyn. Or is she looking at other options? Or is this another daughter?</p>
<p>No, she’s headed toward the Adelphi U, Garden City campus - see <a href=“Where single grad student to live with easy access to Adelphi Garden City campus? - Parent Cafe - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1624050-where-single-grad-student-to-live-with-easy-access-to-adelphi-garden-city-campus.html</a></p>
<p>Questbest – if you (or your d.) is attending grad school full time, it is insane to think about living in Manhattan in your situation. You would be paying an incomprehensible amount of money for rent to live in not-particularly-charming part of midtown Manhattan - and then putting yourself in the position of a fairly long commute by train every day. I am sure that you can find a very nice, and much less expensive, apartment in or near Garden City - and ride the train into Manhattan on weekends. </p>
<p>My daughter works full time in Manhattan in a building very near Penn Station. She attends grad school in the evenings in lower Manhattan (NYU) – and she lives in Brooklyn. (Very happy with the arrangement). </p>
<p>I don’t know what rents are like in Garden City but I honestly can’t see why anyone in their right mind would choose to commute from Manhattan, especially given your apparent unfamiliarity with neighborhoods. Whose footing the bill for the rent on this apartment? What is the price range you are looking for? </p>
<p>If you aren’t familiar with Manhattan real estate, I think you’ll find every option short of a flophouse to have “ridiculously high rent.” It’s the nature of the beast. I agree with calmom that living in Manhattan and commuting on the LIRR to Adelphi sounds like a terrible idea.</p>
<p>Thanks calmom. </p>
<p>Live near the college. You will be spending a LOT of time there. A LOT, including the possibility of evening classes. </p>
<p>Although people do a “reverse commute” when necessary, I agree that it doesn’t sound great. Manhattan has gotten really expensive for anything. Close to Penn station it is mostly business type buildings, although Chelsea and Clinton (formerly Hell’s kitchen) are within the adjacent area and are residential. They are no longer inexpensive neighborhoods. Your D might do a lot better in Queens or western Nassau with an inexpensive car, and perhaps a building that has parking and driving to Adelphi. I originally am from Long Island, and in my experience people commute to places like Adelphi by car. I think there are apartments in Garden City, but if not, there are many other places in western Nassau County that have apartments. I was thinking of Lake Success which is right on the Nassau Queens border, as is Bellrose/Floral Park. She needs to look carefully at the areas, as there is a great deal of variability in the housing stock and if she is far from here, a realtor (yes, even for apartments) might help. Bellrose/Floral park has a train to LIRR that could be used on weekends to go to NYC. Also, although people might gasp at Jamaica, there are some nice, safe, apartments there, and there are trains, subways, buses. I know some folks who live in the area of St. John’s University, and it is nice. </p>
<p>Given that none of this is like living in Manhattan. Sometimes people look for roommates to try to get into NYC apartments. This would never have been for me, but it works for many people. </p>
<p>A friend who attended Adelphi some years ago lived in a private apartment in a nice suburban home within 2 blocks of campus, so within walking distance. I remember that it was a safe neighborhood and that she had very nice amenities.</p>
<p>If I remember your previous thread about housing near Adelphi correctly, the grad student wants to have some entertainment options and be in a fun neighborhood. I don’t think you’ll find a lot of that in Garden City. If it’s any consolation, grad students are often too busy to spend a great deal of time socializing. It seems as if leasing a car might be the least expensive option - the student can live in a congenial neighborhood near the school with an inexpensive car lease for a lot less than it costs to live in the least congenial neighborhood in Manhattan.</p>
<p>I have to disagree with posters who say it’s a horrible idea - depends on the person and what they want and what they are willing to give up. I live in Manhattan. My apartment is not expensive by Manhattan standards (less than $1,500 a month). It’s a studio. I have no roommates. Is the building old and not that well maintained? Yes. Did I have to give up space (as opposed to people paying as much living elsewhere)? Absolutely. However, it was (and still is) worth it to me. If she really wants to live in Manhattan, she CAN make it work with no roomates. However, that might also mean she will not be RIGHT next to LIRR. </p>
<p>I have always lived on the Upper West Side, so I would check out Upper West Side - 90’s - it’s right next to the 1,2,3, which makes for a quick trip to Penn Station. If she wants to save even more money, have her look into living on the Upper East Side - the closer to the river you go, the cheaper it is. The big drawback is that transportation is not as accessible, but if she is willing to make it work to live in the city, it might be worth it to her.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your replies…Yes I am the daughter of questbest using my mom’s CC. I knew that I would get a lot of sound advice from people here. </p>
<p>To clarify, I AM interested in attending Adelphi in Garden City. I do want to try and live in Manhattan if it is all possible and am willing and eager to have room mates. I know I will be commuting at least 3-4 times a week to Garden City but that leaves 3 days that I will be in Manhattan without the need to commute. And in my second year of the program, I definitely want to be placed in Manhattan to do my clinical work as I hope to make strong connections in Manhattan and live and work there upon graduation.</p>
<p>I am not at all familiar with Manhattan and safe areas which surround Penn Station (if there are any). I am willing to give up space and frills in order to live in Manhattan. </p>
<p>Is the LIRR from Garden City a safe ride back into Manhattan if I were to travel at 8-9PM after I leave my evening classes? How “safe” is it for a woman to arrive at Penn Station at around 9 or 10PM at night?</p>
<p>I appreciate all of your help! I understand that it may sound as though it “makes sense” to live in Garden City, but when I think of living in Garden City vs the opportunity to live in Manhattan, I am willing to give up space and convenience to make this happen. The only thing I do not want to give up is safety.</p>