Finding the Right Place to Live in NYC While You’re Learning English February 6, 2017

Manhattan is only 13.4 miles from top to bottom and 2.3 miles from east to west. When you stop and think about it in this way, you realize just how small the borough really is! With that, you have to wonder where all the 1.6 million people that live in Manhattan actually live. How can such a tiny place hold so many people?

It can be daunting to find a place to live in New York City with this in mind, especially if learning English is on your long list of daily goals. The renting market is quite competitive, as there are hundreds of people looking for places to live, whether they’re new to the city, here temporarily, or looking to simply switch neighborhoods or try a different scene. The advantage to this is there is never a shortage of great units to choose from!

Before going on your search, I recommend spending some time alone with your online bank account and take record of your overall budget. Make a list of every obligatory bill you have to pay each month: this must include any and all credit card bills, student loans, health insurance payments, monthly memberships (gym, Apple, etc.), cell phone payments, and any other establishments that require payment on a monthly basis. From here, figure out how much you have to spend on rent per month. This will give you an idea of how comfortable you’d like to live: are you okay with spending a bit more on a nice apartment but sacrificing many social activities, or would you rather pay less in rent for a small unit far from the subway in order to have more social spending money? Once you address these questions, you’ll have an idea of approximately the price range of your ideal apartment.

From here, this is where you’ll put your English learning skills to use. Before beginning your search, make a list of questions you envision asking the landlord and/or potential roommates. I’d recommend writing them down—in English!—because it can be very easy to go blank and completely forget what you want to ask. Inquire about safety of the neighborhood, walking distance to public transportation, grocery stores, laundry facilities, etc., and don’t forget to ask about general apartment questions, such as average utility bills per month, noise levels, and roommate habits/behaviors. The more you think to ask in the beginning, the less surprise there will be later if you decide to take the apartment! Writing down these questions in English will help the flow of your conversation, and engaging with these individuals will make you feel more comfortable with the language overall.

Now you are ready for the search! There are two sites that I highly recommend that will help you learn about the different boroughs and neighborhoods.

1. CraigsList

This is a great site to help you learn and adjust to city living. You can search for housing by location, price range, if you’re looking for a place of your own or looking to rent a room, or if you’re even just looking for something temporary. If you’re tight on money, you might start to notice that there are certain neighborhoods that support your budget—make sure you then research the neighborhood so you learn whether you can envision yourself living there. Map out your commute, figure out where the closest grocery store would be, etc—doing this will give you an idea of life in that apartment.

2. SpareRoom.com

This is also a great resource for those looking to split the cost of housing by renting out just a bedroom. Again, you can search by price, neighborhood, size of bedroom, whether the room is furnished or not, and on and on. You’ll quickly learn that you have many options when it comes to New York City living, and you can get really creative when it comes to finding a place to call home.

Of course, with every situation, make sure you meet these people in a public setting first and tell people what you’re up to while you’re looking at the apartment; you can never be too careful! Again, before looking at the unit, make a list of questions in English so that you don’t forget to ask anything—practice asking them and practice some example follow-up questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification or personal opinions—everyone else was new here once, too!