Any thoughts? My husband will likely drive to Great Neck for work, but we would like to live in the city. What is a more convenient area to live to do this? Thanks!

Well, the Long Island Railroad's terminus in Penn Station on 34th Street and 7th Avenue means you can essentially live anywhere in New York City, thanks to subways. The Port Washington Line to Great Neck is a fairly short ride and an affordable alternative to driving.

Look into Queens (Sunnyside, Astoria, Long Island City) and Brooklyn (downtown Brooklyn, Greenpoint, parts of Williamsburg) as there is a glut of vacant apartments available in these two boroughs, that and Manhattan is still quite overpriced although the recent real estate downturn may change this in the future. It really depends on how much you're willing to spend on an apartment and what type of an area you're looking for.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/2009 12:14PM by Blayze.

Thanks! what part of manhattan is good area to live that is A) easier to access highway by car to go to long island, or b) close to Penn Station (chelsea?)

appreciate it.

The Mid Town Tunnel (from Manhattan to the Long Island Expressway) entrance is at 36th St between 1st & 2nd Aves. The closer you are to that the better. However, I don't find that area particularly homey. Each block from there adds about a minute to the commute. Luckily this is considered a reverse commute, (majority of the traffic enters Manhattan in the morning and leaves in the evening) so the highway portion of the trip is usually fast. So consider Kips Bay and Murray Hill neighborhoods.

Believe it or not, I actually live in Kips Bay and drive to Garden City every day for work. Although not for the faint of heart, the commute is certainly feasible and usually results in a little over an hour of a commute door to door. I live on east 29th street near 2nd ave and take the midtown tunnel every day.

But in response to your actual question of where in Manhattan to live - if opting to drive, the East side is a MUST (crosstown traffic is absurd), and like john said, the closer to 36th st the better (where the entrance to the tunnel is).

Also, a garage is obviously helpful, but can cost upwards of $400/month. Personally, I park on the streets near the meters since I need to leave for work every morning at 8 anyway, and get back around 6:30 (meters generally go 8:30-7). Street parking is definitely better below 34th st in this area.

I still think sucking it up and moving into Manhattan regardless of my work situation was one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I don't regret it at all. I hope this helped, and good luck!