Manhattan apartments are quite expensive, so are Park Slope in Brooklyn, DUMBO, Williamsburg, Pelham Manner, New Ro, Yonkers is finally catching on as a hip place if you are on the Hudson.
I can see why people are trying to get creative.
Freaking Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow is $$$, about an hour north of the city, I know, I went house hunting up there. You gotta go all the way up to Poughkeepsie for cheap rent and live with the riff raff.