Need loads of New York advice

[superkoax]

Well, here is the story:

I want to study in New York from fall 2008. But many things MUST come together before the possibility of moving is present ok?

The college I hope to be attending is FIT (Fashion Institute Of Technology) and that college is residing on Manhatten.

Question #1:

Where are the safest places to live in New York?

Question #2:

Is there any good websites that is helping people getting apartments?

Any other tips regarding studying/living in New York is much,much,much appreciated!!!

Thanks everyone!

Gerry

[plugsnpixels]

Gerry, I'm originally from New Jersey so I'll give this a shot:

Answer to question #1: Anywhere but!

#2: Try Craigslist (http://newyork.craigslist.org/).

Remember this little rhyme:

Do not go in Central Park
After dark

As for the subways, I understand if you shoot someone in self-defense, you will go to jail. So it is better to rob other people with your gun.

!!

[superkoax]

thanks, pluggy! nice to see some advice...central park after dark...ok...I found some appartments on the craigslist, but no pictures of them...do you know any other sites where they have to put up pictires in order to get their add approved?

cheers


Gerry

[plugsnpixels]

Here's another web directory that may prove helpful:
http://newyork.citysearch.com/

More specifically,
http://newyork.citysearch.com/yellow...html?gcats=140

I worked with CitySearch in Nashville 10 years ago, and they know their cities.

[superkoax]

thanks again, plug! but the house rent is that listed as pr week or month on the craigslist site?


Cheers


Gerry

[BodegaGo]

nyc tips:

1. FIT is where all the hot/dumb girls, who are really into fashion and not much else, from all over the country goto school. you will be neck deep in hot ladies

2. barnes & nobles is secret pee land. i can't tell you how many tourist friends have thanked me for this tip. if you're wandering around, and need to pee, look for a b&n, they're everywhere. starbucks bathrooms are usually out of order or smell like death

3. look into brooklyn for apt, or something through school, they usually have student housing services. i'd recommend jersey as a cheap alternative as well, but from what i know of FIT you need to live in the state of NY to get the discounted tuition, since it's a state school. the farther away you have to travel to school the cheaper rent will be

4. queens might as well be another country. housing is cheap there but you'll never want to come back into the city once your home, and your best friends will visit you once every 6 months

5. if you end up living in a bad neighborhood cause the rent is cheap, you should still be pretty safe as long as you don't get too friendly with your neighbors. these are the people that will rob you, speaking from jaded experience. keep to yourself and you'll be ok

[superkoax]

Originally Posted by BodegaGo

nyc tips:

but from what i know of FIT you need to live in the state of NY to get the discounted tuition, since it's a state school.

OK?! I'm from Norway, will I get that discount if I live in NY?

I talked to a company that specializes within studies abroad, and they said that I would not get that since I'm from Norway!

gerry

[BodegaGo]

i'm no specialist, if you're already speaking to one you should probably take their advice

friends i have that attended FIT that were from out of state got the discounted tutition, once they were living in NY state for 12 months. so the instate tutition applied to them starting their sophmore year. but again, i don't know, it might be more complicated with international students

[superkoax]

Bodega: I've read about that. Once you've lived in NY for more then 12months you are eligible for in state residents fee . can you tell if the rental prices are listed as a weekly price or monthly price? visit http://newyork.craigslist.org

Cheers

Gerry

[BodegaGo]

listing the monthly rent is standard. if it's a weekly deal they'd probably say so within the listing details somewhere

[Jim In Times Sq]

I'd suggest finding a room mate ...or two, to share the expenses. Roomies will try your patience at times, but you'll have a better shot at living in a better neighborhood, i.e. near your job or school. You could try looking at bulletin boards at F.I.T., or perhaps the school has online postings for students looking to share.

Brooklyn is a possibility. The Williamsburg area is where many artists and students have settled and it's just across the river from Manhattan.

New York City is the safest big city in the country. I've lived here since 1993 and can fortunately say that I've never been touched by crime. On the other hand, for the same length of time, I lived in Houston, Texas, where not only myself, but also friends and relatives were victimized time and time again. Most American cities are ghost-towns after nightfall. I'm not referring to automobile traffic, I mean people walking to and from restaurants, homes, work, movies, theaters, parks, etc. Neither myself nor any out-of-towner I've taken to see the sights, has ever been apprehensive about their surroundings. Even visitors from tiny towns who have never been to NYC before were amazed at how safe they felt after dark. I'm not saying not to use common sense, but common sense goes a lot farther in New York than most people realize.

...oh, just so you don't get the wrong idea, Central Park isn't the crime-ridden place it's depicted in Hollywood and on television. That stuff makes for great story-lines and interesting crime-drama, but the fall of darkness will hardly be your demise. ...after all, in December it's dark by 4:15 pm, and you'll see hundreds of regular folks jogging, walking, sitting, or just soaking in the scenery. Very few, if any, will ever become victims.

...and this bit of advice that I've was given years ago and that I've put to good use is this, while in New York (and any other place for that matter) never appear to be an out-of-towner. Always look as if you know what you're doing and where you're going. You should talk-the-talk as well, that means know the lingo. If you repeat your post out-loud it will be a dead give-away that you're not from New York. Say it as a New Yorker would say it, F.I.T. is in, Manhattan (the borough), not on Manhattan (the island).

I hope this helps a little. You'll do just fine, I did.

[superkoax]

JIM: Welcom to rp.com and many thanks for this nice post!

I'm struggling to get funding for freshman year right now, since the department of education doesn't support/approve the freshman year in the bachelor degree. Freshman year in USA is not within university standards in Norway, so therefor I need to look elsewhere for money! JEEZ! I was talking and planning with my fiancé the other day and she said that all our plans was too good to be true! So I'm looking for sponsorship deals! hehe...sending emails to various companies!

gerry

[ftp-Jeff]

Good luck! I lived and worked in New York back in the 80's. It was great fun.

Look at Staten Island, cheaper to live there than the city!

We ended up in NJ.. Loved it!

Jeff

[superkoax]

Jeff: Thanks! Nice tips! Will look into it! I got a extra job in Norway working nightshifts cleaning oilriggs for 80$ pr hour So maybe I can make it!!! MAAAYBEEE!!!!!


Gerry