Live in the suburbs or in the city?

[mwanafalsafa]

I've narrowed my apartment/room search down to a few places and it seems like the choice is coming down too a) get a cheaper but still very nice room in a house in a valley and buy a moped (for about $1500) to commute into the city for work and play or b) pay higher rent to live in a studio in Waikiki and not buy a moped.

The difference in rent might be about $200 a month.

I'm leaning toward buying a moped and living farther away from downtown/waikiki because even though it'll cost me a lot up front the difference will be made up after a few months of paying cheaper rent, and I'll always be able to sell it for a good portion of what I bought it for.

But am I missing anything?

[helen]

Re: Live in the suburbs or in the city?

You can carry only so much on a moped. So the place in the valley how close is to things like stores or places to eat? Is the place in the valley kind of close to a bus stop? If so how many routes service that stop?

The place in Waikiki how close is to shopping or the bus stops?

And assuming you found a place to work at how far is that from the two places you have in mind?

Speaking of which what about utilities? Is that covered in the rent in the two places or is that extra?

[mwanafalsafa]

Re: Live in the suburbs or in the city?

The bus stops right in front of the house in the valley. I'm only buying a moped because I go in and out late at night after the buses stop running. The room is 650 including utilities while the Waikiki studio is 775 including utilities (but the building does not have internet, wtf?)

I haven't found a job yet but hopefully it'll be at a restaurant in Waikiki. Commute would only be about 15 - 20 minutes by moped, maybe 30 - 40 by bus.