Suburban girl moving to New York City...Advice?

I'm 21, from California, and recently graduated with a B.A. in Psychology. I'm set on moving to New York, alone, sometime in the winter, and was wondering if the New Yorkers could give advice/tips on settling down in the big city. I'll have a few grand saved up by the time I make the actual move.





Where are some good locations for an affordable studio?? Budgeting? Recommendations of great restaurants?? What should I avoid doing? How should I go about looking for jobs?? Etc etc....





Anything you have to impart is welcome!Suburban girl moving to New York City...Advice?
Look into moving in the outer boroughs, the city is way too expensive even though rental prices have fallen. You're better off finding good deals in Brooklyn. I suggest Williamsburg Brooklyn, because of its proximity to Manhattan (short train ride 10-15 min).





Williamsburg is filled with young people (hipsters), clubs, lounges, restaurants and clothing boutiques. When you get out of the train, its like walking onto a campus. Its definitely youthful.





Studios on the low side can run around $1000-1200, while a studio in the city will run you around $1600-2000. Less if you go farther into Brooklyn or higher uptown in Manhattan. Many people get roomates to lower the cost.





Check out craigslist.com, look at the apts, check out the roomates section also. But beware of scammers, never send any money by mail, always look at the apt and ask for credentials.





PeaceSuburban girl moving to New York City...Advice?
Hey! Ok so i was in your exact position last year. I ended up moving from So Cal to NY in January. I will tell you one thing, if you have never visited YOU NEED TOO. Like it was said above, NY is a city like no others and it is very hard on you if your not ready. Especially coming from CA where we are so used to cars and a relatively easy life, NY is challenging. Besides that,





I moved here without a job, and am currently employed and couldn't be happier,so it is possible; However, i did have connections and wanted to go into sales. This is not to discourage at all, just something to keep in mind.





Living: i would suggest looking into subletting a room or studio from someone. I did that when i first moved and it would allow you to save a lot of money, (no bed to buy, deposit etc.) also you can get to know the areas that you may want to live in without tying yourself to a lease.





Budgeting: you are going to spend more $ than you ever thought on Food and drinks (if you drink). That is where my money goes. Just know you cannot even compare it to what you spend in CA.





Location: I personally love Murray Hill as mentioned, also the east and west villages. I think these places all have a great mix of people, but also a very hip young social scene.





I hope this helped, if you want more advice i have A LOT to give only becasue i was you a 7 months ago so just ask me. Good luck!
Try to secure a job offer before moving here. With the economy as bad as it is jobs are tough and it's a highly competitive market. I hate to be the one to break it to you but a BA in Psychology won't pay much here in NYC, you'll need a Ph.D. in that field. Yes REALLY. Start with online services such as Monster.com Here's the link: http://www.monster.com/ or try a professional service such as the NY State Psychologist Association: http://nyspa.associationcareernetwork.co鈥?/a>





Renting an apartment usually requires a credit check and first and last months deposit. You'll need more than a couple of grand. Here is an example of a studio apartment for rent: http://www.nycdwellers.com/new_york_apar鈥?/a> it is located in Murray Hill which is on the East Side of Manhattan. And here is an example of a studio apartment on the Upper East Side: http://manhattan-newyork.olx.com/2499-st鈥?/a>





Budgeting? That's personal and depends on your income.





Restaurants: One of the best sources for restaurants is MenuPages.com (http://www.menupages.com) not only can you see the menus WITH prices but, you can read reviews from real people. It's usually pretty accurate!





Avoid: coming to NYC without visiting here first. What you see on TV is vastly different than real life in NYC. Stay at least a week and see if this is really where you want to live.





Good luck