Looking to move out of the dorms? Tired of commuting from home and you’re ready to live on your own? Now is the perfect time to do it! In my personal experience, I lived in the dorms for the majority of my freshman year, and although I am grateful for the experience that brought me many of my friendships, I realized that I was ready and eager to find an apartment in the big city. As someone who has been happily living in the same apartment since last year, and who just renewed my lease for another year, I have curated a list of helpful tips for any Pace students looking to get an apartment!

Roommates
Deciding on whether you want to live completely alone can be a difficult question, but what personally made me decide on having a roommate is 2-fold. Firstly, I am a very independent person and thrive on being and working alone. I love being able to have my own space to come home to after a long day of schoolwork, which made me want to ensure that no matter what, I did want to have my own room when getting an apartment. Keeping this in mind, I knew that I would want my own room while still living with one other person for safety reasons. New York City is a big city with unexpected surprises that can happen at any time. Knowing that I wouldn’t be alone at night in this big city is a big security blanket I knew was important to me, but keeping the independence aspect was equally as important to me, so finding an apartment with 2 separate spaces was the perfect solution.

Budget
Talking about all things budget is incredibly important when getting an apartment. There are multiple dimensions of financing to consider when getting an apartment, and they should all be taken seriously!
Rent – Apartments in New York City are notoriously expensive, so finding one within your budget that meets all of your desires can be difficult. Having a roommate, or multiple, can ease the burden of a high rent by splitting the cost of an apartment into 2 or even 3 or 4.
Food- When you have an apartment, you are technically considered a commuter, which means you have a much different meal plan. For those who aren’t fans of the dining hall food, not having meal swipes can be a positive that comes from being a commuter, but this also means you have to weigh the cost of groceries! You can always opt to pay for a higher-level meal plan, but I personally love getting to put that money toward food I know I will love.

Electricity, Internet, HVAC- Considering expenses like these are another thing to make sure you are thinking about when looking at apartments to rent. They can vary depending on the apartment building management and the internet company you choose to get but are nonetheless still expenses to take into account when considering apartments in the city!
Location- Depending on the location in the city, rent prices can differ. You can typically find cheaper options in Chinatown or Brooklyn, whereas the apartments near Pace tend to be on the pricier side. Take some time to look into the neighborhoods the apartments you are looking at are in, and make sure you could see yourself being happy there!

Commute Time
How long are you willing to commute? I personally wanted to find an apartment that was walking distance from the school, but I know of commuters who truly don’t mind the commute! When making this decision, consider things like train delays and having to leave for class earlier than you would have to if you were in the dorms, as well as the cost of daily train rides. Still, longer commutes do tend to come with cheaper rent, so you have to weigh your options!

Amenities
What is important to you? Would you prefer an elevator? A doorman? Security? A secure mailroom? If amenities are not important to you, finding an apartment that is budget-friendly will be much easier, but make sure to find an apartment that you would be safe and comfortable in! One of the biggest amenities I needed in an apartment was a front desk/security, but every apartment has its perks! Make sure to talk these things through with your parents and roommate(s) in order to make the best decision for you.

At the end of the day, there are plenty of things to consider when choosing to dorm or find an apartment, so taking all these aspects into consideration are equally important! As a final tip from someone who recently went through this process, I recommend finding a realtor who can show you your options and get you the most perfect apartment with all the things you are looking for!