Before moving to New York
Get rid of all unnecessary stuff you own. This includes most of the stuff you own actually. Before you move you should be down to the bare essentials. This means a smallish wardrobe and whatever you need to do your job. Sorry, you probably can’t count your Playstation as essential unless you are a games journalist. Remember that space and shipping costs are at a premium in NYC, so the less junk you need to lug around the better.
On the other hand regular stuff is not that much more expensive to buy in New York than in the rest of the US. So once you really need something go ahead and buy it, but try not to buy stuff without good reason as you will probably move around a bit to begin with.
Start working on a job before you move to New York. Craigslist is a good place. Blast out resumes and try to have some leads when you arrive. The sooner you get an income the better. Remember that many people who live in or moves to NYC are ambitious and skilled. They come to NYC to make it big. There will be competition for everything so bring your A-Game and remember that a first impression might be all you got to work with.
New York Times Square
A place to live in NYC
Unless you want to sleep in a a park (not recommended) the first thing you need after moving will be a place to stay. If you have dreams about a big luxurious apartment in the middle of Manhattan your best bet would be to stow them for now. Unless you are loaded your best bet would be to go as cheap as you are comfortable with to start with and then move up when you can afford it.
The cheapest way would be to crash at a friends, relatives or friend of a friends place until you get on your feet. Help out with rent as much as you can and do nice stuff like clean and cook and they might not kick you out after 2 days.
Renting an apartment in New York
The first thing you should do before moving to New York City is to determine where you want to live and how much you can afford to pay. Some good spots for your money to check out are places in Brooklyn that are near but not next to a housing project. Rents here are not too bad, its fairly safe and you will get to Manhattan quickly. If you are dead set on Manhattan check the outskirts, as in the eastern parts of Lower East Side. Try not to spend over 50% of your income on your housing. Its probably better to live in a less desirable spot and still have some money for entertainment than the other way around.
A problem you might run into is obtaining credit for leasing. You will need to have an annual income of over 50 times the monthly rent and an impeccable credit. If you are persistent enough you will find a building that accepts cosigners, but the same income and credit restrictions will apply to him or her.
Before you sign for the apartment make sure that you have at least six times your expected rent available. You will probably need to pay two months rent up front, two times the monthly rent as a security deposit and 10% of the annual rent as a brokers fee, which is the standard amount. Whatever is left you will probably use for emergencies and stuff like changing your apartments locks.
A cheaper option is finding a roommate. Subletting is common and you must move quick as most offers gest snapped up quickly. Check craigslist and sublets.com.
Buying a flat in New York
A good general rule for buying housing here is that you need to upscale everything. Real estate prices will be higher and you will need to act quicker.
Most flats here will range from $350,000 for a studio to millions for a larger one, so obviously you will have a huge mortgage. Add about $400 – $2000 as a building maintenance fee.
Remember to fix your finances before you go look at an viewing as it will probably be gone in a day or so.
A way to save some money is to find apartments that have not yet been renovated. The cost of the renovation will vary but the sale price will increase a lot more than the actual cost.