free vs $500...hmmm

FREE RENT:
Living with a good friend of mine.
Near 122 St and Amsterdam, by Columbia.
Nice area.
I have stayed there before, so I am a little familiar with the location.
Staying in the living room on the couch or good air mattress.
Cute pug lives there.
Kitchen: veggie. No meat, at least can't cook any meat there. Take out is ok.
Free rent with the exception of paying for doggie care a few weekends so my friend and I can explore without having to come back to the apt and walk, feed, chill with the child.


$500 RENT:
Further north on 147 St and Broadway.
Harlem
2 roommates - 1 a former co-worker, the other unknown
$500 plus gas/electric
My own room, twin bed, drawers, shelf....so a little more private then the other location
Possibly more of a real experience of living in NYC then above option....it might give me a better picture maybe.
Further away from the action. One friend told me that I might not be up for walking around in that area. But the subway is extremely close so I can hop on there very easily.


Both of these offers have the pros and cons for sure.
---For the price both are good, far better then $1,000 a month with a stranger
---One option provides for a space of my own, while the other is basically free but I am in the living room.
---In both I know at least one of the roommates.
---If I stayed at either place it would mean I would not have to worry about subletting my place in Los Angeles. I would not have to worry about someone living in my place and being a good and/or bad tenant
---One reason for trying out NYC for 2 months is to try and get a better feel for the city, a more real feel like the everyday New Yorker. Does one of these options offer a better feel then the other? Does it matter? Is just being in NYC enough?


What do I need to make my stay in NYC enjoyable, comfortable, safe, fun, real, easy, hard, the best possible experience possible. LOL!!!
I need everything at my finger tips. I need everything to be as easy as pie. I need a penthouse apartment with a hot, loving, sexy, romantic, amazing man.
LOL!!!

Decisions to be made.
Different possibilities to think about.

Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, or an Island in the Pacific. Every place has its pros and cons.