Inwoods OK, but move across the river to Astoria. It's cheaper, it's quieter, more old school, and we can get drunk all the time.

(and it's only 20 minutes to midtown, closer than Inwood actually. Seriously, give it a look)

Stynx lives in W. Heights (181 and Broadway), I have paged him to this thread.

STYNXNO!

Apparently Ass-endwood is a 30-min straight shot on the 123 to Columbus Circle [where I would be working]. What do you take from Astoria? The NQRW?

N/W for most peeps; some are close to the R, but not all (I used to be, but I'm not anymore). And the Q doesn't go to Queens.

whoa. a question i can actually answer.

i live in Washington Heights (181st to be exact). I love the neighborhood.

The neighborhood was recently cleaned up about 10 years ago and is now starting to gentrify like crazy. Rents are increasing and the societal make up of the area is changing. However, unlike the Upper West Side or East side, the area still retains the feeling of a neighborhood. IE, kids running around, families yelling at each other, etc etc.

It's primarily a Dominican area. You will hear spanish spoken more than english. There is good cheap shopping along a lot of places and if you love latin food, you're going to love this neighborhood. Though, if you want mexican food, you need to take a trip to the area around Columbia University.

The area also has a large Jewish population due to the local Jewish University. There is also a substantial Russian population. One interesting baramoter to the makeup of the area is that when I'm approached by Jehovah Witnesses, they never have pamplants or tracts in English - it's always spanish, russian, polish, whatever. The area has a very nice park and the Cloisters which is where the MET houses their mediveal art. There is also a long and lovely park along the River and a lovely little red lighthouse below George Washington Bridge that a kid's story was written on.

A lot of musicians and artists types recently moved into the area due to the cheapness of rent and the overall life of the neighborhood. The area is now becoming filled with students and young professionals. I've lived in my current apartment for over a year and the precentage of recent college grads has tripled. There also seems to be a large number of young families moving into the area.

The transportation of the area is tricky. You have two subway lines that serve the area. It takes about 30 minutes to get from Inwood to midtown on the subway. I currently work in Union Square and it takes me roughly 1 hour to get from 181st to Union Square.

The one bad thing about the heights is the night life - it doesn't really exist. if you want to experience that, you have to take quite a trip. There are also no yellow cabs in the Heights. If you want cabs, you take the private black taxi's that are more expensive. So, if you're out partying for a night, you have a long drunken ride home. And when the subways are running late night schedule, it can take 2 hours to get home. (which sucks when you go to concerts on the lower east side...grrr.)

Rents are pretty good for manhattan. You'll need roommates unless you're getting a good paycheck. 2000 for a recently rennovated 3-Bedroom is the norm now.

The area is cleaned up, is getting gentrified, but still has it's old charm of being the drug capital of the North East. There are plenty of thugs, gangs, and whatever so you can feel 'tough' for living there but you'll be comfortable in the knowledge that the area is crime free. Also, the best chicken in Manhattan is located at Broadway and 173rd street. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

OMG! What if you get the job and I have to drive to NYC to visit! I'm scared! Its like that country mouse/city mouse story...

on preview, yep. only 30 minutes to columbus circle. The A train runs express from 168th street so there are only 4 stop between 168th and 59th street.

Astoria, man, I'm tellin' ya. Close to Manhattan, but with a real neighborhoody feel, great bars, Greek food, good diners, and an abundance of MeFites/Mechazens.

And if you live in Astoria, I'll be able to wave at you from across the river!

Washington Heights demographics sorta sounds like the neighborhood I live in now. I wouldn't want a 3BR or anything, and the rents on CL look like I can get what I want for 900-1000.

Astoria prices look comparable, how does Astoria rate in terms of access to night life and sub schedules?

I am also, of course, rather fond of Astoria. It somehow has a bit of a "small town" feel within this 8.2 million soul megatropolis that is our city. Every stop on the N/W line has its own set of bars/restaurants/shops that give it that sense of home (I once didn't think it possible, but it's true).

Inwood is nice, lots of greenery, apartments with high ceilings, wood floors. It's gettin' a bit pricey, though.

