If I were to accept a job located in the Bronx, where should I live? - Page 2

[Freud]

Woah woah woah! You HAVE to meet those salary requirements? I'm going to be an intern! I'm not gonna make enough to support myself. I'll be living off of student loans. Is that going to hurt my chances of getting an apartment? I could have my parents sign for it, though. Is that even an option?

[AlexisT]

You have 2 options:

- find a private landlord (not a building) who will be flexible (buildings and management companies are tough on the 40x rule). This has perils. it can be great, or it can be shady. That goes triple in the 'burbs where illegal subdivides are a problem. (less in Westchester than by me, I think; LI is notorious for illegal apartments). If you rent an apartment in a house, ask to see the permit. In NYC this shouldn't be an issue unless it's a basement, I think. But you mentioned in another thread that you have an interview in Dix Hills, so you need to be aware of this. If you do get matched out on LI, LMK, I'll send you some info because a lot of newcomers get a nasty surprise when they find out their apartment is illegal and they have no rights.

- use your parents as a guarantor. They need to make 80x the rent. (so, to rent a place costing 1K a month, you need to make 40K/yr, or your parents need to make 80K).

Riverdale is really nice, though it's cut off from the rest of the Bronx. It's expensive by Bronx standards, but not by NYC in general--when I was looking, Riverdale was the same or cheaper as the nicer parts of Northeast Queens.

Lower Westchester means owning a car, and insurance isn't cheap here.

Another vote for avoiding NJ - the GWB is a nightmare.

[Freud]

Oh my gosh. Thank you so much for all that info. I would have had no clue. Thankfully, I have my parents to sign, otherwise, I'd be out of luck. Now, I'm kind of rethinking the internship site in NYC.

[Rosehip]

Originally Posted by AlexisT

You have 2 options:

- find a private landlord (not a building) who will be flexible (buildings and management companies are tough on the 40x rule). This has perils. it can be great, or it can be shady. That goes triple in the 'burbs where illegal subdivides are a problem. (less in Westchester than by me, I think; LI is notorious for illegal apartments). If you rent an apartment in a house, ask to see the permit. In NYC this shouldn't be an issue unless it's a basement, I think. But you mentioned in another thread that you have an interview in Dix Hills, so you need to be aware of this. If you do get matched out on LI, LMK, I'll send you some info because a lot of newcomers get a nasty surprise when they find out their apartment is illegal and they have no rights.
.

I was a landlord in Woodlawn - the Bronx - and wouldn't have known what someone meant if they asked for a permit. Do you mean the certificate of occupancy? My house (a legal two-family) was built before COs were routinely issued so it didn't have one, IIRC. Just an FYI.

In any event, Woodlawn has a lot of two & three family homes w/rental units and smaller landlords who might be flexible. A good source for rental listings there is the Irish Echo newspaper. Not sure if this is still the case, but as of a couple of years ago, the online classifieds were rather paltry compared w/what ran in the print edition.

And, I second (third? fourth?) no NJ. I commuted to NJ from Westchester for a few years. It was an easy drive. Because my work day started @ 5 am and ended about 1 pm. If you're doing rush hour driving - ugh. Big time. My mom also did the reverse commute (went to Jersey from NY) for years and years, and it was very tough.

[eepster]

DH and I used to live in Parkchester. It is a great neighborhood, and there are many people who rent out apartments privately (they are condos.) The Bx39 (bus) will take you right there.

Though NJ is an OK commute to some parts of the Bronx (like Riverdale is a quick drive from NJ, or areas along the D train,) the area you are looking at is a horrible trip from NJ.

[AlexisT]

Originally Posted by ToastyToes

I was a landlord in Woodlawn - the Bronx - and wouldn't have known what someone meant if they asked for a permit. Do you mean the certificate of occupancy? My house (a legal two-family) was built before COs were routinely issued so it didn't have one, IIRC. Just an FYI.

On LI, houses built before COs were routine have letters-in-lieu or a certificate of compliance (the term varies by town). Here, the term is an "accessory apartment permit" and it's legally required to rent out part of your home, regardless of when it was built or the original CO. It's a big problem out here and it's something anyone coming to LI needs to know. I've seen a lot of people burned by it.

