Why I moved to NYC from LA: I gave up sun and space for a studio in a walk up and I love it
- Kit traded her $2,400 share in a Santa Monica townhouse for a $3,250 fourth-floor studio
"The neighborhood was really the selling point for me: I adore the West Village. It has fantastic restaurants and shopping, and overall, a very warm neighborhood feel," Kit said.
After living in Southern California her whole life, Kit moved cross-country to the West Village. She is already used to her small studio and the lack of laundry machines and elevator and would be happy to never have to drive again. Here’s her story as told to Kelly Kreth.
I was born and raised in Manhattan Beach, CA, a small town southwest of Los Angeles.
Up until this year, I lived in a three-bedroom townhouse in Santa Monica with two friends. The place had a patio, garage and a washer/dryer. My rent for the primary bedroom with en suite bath was $2,400.
The best parts of living in LA are of course the weather, the abundance of open space, proximity to the beach, and for me personally, being close to my family. I didn’t necessarily dislike anything about living in LA, I just longed for someplace new.
[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.]
In LA, my commute was 20 minutes to Amazon Studios where I worked as a publicist for Prime Video Original Series.
I spent a good amount of time at the beach with friends, going to yummy restaurants and bars or hitting up local workout classes. Some of my favorites place to go in Manhattan Beach, and in the West LA area are: Simmzy’s, Ercoles, Nicks, R+D Kitchen, and Capo.
LA is spread out so being social there is different from other, denser cities; each neighborhood has its own distinct vibe. You could go have drinks on the boardwalk at Venice Beach Bar or grab a cocktail at the Roger Room in West Hollywood. There’s lots of variation. The only true downside is the amount of time it takes to get from point A to point B.
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I always knew I wanted to move to NYC and made the final decision to do so in March 2024. I enlisted the help of Michael Bergman, an agent at Elegran Forbes Global Properties, to help me find something in the West Village under $3,500 that was clean and felt safe.
While I was in LA, Michael toured places for me and sent videos of six apartments. Having his help made this move possible.
Working with a broker is not very common in LA but was a massive help to me since I didn’t know the NYC rental market. Thankfully, the only challenges I faced were coming to terms with the small size of NYC apartments and the things you don’t always get in rentals here, like a washer/dryer, dishwasher, or elevator.
I sold my car and all my furniture in LA and packed up my belongings and shipped them to NYC.
How she likes her new place
I’m renting a studio on the fourth floor of a sixth-floor walkup. The kitchen, bathroom and bedroom are separated by walls but there's no living room. The rent is $3,250. Overall, the building is clean, management is helpful, and there is a lovely roof deck.
The downsides are no elevator and no laundry machines in the building. I send out my laundry, which is an added expense, but it is nice to not do it myself. I grocery shop at Gourmet Garage but find myself ordering in quite a bit.
What she thinks of the neighborhood
The neighborhood was really the selling point for me: I adore the West Village. It has fantastic restaurants and shopping, and overall, a very warm neighborhood feel. My favorite stores are: Big Night, Pink Olive, Blue & Cream, Isalis, and Leset. As for restaurants and coffee shops, I frequent: Corner Bistro, Fairfax, Fellini, Bar Pisellino, b'artusi, Edith’s and Apollo Bagels.
My commute to my office near 42nd Street is about 15 minutes and I can catch the B, D, F, and M trains nearby at West Fourth/Washington Square. I wouldn’t mind never driving again!
Thankfully I had a bunch of friends already living here that gave me an immediate social circle. Overall, moving was a great idea and I plan on staying. I have had many visitors and they all love my apartment and neighborhood. They adore the area and are so happy I get to have so many great experiences in a new city.
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