Washington Heights is a mixed bag. Not to scare ya, but we had a teacher a couple years ago who was shot to death in his apartment in the Heights in what looked like a push-in robbery. Of course, things can happen anywhere, but...

Craigs List is a good source for apartments to share. Some areas like Park Slope are real nice in Brooklyn, too, and more affordable with a roommate. A lot of apartments, particularly in Astoria, are not listed, though; you have to go through an agent, which costs an extra month's rent in fees (they screen potential tenants that way, if you ask me, in sometimes a psuedo-legal way). That's how we got our place, through a rental agent.

(And welcome, by the by! : )

Astoria is closer to the nightlife, probably has a little bit more of it's own nightlife than W. Heights, and has more trains (particularly if you can situate yourself close to the RVG and NW stations).

(Also, if you do look at Astoria, avoid the areas closest to Manhattan... a lot of projects, much less "neighborhoody." Sometimes they'll refer to that area as LIC, or Long Island City, which Astoria is technically a part of, but a lot nicer.)

LF, NYC is only intimidating if you let it be. You're tough, so you don't have anything to worry about.

I'm not looking for a roommate... and greenery is pleasant.

Which neighborhood has the better sushi? ;)

I was wondering about agent fees. Better save up as much as I can!

Sushi, woo woo! I'm guessing Astoria; I don't see too many sushi places when I'm up around Washington Heights.

Astoria is also home to THE BEST beer garden this side of the Atlantic. La Chiam!

(On Preview: For sushi, can't beat the East Village.)

Nightlife is plentiful in Astoria, lotsa corner bars and restaurants, and a few clubs (mostly hip-hop and Latin). And the BEER GARDEN!

It's also a straight shot on the N/W/R to the East Village (8th Street stop).

Eh, I'm totally over the Beer Garden. Have you seen the place on weekends? It's a total madhouse with gross frat boys and boobed-out girls, trucking in from Manhattan. I've heard they've even started charing a COVER. Yuck.

What else have you got in terms of convincing me where to live? Give it all you got!

Which place has the most vicious squirrels?

On the way to vote on Tuesday, I saw a squirrel bigger than Twinkie, carrying a dead man on his back.

That's the funniest comment I've seen in days.

Sushi, woo woo!

sushi woo woo? I don't like fusion cuisine.

also, Queens is the most ethnically diverse county in the nation, so you'll never be at a loss for human variety. And Astoria has resisted gentrification better than Brooklyn. There's plenty of young creative people, but they're happy to be part of the neighborhood rather than crowd people out and remake the area in their own image a la Williamsburg.

Also, Queens squirrels are some bad motherfuckers. (most of my non-Manhattan shots in Flickr are from Astoria. They'll give you the feel of the place.

*lives in Yorkville*

Nobody cares about Yorkville.

Hm, that's Sciurus carolinensis, jonmc, the Eastern Grey Squirrel. Sciurus niger is what I'm used to dealing with, the Fox Squirrel. They are bigger and more aggressive than the Grey Squirrel. Grey Squirrels tend to be mouthier though, which fits in with NYC.

Not true, gaspode! Frat boys and sorority girls from around the country DREAM of one day moving to the big city, as long as they don't have to live near black people, gay people, immigrants, or the working class. For YEARS, Yorkville has been their sanctuary.

since i spend a lot of time in both places, if you want night life, move to astoria.

if you want a more vibrant day life, washington heights has more than astoria.

in terms of greenery, the heights and inwood has more than astoria and it's actually taken care of.

if you have a car or want one, it would be easier to have one in astoria than washington heights.

if you like brazilians, move to astoria.

if you like suburbia, move to astoria. Heights is way more vertical than Astoria and feels more like what a city should feel. Once you get away from the main streets, Astoria gets very quiet while the heights is always a tad noisey and alive.

the heights also has one of the best hospitals in the nation at 168th street so the medical care is pretty good. plus, you'll get a lot of latin doctors in the area who are use to cutting a deal. the doctor i've been to a few times is always giving me free samples of the medicine he perscribes so I don't need to go pay money for it.

if you like giant lively vibrant color and parades, the heights beats out astoria. Astoria is really culturally diverse - muslims, arabs, greeks, mexicans, brazilians, etc etc. but heights is all dominican and it shows.

if you like haggling, i see it more in the heights than Astoria. If you enjoy seeing spanish people yelling at each other, the heights is awesome for that. if you're looking for a more visible internet culture, astoria has it. they have their own internet community while the heights doesn't. if you like seeing people playing dominos on the street, listening to reggaeton and other latin music, and hoochie mamas galore, heights is where ya want to be.