[meco]

I have friends that live in the Pelham area (that harleyhalfmoon suggested) 2 stops from the place of business on the 2 train, and it's an affordable and fantastic area. I really like it. Lots of families, inexpensive fruit markets, accessible stores. The home is just a few blocks from the train so commuting anywhere on the red line would make sense. I would stick near your workplace if possible, especially since its in an already affordable area. You can also find affordable apartments in Queens and Brooklyn--both are great boroughs with a lot of options, but it will greatly increase the time you spend commuting.

I found all of my apartments in NYC on Craigslist with great success. Normal apartment renting caveats apply.

[mom2Jordan]

I can't help you with figuring out housing in the Bronx...I read this thread with curiosity because I, too, did an internship. By any chance are you looking for an APA (psych) internship? I remember that process and it was so stressful. Good luck with it. I didn't apply to Astoria but did apply to several in the NY area (Manhattan and Brooklyn), but ended up getting matched at Jersey Shore Medical Center which was a blessing in disguise. I was moving back East after being in grad school on the West Coast and I think moving to Brooklyn would have been too much of a shock to my system at the time. I know this is totally tangential to your actual thread but I couldn't resist chiming in! If I could be of any help as a veteran of this process, let me know.

Miriam

[mf_colon]

Another option would be to sublet with someone. That way you would not be the only one with the lease under your name and you could split the costs.

I am a New York Teaching Fellow and I know many young professionals who have moved to NYC and are looking for roommates, especially in the Bronx. If this interests you, let me know and I can always post on the Teaching Fellows forum.

The following is an example of listings from the forum:

$650—Subletting 1 Bdrm in 2bdrm apartment

Working teaching professional looking to sublet 1bdrm in 2bdrm apartment. Brand new house with new appliances and lots of storage space. Large bedroom with walk-in closet. Large windows, bright and sunny room.

Great location—close to subway (3, 4, 5, A & C trains), buses (B15, B35), supermarket, post office, laundry, and park.

All utilities included (gas, light, water and heat), plus digital cable, phone and wireless internet.

Contact me at 917-684-1326 or by email at [e-mail]

[Freud]

Originally Posted by mom2Jordan

I can't help you with figuring out housing in the Bronx...I read this thread with curiosity because I, too, did an internship. By any chance are you looking for an APA (psych) internship? I remember that process and it was so stressful. Good luck with it. I didn't apply to Astoria but did apply to several in the NY area (Manhattan and Brooklyn), but ended up getting matched at Jersey Shore Medical Center which was a blessing in disguise. I was moving back East after being in grad school on the West Coast and I think moving to Brooklyn would have been too much of a shock to my system at the time. I know this is totally tangential to your actual thread but I couldn't resist chiming in! If I could be of any help as a veteran of this process, let me know.

Miriam

Yup. Clinical Psych here! I'm hoping for an APA accredited one, although I did apply and have interviews at some sites without APA accred. Right now I am siting in my hotel room in Poughkeepsie, NY. I have my first and most important internship interview tomorrow morning. The madness has officially begun. If you have any last minute words of wisdom, please, please send them my!!

[leafwood]

Another psych mama here! I did the NE interview circuit several years ago and stressful doesn't begin to describe it My fondest memory was running down the hall at Yale to meet my mom in the parking lot so I could nurse my 9m dd before getting back for my next meeting...it was such an intense time! Advice is to be yourself and ask questions, real questions b/c you are interviewing them just as much as they are intervieing you.

Where else are you intervieiwng b/c I met with 12 or 13 sites in NY, NJ, PA, DE and I'd be more than willing to share specific experiences if you think it would be helpful.

Good luck!

[Freud]

I'm interviewing for three differnt sites that are part of Astor, Sagamore Children's Center in Dix Hills, and Terry Children's Psychiatric Center in New Castle. The rest are in Chicago, Michigan, and Ohio. I just returned home from Poughkeepsie/Rhinebeck where I interviewed for 2 of the three sites at Astor. ANY tips would be helpful. I always, always, always get stuck on the question, "what sets you apart from the other candidates?" I hate this question, because I don't know the other candidates and hate comparing myself to people or claiming that I'm better than them for whatever reason. I would much prefer the question to be worded, "what are your strenghts," but they don't ask it that way and I always seem to get flustered and end up not selling myself as much as I could.


Where did you match, btw? It's so nice to hear from people who have gone through the match!! It's a unique experience that a lot if people just don't understand (and they shouldn't be expected to!!)