Where is the cheapest and safest area to rent in New York City?

New York is so expensive that your teeth will fall out when you see the prices. Rents of several thousand dollars a month for a one or two bedroom apartment are not unknown in Manhattan and they start at nearly $1000/month for a one-bedroom in an outer borough. Anything close by such as Nassau County, Long Island or Hoboken or Union City New Jersey will be costly too.

That being said, your best bet within City limits will be Staten Island or the North Bronx. Staten Island requires a daily ferry commute so many people don't like it.

The North Bronx is not well known and many people hear "Bronx" and think of the days 20 years ago when the South Bronx was deadly. Please note, the South Bronx, nearer to Manhattan has actually gotten costly. Such North Bronx neighborhoods as Pelham Bay, Bedford Park, Morris Park or Riverdale offer safe family-like residential neighborhoods in exchange for a somewhat longer commute by express train, express bus or Metronorth.

Coming from a family who on both sides hail from New York, I can tell you that it's going to be difficult to find an affordable apartment in the NYC metro area, especially on a month to month basis. The rents are insane and if you are talking about renting an apartment for 3 people which would be a 2-3 bedroom apartment, you're talking about 2,500 to 3,000 dollars a month--and that is on the more AFFORDABLE side! You have to be willing to get a 1 bedroom apartment or even a studio with your friends and simply use cots/air mattresses in order to find a place. The studios in NYC alone can be as high as $2000+ every month. What you do have going for you are roommates who can split the rent.

As for locations, Manhattan is as I said, insanely expensive. However the opportunities get better the further uptown you go. Try Harlem, Inwood, Washington Heights, Queens, and the Bronx.

Links: (excerpt from Inwood page) "The combination of less expensive housing, extensive wild parks and access to the water has also attracted a number of artists, students and musicians to the neighborhood.

Inwood appeals to many who seek lower housing costs and, in places, a more serene setting, without actually leaving Manhattan and its subway connections"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inwood,_Manhattan

Washington Heights: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Heights,_M...

Harlem: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem

Queens: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queens

For a more affordable apartment, I especially recommend Queens. My mother's family is from there and many of the areas are still close to Manhattan (by subway or bus, it can be short as 30 minutes-45 minutes away, other areas it can be an hour), and you have an abundance of activities, great restaurants, museums, parks, culture, nightclubs, etc.

Great areas in Queens which are very close to the city are Elmhurst and Springfield Gardens where I frequently visited family:

Elmhurst: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmhurst,_Queens

Springfield Gardens: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_Gardens,_...

There are of course many more areas in Queens that might interest you.

Some links you might find useful are Urban Living.net

http://unfurnished.new-york-apartment.com/en/listi...

http://www.rent.com/

You can try living in Astoria, Queens, which is located right across the East River from Manhattan. You can get from there to Midtown in 10 to 15 minutes, and to Lower Manhattan in 30 minutes. I hope this information is very helpful. Good luck Native New Yorker

Try outside the city aka the 5 boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, The Bronx). You ca

Cheapest almost never equals safest.

But there are some neighborhoods in the borough of Queens that are less expensive and relatively safe. And, of course, there are subways and buses.

You mean near a subway station? Look at Craigslist or the Village Voice for sublets or contact a real estate broker for a sublet

Queens should be fine. its very close to manhattan and prices are a little lower than manhattan.

I agree with Mary.