I can't afford Yorkville, gaspode.

If I remember correctly I promised to bring Skyline chili to someone in NYC, was that you?

It was me, sciurus.

*gets out chili belly in anticipation*

god. Yorkville. When I first moved to new york, i lived there. One of the most digusting place onthe planet. The area is so white, sterile, and devoid of anything resembling life that I was so glad to get the hell out of there.

if i wanted to live that lifestyle, i would have moved back to suburbia. ugh.

Yeah, my car is going to be an issue I hadn't considered fully. As I don't see ever actually needing to use it in Manhattan, Astoria might be better, plus I bet the insurance is cheaper.

Oh leave it alone.

(I don't like it either, but we're in subsidised housing close to mr. g's work, just in case anyone thought I was seriously putting it out there as an option)

(she hastens to add)

You're not going to need a car in Astoria, either; I would highly recommend ditching the car.

I might be able to "store" it at a friend's place on Long Island until I need it, and need it I will.

That's probably a good idea; even in Astoria you're going to need to move it all the time, which I imagine would get to be a pain. It still strikes me as a huge expense if you're not using it everyday for work, etc. Remember, living in NYC, even though you're making more, you're also paying more taxes (gotta love that city tax, mmmmmmm!). I think it's reeeeally important to keep your big expenses as low as possible, because while one can live with absolutely no free money to play with... it gets really really boring.

Astoria isn't suburban. It's not high-rises, true, it's rowhouses, but there's no lawns or malls around. The Heights is cool, but Astoria has it all, if you ask me.

astoria has a lot of sidewalk cafes which i like. the heights version of that is a bunch of guys playing dominos and the line stretches for blocks.

also, several apartment buildings in astoria have balconies. those are pretty neat.

there is a lot more building construction in astoria. the heights is filled with pre-ww2 buildings that are 6,7,8 stories tall and that's pretty much how it's going to stay for a long time. astoria is starting to become more vertical - a lot more 3,4,5 story buildings are starting to show up as the old people move or die from their homes and developers level the homes and put up a building.

Keep your options open, for instance:

You could move to Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I can get to my job in the Columbus Circle area in 32 minutes door to door during "rush hour." Folks may badmouth GP due to proximity to "hipsters" of Williamsburg however, the big concern here is the yuppsters that will take over after the impact of the waterfront re-zoning is truly felt. To that end, you can have a few good years of pre-yuppster Greenpoint action before moving to Astoria (where I also used to live).

No offense to the Astorians, I may move back there myself some day because it does have a lot to offer, but for me, right now, I much prefer my GP location, nightlife and general living situation over what I had in Astoria. Mostly this consists of being able to see rock shows in Brooklyn more readily and where my particular constellation of friends happens to be. I do, however, miss the heck out of Astoria's park (larger and cleaner, less populated than McCarren Park).

Harlem.

West Harlem rocks.

We have everything and the best Fairway.

My cousin used to live in Harlem until his building burned down.

How 'bout the Bronx, where I work? Nothing beats the boogy-down... we have black squirrels; I've seen them on the Fordham campus across from the school where I teach (must be the air pollution). They're quite pretty, though. Jet black, like black cats.

(Nah, ya probably don't want the Bronx, though Arthur Avenue and City Island are not to be missed, along with the Bronx Zoo and Botanical Gardens, of course.)

Actually, where I work in the Bronx, the Morris Park/Westchester area, is pretty sweet. Lots of families. Lots of Italians. Lots of orthodox Jews. Most of the other people in my lab live around here. It's 35 minutes or less to Columbus Circle on the 2 then 1 train.