Cost of Living, NYC Travel RN Salaries

[StudyinginCT]

I'm a single mom, and I've always wanted to live in NYC, but never wanted to commit to it for a long period of time. I thought I'd try to figure out if it would even be possible for me to make ends meet in the city. I don't graduate for another year, and I understand that travel nurses need experience before the begin traveling. So this is still at least 2 years off for me.

The way I understand travel positions is that your housing is paid for, and you still end up with a salary that is equal to if not more than a regular, full time RN.

Does anyone have any experience with salaries for travel RN's in NYC? Is my understanding correct of how the housing reimbursement works?

Any other useful information to consider for such a venture? I assume finding an excellent nanny and great pre-school would be the costliest parts of the idea, so any ballpark figures on that front would be great!

Thanks, all!

[dreamon]

It will cost less if you live outside of Manhattan. There are great areas in Brooklyn, Queens, and parts of Jersey that you can consider. The Bronx is another choice, but be careful what area you choose. It would be better for you to narrow down hospitals then find a place to live according to your transportation route.

Public preschools are free when the baby is 4 years old. Private preschools will certainly cost you. The nanny isn't as expensive as one may assume, NYC has many immigrants who work as nannies- you'll certainly need to check their references of course. I know people who hire illegal immigrants as nannies also so they can save a few bucks. That is all up to you of course. If anyone walks around the super expensive upper west or east sides, you'll see hispanic or afro-caribbean women pushing $700 Bugaboo Frog or Maclaren strollers. If it's cool enough for the Park Avenue Princess set, it is an option you can look into.

I don't know if you are coming with a car or notbut you don't need one. That being said, I moved back to NYC for a short while with my car. Even though at times it was a pain parking on the sidewalk (sometimes just looking for a parking space takes longer than the errand you are going to run) I still liked to option of having a vehicle. Thankfully my parents had a driveway. It isn't fun to come home late at night then having to park 7 or 8 blocks away then having to walk back home. Some areas have parking garages which can run from $150 a month and up. The cool part about it is you may have the option to call the garage and have an attendant start your car or bring it down to the exit for you to just hop in and drive off. I don't know how many offer that service though and if it is extra. Maybe someone else knows.

I love to shop and to be able to drive out to Long Island (or Jersey) to shop at Nordstroms and the huge plush malls meant I needed a car, so I made sure not to part with mine. That said, I was only here temporarily so I didn't have to pay NYC insurance or registration which I hear is awful. If I had to pay I might have changed my mind. Who am I kidding, I would have kept my southern insurance LOL I'm not encouraging you to break the law of course.

You can apply for less expensive housing that isn't dangerous if you know where to look. My mom's friend just scored a 2 bedroom for a little over $900 in a relatively safe Brooklyn neighborhood. The apartments also have an athletic center and other amenities.