[jsackmann]

I've gotten my last couple places on craigslist and been happy. Look for apts that are truly 'by-owner.' Plenty of them do exist.

Astoria is relatively cheap (as noted above) and safe; other nearby neighborhoods in Queens can be even cheaper, if not quite as safe (Sunnyside, Long Island City), and if you are commuting to midtown (or in my case, not commuting at all) you're looking at <30m.

IMO, Brooklyn apts tend not to have the same value, taking safety and commute time into consideration, but plenty of people would argue with me on that point.