Young or early career professionals are young adults who have just started out working in their various fields. They usually come in as entry-level staff, where they do a lot of the grunt work. They don’t really earn much, and as such tend to look for affordable apartments in neighborhoods close to work or with a minimal commute time to work.
New York is a bustling metropolis with so many opportunities for fresh graduates to work in the fields of finance, business, fashion, theatre, performing arts, and even medicine.
As more and more college students graduate and enter the workforce in New York, the population of young professionals looking for apartments increases. Most of these people might come from out of state and not have the privilege of living at home while they sort themselves out.
In this article, we’ll talk about living options for young professionals, and then highlight neighborhoods that are affordable enough for them to live in.
Living Options for Young Professionals
Living at Home
This is the best and most cost-effective method of living as a young professional. Living at home means you get to save on things like rent, groceries, and utilities because all those things are being handled by your parents. It also means you can keep your old childhood room. You also don’t have to put so much thought into meal prep, because you get to eat at home.
You get bonus points if you can carpool with someone in your family, which means you can save on transportation too (you still have to contribute money for gas though).
Living at home comes with its downsides too. For one, you won’t have the privacy that you otherwise would have if you lived alone. Another downside is having to abide by house rules and observe curfew.
Although the downsides are not that serious, they chafe at people who really value their independence.
Renting an Apartment with a Friend
Renting an apartment in a really great neighborhood with someone you know is nothing short of a dream. It means you skip the initial awkward getting to know you phase, and you go right into the settling down phase where you are comfortable with each other.
A big plus to this situation would be renting an apartment with a college roommate or a co-worker, or even a sibling or cousin. It is cozy, and you can create just the right atmosphere with minimal effort, not to mention that this relationship will keep you from feeling lonely or getting homesick.
One thing to note is that you should get all the uncomfortable discussions (the ones about money) out of the way before you begin your journey as roommates. That will help for an easier transition.
Finding a Roommate
The age-old dance of early adulthood. You are independent, but not independent or wealthy enough to afford to live on your own, so you have to find someone you can share the cost of rent, bills, and utilities with. There’s also the choice of a neighborhood to consider.
Thankfully, finding a roommate has become easier these days. You can either leverage word of mouth through your circle or network, you can use social media or online tools to help you find the best person to live with.
Note that this process involves a lot of fine-tuning and hours of meticulous research. Don’t let all that deter you. It is possible for you to find a roommate online. There are thousands, if not millions of success stories of finding roommates online. The cardinal rule to follow to weed out potential scams is “If it looks suspicious, it most definitely is suspicious.”
Coliving
More and more young people are turning to co-living as the best answer to their living space issues. Coliving is a modern concept of living that brings together people with similar interests or occupations to live in a house and build a community that will help them achieve their goals.
There are a lot of companies offering co-living spaces to young people in New York.
Before you choose the coliving option, you should determine if you’re ready to live in a community of like-minded people.
- Will it be the best option for you?
- What neighborhood would you like to live in?
- Would you want to live with people that work in the same field or have the same hobbies?
- How will coliving affect your life?
- What kind of coliving company would you choose?
- One that takes care of everything, or one that takes care of the basics, leaving you and your roommate to bond over sharing responsibility?
Coliving is fun and is a great way to improve your social capital and network with people in the same field.
Best Neighborhoods for Young Professionals in New York
There are a host of neighborhoods from Queens to Brooklyn to Manhattan that are optimized for young professionals to enjoy living in. Here are a few of them.
Astoria, Queens
Astoria is a multicultural neighborhood with a casual vibe. It is 13% more affordable than the rest of New York, which makes it a great choice for young people in New York.
Lower East Side, Manhattan
The Lower East Side in Manhattan is one of the best neighborhoods to rent a house in because it is affordable, and it is close to the hub of NYC’s amazing nightlife and entertainment.
Murray Hill, Manhattan
Murray Hill is a neighborhood that caters to students and workers as it has the best places to unwind over a couple of drinks. It is an affordable neighborhood in Manhattan and its proximity to Midtown and Grand Central Station makes it easy to get to other parts of the city.
Upper East Side, Manhattan
The Upper East Side in Manhattan is known for affluence and luxury, but there are reasonably priced accommodation options in this neighborhood. The Upper East Side boasts of a low crime rate and its proximity to Central Park doesn’t hurt at all.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg, Brooklyn is an affordable, trendy neighborhood that fuses its Brooklyn charm with New York’s bustling nightlife to create a haven for young professionals. It is also very accessible to commuters both inside and out of the neighborhood.
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One Last Word
We hope this article was helpful, and that armed with this information on the types of living options young professionals prefer and what neighborhoods are affordable and cater to them, you can go out and make the best apartment choices for yourself.
Share this article with your friends who are also looking to find great, affordable houses in New York.
