I do live (fort greene) and work (manhattan) in NYC. You should never use broker's though, they're a waste of money. It does take a little work to find a good deal, but you definitely can if you look early enough.
Overall, I would agree. NJ seems to have the most cheap places.
Great point about 45 commute just inside Manhattan.
EDIT: I live in fort greene and I pay 735 a month -- for validation purposes.
Avoiding broker fees is a bit easier said than done IMO. I suppose it's much easier if you already live in the city. But if you're moving to NYC and only have a limited time to find an apartment, it's hard to avoid.
Brokers seem like a good deal because they would be if they did their job. If a broker could get you a 10% better place, or 10% cheaper rent (which we'll consider equivalent) then a broker would be paid off in a year and a half (New York brokers typically charge 10-17% of a year's rent, for the uninitated). However, they start you off on miserable apartments, often play bait-and-switch games with nice ones that "just happen" to get taken before your application clears, and stop taking your calls after 5 or 6 showings-- God forbid they do some actual work to earn that commission. This makes them essentially worthless.
Overall, I would agree. NJ seems to have the most cheap places.
Great point about 45 commute just inside Manhattan.
EDIT: I live in fort greene and I pay 735 a month -- for validation purposes.