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$100k. Bushwick, Ridgewood, Bed Stuy, Crown Heights, Flatbush, Sunnyside, Astoria.
bushwich/ridgewood = e williamsburg
All of the people saying you need to make 100-130K...you wonder if they ever budgeted in their lives. I've lived in NYC 25 years and only cracked 100K two years ago (I was not working in advertising before). Of course you can live comfortably for less--not extravagantly, nut luxuriously, but certainly comfortably, like, you know, the majority of folks in this city.
Been living here for eight years and graduated four years ago and as a designer who has never broken 100k and up until recently was making the legal minimum you can be paid in NYC without overtime, yes you can live perfectly safe and comfortably on less than 100k lmao.
This entirely depends on your definition of comfy-ish. For some people that means buildings with amenities and without a commute. For others it just means they want to be able to afford Seamless.
If you’re coming to NYC, you kinda have to accept the total package: it can be dirty and glorious and awful and inspiring all on the same corner by 9am.
Figure out how long of a commute you’re willing to have, how many roommates you’re willing to have, and set a budget. NYC can be expensive but it can also be cheap: loads of free entertainment and excellent cheap eats. Nobody can tell you a minimum except you, and that’s purely based on what’s most important to you.
Rents have gone down in Astoria. If you are cohabitating a salary above 50K is more than sufficient. If you're living on your own you should be aiming for 85 and above depending on the area and whether you can live in a studio or not.
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A lot of financial people say to spend no more than 1/4 your paycheck on rent. You can get a basic but very livable studio in Clinton Hill for like 1900/month.
Personally, I make about $120k and pay $2400 for a studio in park slope. I feel comfortable-ish. I’m not living paycheck to paycheck but I’d feel better if I was paying closer to $2k a month or making $130.
I also don’t have student loans or other debt so that helps a ton.
I’ve seen a lot of single people say at around $130k they felt like money stopped being an issue they had to think about on an every day level.
Making under $100k is very doable with roommates and you’ll be able to cover your bills without too much trouble but it’s hard to “get ahead”
Did ok making $50 when I moved there and had a roommate in LES walkup apt.
I have student loans and I was struggling when my salary was in the $50k-ish range. It was doable but I couldn't save much. I had roommates and did not eat out much. Any unexpected expense could throw me off balance. It wasn't until I crossed into the $90k-ish range that I found some breathing room.
As for living, can't speak for Brooklyn but in Queens the further out on the A/C/E line the more room you'd have. I lived for years in a spacious pre-war studio, $1.5k/month. I'm talking multiple big closets you can literally walk in. Food shopping is a breeze and there's plenty of restaurants (though it depends on your preference for cuisine). The only down side is late night and weekend train is a nightmare so you'd find yourself hanging out in the city less and less.
Really starts to become fun at 160-175. You’re able to save a lot while doing whatever you want and not really making too many compromises on things like dinners and your apartment.
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Are you asking as a single person?
Yes! Single, no kids.
how much are you looking to spend on rent a month? do you want roommates or your own place? because that changes things. and when you say outside the city — do you mean jersey/CT, or do you mean burroughs other than manhattan?
50k for me. Able to buy what I needed and save money.