Moving to NYC; how much for rent? Budget incl.

I haven't lived in NY in some time, and when I did, I didn't have your requirements. But based on my friends who still live there and have families, I don't know that you'll even be able to find something in Manhattan that meets your needs for $5k. You might have better luck in the family neighborhoods of Brooklyn like Park Slope or Brooklyn Heights, but I don't know. Most of my friends with families are in Queens and NJ due to the costs. The good news is that you have a lot of places you can cut if you need to free up a couple more thousand for rent.

What neighborhoods do you have in mind? To me "family friendly" brings to mind UES, UWS, West Village, Murray Hill. There are others, of course, but those are usually the ones most people think of as family neighborhoods.

Ah, NYC posts...the only posts that make me feel better about my rent. I have no advice, but good luck!

Seriously! I've been shitting myself over DC prices ($1k for a room with no closet?!). But yikes. This is insane.

We just moved out of Manhattan and had a 2 bed/1 bath for $1695. But we were on W. 148th street and the bedrooms were teeny (the girls shared a 6x9 room). Our block was wonderful (really friendly, lots of kids) but the surrounding area was "up and coming". I know a lot of people in Inwood with 3 bedrooms for around that price, but they're all people who very recently finished grad school and have pretty low standards (one is a great apt, but a 5th floor walk up).

We left the city because of the costs and we found having kids in the city overwhelmingly difficult. Little things were harder, like the subway when they could unbuckle the stroller but couldn't be trusted on the subway platform, I was very worried about their inability to be independent ever (no yard to hang out in without me, in my neighborhood even teenagers weren't allowed outside without their parents).

3bed for 5k in manhattan proper?
Negatory, ghostrider.

Do you need to live in Manhattan? There are so many nice neighborhoods in the outer boroughs. Family friendly, lots of green space, not so crowded, more affordable.

I agree, except that if she's lived in Manhattan before and currently lives in NJ, I'd assume she knows about the outer boroughs and there's a reason why she's not asking about living there?

But as AmeliaPond says, that's what the families with her income level did.

I could be wrong, but don't people who live in NJ and work in NY pay less in income taxes than those who both live and work in NYC? I could be wrong, but that's what friends who live in Hoboken and work in the city have told me...

Echoing the above posters - as someone who actually lives in Manhattan - I pay 4300 (going up to 4400 next month) for a 1 bed, 1 bath + a nursery apartment in a good location on the UWS. No doorman, no playroom, no gym. Just a basic building.

A 3/2 even in somewhere like Morningside Heights, which is full of families (but also has pretty sketchy areas nearby) is going to be in the 6 - 7K a month range.

I'll also say I'm a bit shocked that full time daycare/private school for 2 kids is only 4K - I'm paying 3600 for a nanny for 1 kiddo.

NYC is going to be hard but in nj you can pretty close to NYC and have an easy commute and get a lot for under $5K
Here are just a few examples.
newjersey.craigslist.org/apa/3264249813.html
newjersey.craigslist.org/apa/3263370082.html
newjersey.craigslist.org/apa/3275510550.html

I'm both fascinated and shocked by this post.

Ditto.

I knew NYC was expensive, but good lord, it's like another world.

If this is the reality of living in NYC, not sure what "wide open" means. She's asking for suggestions from people who may be able to comment/help. If you have nothing to say or add - not sure how the judgement helps.

Agree. Also, that kind of criticism is partly why people with higher incomes don't post their budgets.