Only way to do it is work the deal, with roomates. Moved to ny to go to college with 1k in pocket in the 80's Lived in a dorm for a year while scoping out Apts to rent. Got a 3 brm rent stabilized place for 525 with 2 roomates. Lived there for 8 yrsl left when the rent was 825 to buy a house down the street for less than 200k. Sold house in 2000 and left town cause the kids had to go to school and the local schools sucked. House sold forore than triple what we paid. Same house now sells for over 2 mil.
I never lived in Manhattan, but then I could always afford cab fare home cause my rent was so cheap!

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95 E300D working out the kinks
77 300D, 227k, station car
83 300CD 370k, gone away
89 190E 2.6- 335k, no more
79 VW FI Bus- 145k miles, summer driver
59 VW Beetle ragtop- 175k miles
12 VW Jetta- 160k miles