Paying the Rent in New York

[Master Shake]

The amazing thing about Chicago is that its really hitting its stride right NOW, not 50 years ago like New York or even 30 years ago, like LA. Unlike most American cities, in Chicago, we are seeing a City being born in the same sense its happening in Las Vegas and Miami. No older city is in remotely the same position.

Then add the Olympics, and well....

While I appreciate paying more to live in NY over Chicago, the fact is, for the same amount you pay in rent to live in a marginal immigrant Outer Borough neighborhood of New York, for the same amount of money, you could live in prime Chicago. Puts it in perspective.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by JMancuso

never been there and it is next on my must see list.

if that's the case, then you've never even had true chicago style.

get yourself up here sometimes and try some lou malnati's for a one way ticket on the express train to a little place i call flavor country. and you can't come to the big windy without enjoying a martini from my balcony as the sun sets over rivernorth (PS visit during a warm month).

[fflint]

Originally Posted by JMancuso

they are both good but chicago style is just very heavy.

anyway, i have been dying to come up and check out chicago. never been there and it is next on my must see list.

Do it, but only if you're not afraid of immediately falling in love with it and wanting to move there. It's just like New York in that sense as well. I trust you're not a weather wimp like my partner, of course.

[Master Shake]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

if that's the case, then you've never even had true chicago style.

get yourself up here sometimes and try some lou malnati's for a one way ticket on the express train to a little place i call flavor country. and you can't come to the big windy without enjoying a martini from my balcony as the sun sets over rivernorth (PS visit during a warm month).

Awesome view.

Still shocking to see the Montgomery Ward Building once in a housing project no mans land turned into luxury condos. Its simply crazy.

[JManc]

@ fflint: i pobably would fall in love with it.

@ steely: i'll take you up on that offer. great view too.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by skylife

I don't think it's silly at all. I think it's either common sense or a very wise decision. At this point, I almost feel like why would I move to NY when Chicago is right over there?

Why is it silly to have an awesome city life for half the price?

But it's not "half the price." It's an entirely different city, with an entirely different price. Why move to Chicago when Milwaukee is right over there? Why buy a digital camera when a computer monitor is half the price?

Moreover, Manhattan isn't a city. The affordable parts of NYC in aggregate are bigger population-wise than the the entirety of Chicago. Contrary to your earlier assertion on Queens, they're also denser and more city-like, so you wouldn't be getting a less "urban" experience. Elmhurst or Flatbush are denser and busier than Lakeview or Lincoln Park. Of course, most Americans do not care for density or urbanity, but I'm directing my comments to this forum.

Whether or not NYC or Chicago are individually or comparably "awesome" is up to the consumer.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by Master Shake

The amazing thing about Chicago is that its really hitting its stride right NOW, not 50 years ago like New York or even 30 years ago, like LA. Unlike most American cities, in Chicago, we are seeing a City being born in the same sense its happening in Las Vegas and Miami. No older city is in remotely the same position.

Then add the Olympics, and well....

While I appreciate paying more to live in NY over Chicago, the fact is, for the same amount you pay in rent to live in a marginal immigrant Outer Borough neighborhood of New York, for the same amount of money, you could live in prime Chicago. Puts it in perspective.

How is Chicago different from all older U.S. cities and comparable to Las Vegas and Miami? This makes no sense. Please use some sort of metric to make your assertion.

If you value an urban experience above other priorities, the "marginal immigrant Outer Borough neighborhood of New York" will offer a LOT more than "prime Chicago". Of course, most Americans (and even most New Yorkers and Chicagoans) are not making their locational decisions on desired level of urbanity.

[skylife]

Originally Posted by Crawford

But it's not "half the price." It's an entirely different city, with an entirely different price.

Moreover, Manhattan isn't a city. The affordable parts of NYC in aggregate are bigger population-wise than the the entirety of Chicago. Contrary to your earlier assertion on Queens, they're also denser and more city-like, so you wouldn't be getting a less "urban" experience. Elmhurst or Flatbush are denser and busier than Lakeview or Lincoln Park. Of course, most Americans do not care for density or urbanity, but I'm directing my comments to this forum.

Whether or not NYC or Chicago are individually or comparably "awesome" is up to the consumer.

Good grief, don't take everything so literally. I KNOW Chicago isn't literally half the price. Though it IS, obviously, generally much more affordable than NY. I KNOW Manhattan is a borough and not a city, and I KNOW Chi and NY are different cities with different vibes and characters.

I would rather live in the heart of Chicago than in Queens. Mkay?

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by skylife

Good grief, don't take everything so literally. I KNOW Chicago isn't literally half the price. Though it IS, obviously, generally much more affordable than NY. I KNOW Manhattan is a borough and not a city, and I KNOW Chi and NY are different cities with different vibes and characters.

