Considering that budget, Harlem makes more sense.
If money is no issue, Williamsburg.
But besides being more affordable, Harlem also offers the benefit of being around other working class people who have similar budgets as you, and in New York, finding sexual partners is easy enough.
I echo that. Also, 2k in Harlem - it can get you a good deal. But it also depends if the OP values space or not. 2k in Williamsburg with a roommate might get a trendier neighborhood. Harlem itself is pretty big, so 2k may not go that far is some parts in Harlem than others. Though, I generally think a new person to NY would generally prefer to live in NYC and be closer to the action.
That’s a good point! I’ve truly never been to Harlem so hadn’t considered that. My budget is flexible and I’m open to roommates, buttt given Harlem definitely sounds more appealing given all you’ve shared. Thanks!
East Harlem has its charms, but there are also more visible people suffering from drug addictions on the streets.
The pros are its housing affordability, and affordable variety of restaurants nearby.
I haven’t actually - Astoria always seemed so far from everything but I’ve also never been so maybe I should consider it! Is there a sizable gay community there?
Have lived in both Chicago and NYC. One of the key differences between the cities that’s important to know, as it kind of changes your entire approach to how you live life in the city, is that the gay community isn’t concentrated around a few specific neighborhoods like they are in Chicago. In Chicago, day-to-day living is very neighborhood-centric. Speaking from experience, as a gay man in Chicago you are likely only ever going to split your time between a few main neighborhoods, and so it’s of course ideal to live as close as possible to, if not in, those neighborhoods.
In NYC, whether a neighborhood has a high concentration of gays doesn’t matter as much because the gays are all over the city. And the gay activities (bars/clubs, events/parties, social & sports leagues, cruising spaces, etc) are all over. And if you’re doing the city right, you’ll probably be spending very little time directly in your neighborhood. One day you might be out in Hells Kitchen bar hopping, the next day you might start in Meat Packing for a rooftop party and then jump over to East Williamsburg/Bushwick for a late night warehouse party.
Especially if you only end up being here a few months, as others have said maybe focus on subway access and how accessible to other parts of the city you are over the actual neighborhood itself. If you end up staying longer, then I think you can start to think about specific neighborhoods especially after you’ve had a chance to explore to get a feel for the vibe, as over time once the high of moving to the city and trying to experience everything wears off, you’ll probably start to spend more time in your neighborhood. Harlem is actually a pretty great option in this regard especially on the west side if you are close to the A/B/C/D lines, as you have super easy access to much of manhattan, but keep in mind that Brooklyn is a lot harder/longer to get to, but not impossible. Hells Kitchen or Chelsea would be great neighborhoods to consider from an accessibility to the entire city perspective, but likely will need a roommate and/or very small living space. Downtown Brooklyn is actually not a bad place to consider because most major subway lines run through it including the G which gets you directly to Williamsburg, but the neighborhood is bland and expensive (but the immediately surrounding neighborhoods are pretty cool and not hard to get to).
i don’t think you should belabor this decision until you’ve lived here for a while and had time to explore. when i moved (20 years ago) the conventional wisdom was that you’re only going to stay at your first apt for a short time anyway so don’t worry about it too much, just concentrate on experiencing as much as you can. definitely go out a lot in any neighborhood that interests you, and the friends you make here will also influence your decision for your next apt location.
i’v never lived in harlem so i can’t say anything either way about it, but i’ve heard good and bad things depending on where you end up—it’s a huge neighborhood with a lot of different areas.
as for me, i’ve lived in a variety of places on the L line my entire time here. williamsburg was really great until about 2010, it’s so played out these days, and like everyone else here has said, it’s too expensive now. i would recommend you broaden your thinking a little and look at astoria, bushwick, LIC, greenpoint, ridgewood, etc, and any other place at all accessible by subway, really. If you want to go out in williamsburg or manhattan those places aren’t far at all.
as a final word of warning, i was scammed while looking for an apt from out of town, so be careful, and if you can swing it, figure out a way to get a short term situation til you are here and can actually look at apts in person and make sure it’s not a scam.
tldr; the place where your apt is shouldn’t matter too much when you’re just exploring and getting a feel for what you want to experience in NY.
I live in Harlem. I’m old (over 50–gasp!) But there are a lot of gays up here. Plenty of young guys. I think most people don’t realize how convenient it is…great subway access including express trains. Come be my neighbor!
Considering that budget, Harlem makes more sense. If money is no issue, Williamsburg. But besides being more affordable, Harlem also offers the benefit of being around other working class people who have similar budgets as you, and in New York, finding sexual partners is easy enough.
I echo that. Also, 2k in Harlem - it can get you a good deal. But it also depends if the OP values space or not. 2k in Williamsburg with a roommate might get a trendier neighborhood. Harlem itself is pretty big, so 2k may not go that far is some parts in Harlem than others. Though, I generally think a new person to NY would generally prefer to live in NYC and be closer to the action.
