It's Tough Out There for a Middle-Class New Yorker
Income levels that would enable a very comfortable lifestyle in other locales barely suffice to provide the basics in New York City, says the the Center for an Urban Future in a new report that merely provides data to back up what all city residents already new. The group estimates that the same quality of…
Income levels that would enable a very comfortable lifestyle in other locales barely suffice to provide the basics in New York City, says the the Center for an Urban Future in a new report that merely provides data to back up what all city residents already new. The group estimates that the same quality of life that costs $50,000 a year in Houston will run you $123,322 in the Big Apple; San Francisco is a distant second at $95,489 with LA at $80,583 and Philadelphia at $69,196. In addition, many New Yorkers put up with commutes that double the national average of 25 minutes. One Brooklyn Bridge Park even gets an unnamed reference: “If it wasn’t already clear that the cost of living in New York City is greatly out-of-whack with the rest of the country, it certainly became apparent in early 2008 when a new condo development in Brooklyn Heights began selling individual parking spaces—not apartments, parking spaces—for as much as $280,000.” So it’s no surprise that the report finds that many people have been giving up on New York. In fact, twice as many people with bachelor’s degrees left New York in 2005-2006 than in the prior two-year period. So what’s to do: Among other recommendations, the report suggests diversifying the economy, focus on basic infrastructure and quality of life issues rather than building flashy new projects and increase housing stock that is affordable to the middle class.
This is the reason why the real estate plummet, restaurant desperation, etc. is a good thing for us.
The cost of living is in the stratosphere, so as reality begins to kick-in people will have a reason to stay.
For every person who leaves the city b/c (s)he hates it, there are probably two who want to stay but just can’t afford it.
http://www.zephyr-re.com/searchresults.cfm
Representative:
Hayes valley: 359k
Civic center: 385k
Bernal Heights, SOMA, 399k
Having lived 18 years in SF, I know these are all reasonable areas. And, going up:
Parnassus, Lower Pacific Heights: 600-650k
In fact, if you set floor cost to 750k, you get mostly 2 bedrooms. and even:
$759,000 – Potrero Hill – new Condo/Coop
/TIC/Loft 3 bedroom
Hey, six&counting. Nothing inappropriate about circular onanism (hearkening back to the Sunset Park porn district thread from earlier in the week).
cmu, where are the $350K one bedrooms? I lived there for 12 years and checked craigslist before posting.
CMU,
I certainly don’t disagree with your general evaluation of the Bay Area, but one can have “pride of place” while realizing that there are many other worthwhile places to live, visit, and explore in the United States and the world, and without denigrating those places. My point is that many New Yorkers express their provincial attitudes in that they won’t, don’t, or can’t realize this simple fact, and feel the need to constantly engage in self-congratulatory praise about how great NYC is (insert inappropriate circular onanistic metaphor here) and claim that in any other country it would be the capital. Obviously NYC (well, ok, Brooklyn and maybe Queens) is a nice place to live, but one need not call other cities ersatz to affirm that fact. I’m proud of San Diego, and remain a Padres and Chargers fan, but I realize that city has its faults too and that it’s not for everyone.
“overly obsessed with style and trendiness (Sex and the City syndrome), elitist and classist, and strangely unwilling to grow up, get married, and actually commit themselves to other people over the long term.”
Hmm, if you think this about New Yorkers, try the Bay Area sometime. More uncommitted, single and weirdo people than you can shake a stick at.
In many ways, NYC is far above most other cities, and it is not “myopic and provincial” to state or recognize that, it’s just having a pride of place. In most countries, the city that stands in for NYC (financial, cultural capital, cosmopolitans, and not incidentally the most expensive) is also its capital and the most desirable city. Of course, if you don’t care for all the good and bad that comes with a true city, you can like ersatz ones like Houston, San Diego or Atlanta.
“(mine ends in A)”
careful benson, we’ve narrowed you down to one out of seven or so people in the picture!
yeah dave,im finaly agreeing with u on something.Philly $69,196 does not make any sense at all.not when u can buy a house there for 30-40k.and im not just talking out of my ass.i lived in philly and have a lot of friends who live there.i know plenty about the RE,and the quality of life there.
Congrats, Benson. I agree, that is impressive.
Speaking of Ben Heppner, my friend and I, both opera singers at the time, ran into him at the Brooklyn Diner on 57th Street. He was singing at Carnegie Hall that evening. He was quite nice about being recognized, and chatted with us for a while about singing and the opera biz. A really nice man.