I would rather live in the heart of Chicago than in Queens. Mkay?

That's wonderful, Chicago is fantastic; you'll love it.

I just didn't (and still don't) understand your personal reasoning (prime Chicago offers urbanites an experience comparable to Manhattan, but does not offer urbanites an experience comparable to Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx).

I suppose people can view urbanity differently and for me, Brooklyn offers much more of what I need. My sister agrees with you and is very happy in Chicago's River North.

[VivaLFuego]

Let's all just agree that different people value different things about their environment differently, which leads to wildly different asking rents in different cities.

And we'll agree that Manhattan rents are insane. And I think the whole Chicago debate came up because of that, this sort of disbelief that Manhattan has such a cliche and cache that people are willing to either 1) pay so much or 2) live very, very uncomfortably

[skylife]

Originally Posted by Crawford

That's wonderful, Chicago is fantastic; you'll love it.

Yeah, it's great.

I just didn't (and still don't) understand your personal reasoning (prime Chicago offers urbanites an experience comparable to Manhattan, but does not offer urbanites an experience comparable to Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx).

I dunno...it's not really about density per se. Nor is it about Manhattan...though it is partially about skyscrapers. I've never lived among soaring towers or within view of them. I think in Chicago is more realistic to be able to live among the towers. I could even live in one! And I'm just excited by what's happening in Chicago generally. Plus the lake is beautiful.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by skylife

Yeah, it's great.



I dunno...it's not really about density per se. Nor is it about Manhattan...though it is partially about skyscrapers. I've never lived among soaring towers or within view of them. I think in Chicago is more realistic to be able to live among the towers. I could even live in one! And I'm just excited by what's happening in Chicago generally. Plus the lake is beautiful.

Now I get it. If you want to live affordably in a neighborhood of soaring towers, then prime Chicago makes much more sense.

While I'm certainly not anti-high rise, it means nothing to me in terms of urbanity and neighborhood preferences.

[wanderer34]

I feel that most of the list is true (surprised that Miami never made it to the top 15), but Orlando??? It's nothing more than disneyworld and sprawl all rolled into one???

And how the hell did GA and VA one-up on PA??? There's clearly some southern bias in this poll. At least we're above MA on this one (shoo-fly pie, pretzels, cheesesteaks once again whup clam chowder !!!

[Mr Roboto]

If i had the money and even wanted to live in NYC, I think personally I would still rather live in Brooklyn than Manhattan. Its extremely urban, its got more space, can access manhattan or other boroughs anytime you want, and has more regular folks and real neighborhoods. But, according to a friend who lives there, even Brooklyn is starting to get extremely expensive in many areas that used to be more affordable.

Anyway, living in manhattan is not that appealing to me for the same reason eating desert all day wouldn;t be either. It tastes great, but its an unnecessary expense that I wouldn’t want every time; and id prefer to be able to choose when I have it, (and sometimes, Im just not in the mood).

Btw., my fiancé loved that show sex in the city back when it was popular, almost to the point she was starting to consider a life there too. Geez, what an influence pop culture is.

[kool maudit]

for some industries, such as publishing or certain financial sectors, there is a very definite centre. for people in these fields, every american city is a not-new-york, as every french city is a not-paris etc.

[pico44]

Manhattan is worth every single penny. I was fully aware that what I paid for my little one bedroom would have a afforded me three bedrooms with a view in some midwestern town, but the idea of actually leaving the center of it all just so I could have a little elbow room never once crossed my mind.

[DukeofWellington]

Originally Posted by vanman

^That is intense, and I thought $1200 for a 1 bedroom was bad.

The $2,567 average must include rent-regulated apartments. For the most part, a $2,500 one bedroom in Manhattan would be pretty small and disgusting if it's not rent-controlled.

[ginsan2]

Originally Posted by pico44

Manhattan is worth every single penny. I was fully aware that what I paid for my little one bedroom would have a afforded me three bedrooms with a view in some midwestern town, but the idea of actually leaving the center of it all just so I could have a little elbow room never once crossed my mind.

I have a ton of family in Manhattan. My parents forced my siblings and I to go visit every summer, until we refused to go back (consequently we got to see more of Chicago and the UP MIchigan, both of which suited me just fine) . It's worth pennies, maybe, but not every one that I have

[Jularc]

^ But it is worth all my pennies and my dollars.

[pico44]

Originally Posted by ginsan2

I have a ton of family in Manhattan. My parents forced my siblings and I to go visit every summer, until we refused to go back (consequently we got to see more of Chicago and the UP MIchigan, both of which suited me just fine) . It's worth pennies, maybe, but not every one that I have

Thus, the people who should be weeded out, are weeded out.