Well, it s a little-known fact that there are actually lots of affordable apartments on the east side of the swanky Upper East Side, so, if you got a job up there, then look for an apartment up there, too, especially in the Yorkville area, which is the northern-most and eastern-most part of the UES, near Gracie Mansion, the Mayor s residence.Good luck, and the link below is to a webpage about real estate on the UES, and the links on the left side of that page will take you to webpages about all of New York City s other neighborhoods, too...
go as cheap as u can possibly find, even if the neighborhood is bad, cuz with part of the difference u save, u are gonna hire a big, strong guy to be ur bodyguard and walk u home after 11pm each night.
Im a Realtor here in the city with Metropolitan Property. Email me if you need help finding a place. Move2Manhattan@yahoo.com