Question: I am looking to visit New York City for a month and would like to know the best places to stay while I look for a new apartment in the city. I am poor and unemployed at the present time. I would like to avoid a homeless shelter if at all possible. I am considering showering at a gym and doing laundry at a laundrymat.
Thank you,
Poor Future New Yorker
* * *
While many people will tell you that moving to New York City on no income is a bad idea, there are perhaps reasons why you think that moving to New York City is necessary. Many people, both rich and poor, want to live in New York, and who is to tell a poor person they can not live in New York? After all, New York is home to a huge number of poor people, and many of these people rise from poverty and do well.
With that said, you have to realize that living in New York City is very hard even for a person with a job and stable income. For example, getting an apartment in New York City is hard even with an income. Housing is so tight that many landlords are going to tell you straight up that they require 40 times the rent or a cosigner who makes 80 times the rent. For a poor person with no job this is going to be near impossible.
Second, you have to watch out for scams such as the Affordable Equity Project. Many of these "too good to be true" apartment services are flat out lies.
There are areas that are cheaper in New York, such as Far Rockaway in Queens. However, you have to take into account the commute and if living in such an area is really worth it for you. I'm not knocking it, but I am just stating that it's not the same as living in Manhattan.
You are wise to not want to live in a homeless shelter. However, living in the subway isn't that much better and it's not really that comfortable after a while.
Being homeless is no piece of cake. In fact, I have been down that road myself, and I must say that New York would not be my first choice for a place without money.
Whatever you do, do not turn to drugs and alcohol if you are going to be living a rough life in New York. You want to keep yourself out of trouble if you will be living on the streets for any amount of time. Try to keep yourself clean and presentable. There are all sorts of resources in New York for a person who is down on his/her luck. I suggest you look them up and use them.
Thank you,
Poor Future New Yorker
* * *
While many people will tell you that moving to New York City on no income is a bad idea, there are perhaps reasons why you think that moving to New York City is necessary. Many people, both rich and poor, want to live in New York, and who is to tell a poor person they can not live in New York? After all, New York is home to a huge number of poor people, and many of these people rise from poverty and do well.
With that said, you have to realize that living in New York City is very hard even for a person with a job and stable income. For example, getting an apartment in New York City is hard even with an income. Housing is so tight that many landlords are going to tell you straight up that they require 40 times the rent or a cosigner who makes 80 times the rent. For a poor person with no job this is going to be near impossible.
Second, you have to watch out for scams such as the Affordable Equity Project. Many of these "too good to be true" apartment services are flat out lies.
There are areas that are cheaper in New York, such as Far Rockaway in Queens. However, you have to take into account the commute and if living in such an area is really worth it for you. I'm not knocking it, but I am just stating that it's not the same as living in Manhattan.
You are wise to not want to live in a homeless shelter. However, living in the subway isn't that much better and it's not really that comfortable after a while.
Being homeless is no piece of cake. In fact, I have been down that road myself, and I must say that New York would not be my first choice for a place without money.
Whatever you do, do not turn to drugs and alcohol if you are going to be living a rough life in New York. You want to keep yourself out of trouble if you will be living on the streets for any amount of time. Try to keep yourself clean and presentable. There are all sorts of resources in New York for a person who is down on his/her luck. I suggest you look them up and use them.
