Why I moved to NYC from Long Island: After living with mean roommates, I wanted to own a place of my own

Tired of her mean-girl roommates, Rachel moved back home to save up to buy a place in NYC. She found she could stretch her budget in Sunnyside, where she scored a renovated co-op sponsor unit. Here’s her story as told to Kelly Kreth.

I was born and raised in East Meadow, New York. It’s a diverse area on the south shore of Long Island with some chain stores, small businesses, and a decent school district.

My parent bought their house when they got married in their 20s. It is a 2,500-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-bath split level. They renovated multiple times over the years and made the house more modern. My dad is a contractor, so he's very particular and can fix most things.

[Editor's note: Brick Underground's series The Newcomers features first-person accounts about why a renter or buyer decided to take a chance on NYC.]

I think the location is ideal: only 40 minutes to Manhattan and 20 minutes from the beach, and not too far from East End of Long Island, where there's a ton to do. I don't like to drive but you absolutely need a car to live on Long Island.

I'm vegan and my favorite place for healthy food is Fuel Your Body in Hicksville. I also love bagels and my favorite places are Long Island Bagel Cafe in Bellmore and Bagel Chalet in Merrick. My favorite delis are Amia's Deli in East Meadow and Maple Street Deli in Islip—formerly known as Kleiber's Deli; it is far but worth the drive.

Why she decided to move

East Meadow was a great place to grow up, but it doesn't exactly fit the lifestyle I want for my late 20s now.

I lived in Hoboken for two years after college where I shared a three-bedroom rental. My roommates were mean girls and pretty awful. I had already decided to move out when I tore my ACL and required knee surgery. I moved back to my parents' house to focus on my recovery and save up to buy a place. My parents didn’t ask me to pay rent for the year I stayed with them so I could save more.

I'm a CPA and work as a senior associate at a mid-size public accounting firm doing corporate tax. I'm based out of my firm's Boston office and work remotely.

Wanted: A large one bedroom in NYC for $550,000

I started my hunt in October. I'm in Manhattan a lot—most of my friends live there and I often go out to dinner and bars with them, so I wanted someplace that would offer a quick route to Manhattan.

Originally I wanted buy in Brooklyn, but didn't like my options. I have a friend who has been living in Long Island City for a bit and raved about it. LIC was a bit out of my price range, so I looked at nearby Sunnyside and Astoria, and liked Sunnyside more.

At first I didn’t want to work with a buyer’s agent, but I was referred to Kunal Khemlani, an agent at Corcoran. He really helped me narrow down neighborhoods based on my personal preferences and commute goals and sent me apartment options that I may have not considered.

My goal was either a big one bedroom or a two bedroom, for a price that wouldn't break the bank. I wanted an elevator building with a laundry room. Ideally the neighborhood would have some decent bars and restaurants, but that wasn't a dealbreaker.

I'm a runner and currently training for the Berlin Marathon, so I finding running routes near me was also important.

My budget was up to $550,000 with a monthly maintenance of $1,000.

I saw 10 apartments and I liked a one-bedroom co-op in Sunnyside listed for $485,000—a newly renovated sponsor unit. I put in an offer of $472,000 and that’s when the challenges began.

What she would have done differently

When I went into contract on my apartment, I was using a family friend as a mortgage broker. He is based on Long Island and said he can handle financing for a co-op. Kunal recommended a different lender who the sponsor had worked with in the past and who had approved the building. But I decided to go with my family friend, since I trusted him and he assured me he could get the mortgage.

After over two months of waiting, we finally scheduled a closing date for a Monday morning in May. The Friday afternoon before the closing, the bank decided they didn't have enough information and could not allow me to close. The building’s management company sent the bank the necessary information on Monday morning, and the bank still did not clear me to close.

So, went back to the bank that Kunal recommended, and I was cleared to close in about two weeks. This process would not have taken so long if I originally went with a bank that understands the nuances and restrictions of NYC co-ops. Now I highly recommend NYC buyers get representation and listen to your agent!

What she thinks of her new place

My one bedroom is spacious and I am the first to live here since the renovation. The 110-plus-unit building appears to be in relatively good shape and I think it's in a great location: a five-minute walk to the 7 train. It's also relatively close to LIC and about a 10- to 15-minute subway ride into Manhattan. There’s a laundry room in the basement.

There are a few things I wish I could change: When you walk into the building there is a lobby-like area where delivery packages accumulate, and I wish this space was more organized since it's the first thing you see.

The exterior is being upgraded and there is scaffolding around the entrance, but that is temporary. Parking near the building seems tough, so when people visit, I may advise them to take the train. The elevator is also a bit outdated.

The neighborhood seems vibrant with a community-feel. People are friendly and I've gone to a few restaurants. I'm so excited to explore the area more and looking forward to joining some intramural sports leagues and clubs to meet people.

There's a grocery store less than a block away and there is a Trader Joe's over a mile walk from my apartment.

My firm's NYC office is in Hudson Yards, right off the 7 train, so I'll have an easy commute when I need to go into the office.

My parents have visited my new place and they like it. My dad, always the contractor, noted some upgrades that he can make.

Buying just makes so much more sense than renting, and I am glad I was able to do so in my 20s. I am loving the area and plan on staying a long time.  

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