Where is a good place for a young person to live in Philly?

Where is the best place for a young person on a budget to live in NYC?

• I'm in my mid-20s and am looking to live in NYC for <$1100 per month. Can you break down some of the different neighborhoods and the pros and cons of each? Like, Harlem, Astoria, Williamsburg, etc.? EDIT: More specifics: I work in manhattan and would ideally like to be in manhattan/have quick access to manhattan. I'd also like the area to be safe. What are the best areas of Harlem?

• Answer:

  Williamsburg is no longer a "budget location."  You can go further on the L-line to East Williamsburg and Bushwick. All of them are pretty decent choices, but what I found in moving to NYC was that starting with a neighborhood and then looking for an apartment there was the wrong approach.  What ended up happening was that I looked on craigslist for an apartment, and when there was something decent, I went there and then decided whether I liked the neighborhood then and there.  The thing about NYC is that the rental market is so fast, that you'll likely choice the neighborhood based on what apartments are available (and they will get rented within a week) rather than start with the neighborhood and choice the apartment. The only situation where this won't work is if you have kids, and you care about the quality of the local schools.