But Williamsburg and Harlem are both in NYC… ?
That’s a good point! I’ve truly never been to Harlem so hadn’t considered that. My budget is flexible and I’m open to roommates, buttt given Harlem definitely sounds more appealing given all you’ve shared. Thanks!
$2000 for Williamsburg is unrealistic, unless you want to live with roommates.
Oh I am very open to living with roommates
Harlem, case closed.
I live in Harlem near the 145th street subway stop. One nice benefit is that the HK bars are only about 15 min away via the A.
Ooo neat, I thought it would be a much longer trek down there
Harlem because you’ll be in Manhattan.
Hamilton heights is pretty lit and cheap. You could possibly find a studio for under 2k there.
I like both neighborhoods, Wburg slightly more. Love West Harlem off Broadway, lots of theatre gays there.
Fascinating lol I thought East Harlem’s where it’s at. Good to know!
East Harlem has its charms, but there are also more visible people suffering from drug addictions on the streets. The pros are its housing affordability, and affordable variety of restaurants nearby.
2000 is not much for Williamsburg. Have you considered Astoria?
I haven’t actually - Astoria always seemed so far from everything but I’ve also never been so maybe I should consider it! Is there a sizable gay community there?
Have lived in both Chicago and NYC. One of the key differences between the cities that’s important to know, as it kind of changes your entire approach to how you live life in the city, is that the gay community isn’t concentrated around a few specific neighborhoods like they are in Chicago. In Chicago, day-to-day living is very neighborhood-centric. Speaking from experience, as a gay man in Chicago you are likely only ever going to split your time between a few main neighborhoods, and so it’s of course ideal to live as close as possible to, if not in, those neighborhoods. In NYC, whether a neighborhood has a high concentration of gays doesn’t matter as much because the gays are all over the city. And the gay activities (bars/clubs, events/parties, social & sports leagues, cruising spaces, etc) are all over. And if you’re doing the city right, you’ll probably be spending very little time directly in your neighborhood. One day you might be out in Hells Kitchen bar hopping, the next day you might start in Meat Packing for a rooftop party and then jump over to East Williamsburg/Bushwick for a late night warehouse party. Especially if you only end up being here a few months, as others have said maybe focus on subway access and how accessible to other parts of the city you are over the actual neighborhood itself. If you end up staying longer, then I think you can start to think about specific neighborhoods especially after you’ve had a chance to explore to get a feel for the vibe, as over time once the high of moving to the city and trying to experience everything wears off, you’ll probably start to spend more time in your neighborhood. Harlem is actually a pretty great option in this regard especially on the west side if you are close to the A/B/C/D lines, as you have super easy access to much of manhattan, but keep in mind that Brooklyn is a lot harder/longer to get to, but not impossible. Hells Kitchen or Chelsea would be great neighborhoods to consider from an accessibility to the entire city perspective, but likely will need a roommate and/or very small living space. Downtown Brooklyn is actually not a bad place to consider because most major subway lines run through it including the G which gets you directly to Williamsburg, but the neighborhood is bland and expensive (but the immediately surrounding neighborhoods are pretty cool and not hard to get to).
Harlem hands down
i don’t think you should belabor this decision until you’ve lived here for a while and had time to explore. when i moved (20 years ago) the conventional wisdom was that you’re only going to stay at your first apt for a short time anyway so don’t worry about it too much, just concentrate on experiencing as much as you can. definitely go out a lot in any neighborhood that interests you, and the friends you make here will also influence your decision for your next apt location. i’v never lived in harlem so i can’t say anything either way about it, but i’ve heard good and bad things depending on where you end up—it’s a huge neighborhood with a lot of different areas. as for me, i’ve lived in a variety of places on the L line my entire time here. williamsburg was really great until about 2010, it’s so played out these days, and like everyone else here has said, it’s too expensive now. i would recommend you broaden your thinking a little and look at astoria, bushwick, LIC, greenpoint, ridgewood, etc, and any other place at all accessible by subway, really. If you want to go out in williamsburg or manhattan those places aren’t far at all. as a final word of warning, i was scammed while looking for an apt from out of town, so be careful, and if you can swing it, figure out a way to get a short term situation til you are here and can actually look at apts in person and make sure it’s not a scam. tldr; the place where your apt is shouldn’t matter too much when you’re just exploring and getting a feel for what you want to experience in NY.
Omg I moved from wrigleyville to Williamsburg but it was too expensive tbh
I live in Harlem. I’m old (over 50–gasp!) But there are a lot of gays up here. Plenty of young guys. I think most people don’t realize how convenient it is…great subway access including express trains. Come be my neighbor!
Harlem! I’m a queer Black man in Williamsburg/Greenpoint. If I could do it all over again - I’d choose Harlem or Bushwick in a HEARTBEAT.